How Did Andrew Jackson's Presidency Corrupt

Andrew Jackson’s presidency was a turning point of sorts for the United States. For the first time ever there was a president “of the common man”, as he was referred to. Prior to him getting into office, the United States a fledgling nation, had yet to see anyone other than high-ranking, old money aristocrats in office. It can be hard to feel fully represented and provided for when your government is unfamiliar with your problems and needs. These was not an issue that was unfamiliar, in fact the problem of illegitimate representation was what the colonists had sought to escape when under Britain’s rule. With Jackson in office it seemed as though the United States was taking a step in the right direction. Andrew Jackson was the first president

The word 'spoils' means incidental, secondary, benefits reaped by a winner. The people Jackson put in place of those he removed were those who were secondary to him, like his right hand men that upheld the same policies as he and who similar to him had the interests of the common man in mind. They were like extensions of himself that made things more efficient. Jackson removed the initial people so that he could reach his goal of really making a change for the common people, and show them that the government wasn’t dominated by greedy rich people that only represented a select handful. These motives stemmed from his humble beginnings one could say. It is true that maybe he could have gone about “purging corruption” in the White House in a way that seemed less like nepotism however he did show himself in this instance to be a president of the common people as did the democrats as a

In fact the common man of the time—whether he was a powerful blueblood or a humble Christian—didn’t believe that the Native Americans should be able to keep their land for quite a few reasons. They felt that Native Americans were prohibiting the United States from truly expanding to its fullest potential not to mention they also felt threatened by the Natives being so close. So, Jackson signed into law the Indian Removal Act in 1830. However, there were American Indians that refused to leave their home lands for the lands promised to them further west in what would now be Oklahoma. Eventually they were forcibly removed by American troops. During their exodus many died of sickness, cold or starvation and the migration became known as the “trail of tears”. Although it seems like a terrible thing to sign to now, back in that time it was something the common man supported which just further reinstates the fact that Jackson’s goals in office aligned with the common man’s interests. In fact Jackson was so supportive of the common man’s interests that he supported them even when they weren’t always the most morally