Andrew Jackson didn’t necessarily have a good upbringing. He was an orphan by the age of fourteen. At the age of thirteen, he fought in the revolutionary war. After the war ended, he pursued the art of law. He moved to Tennessee, married, and got involved with land speculation, farming, and the enslavement of African Americans. At twenty-nine, he was elected as Tennessee’s first-ever representative in the U.S. House. He then went on to be elected to U.S. Senate. Though Andrew Jackson was well-known for his political side, he gained most of his attention through his soldier side. He’s commonly known as the man who commanded American forces defending New Orleans against Britain. In 1828, he was elected as the seventh president of the United …show more content…
One of the most controversial issues during Jackson’s presidency was whether or not a national bank was good for America. Jackson believed that a national bank wasn’t a good idea. Therefore causing him to veto the proposal of a national bank. In a letter responding to Jackson’s veto, Senator Daniel Webster wrote, “It seeks to inflame the poor against the rich, it wantonly attacks whole classes of the people, for the purposes of turning against them the prejudices and resentments of the other classes”(Document A). Having a national bank would most likely benefit the people. So, when Jackson vetoed the bank, not only was he turning classes against each other, but he also deliberately dismissed a way to benefit all the people. Not just white males. Document C shows a cartoon titled, “King Andrew the First”. The cartoon shows him standing on the constitution, and having a book titled “Judiciary of the United States.”, at his feet. Inferring that he thought he was above the law and that he didn’t need to follow the constitution. He thought that he was basically a king, anything he said …show more content…
The spoils system is when those of higher power give government positions to their supporters, regardless if they know how to practice said position. Critics noted that the spoils system was “an open door for corruption”. Andrew Jackson wrote to congress saying, “The duties of all public officers are...so plain and simple that men of intelligence may readily qualify themselves for their performance; and I … believe that more is lost by the long continuance of men in office than is generally to be gained by their experience”. Hiring completely inexperienced people to work government jobs would not benefit the people. They didn’t have a say in who they would want to work in the government. With the spoils system, Andrew Jackson allowed $1,222,705.09 to be stolen by one of his “supporters”(Document