#17 – Andrew Jackson, Flamboyant Hero of the Common Man 1. Andrew Jackson was more popular than any other president since George Washington. Why were the American people, especially the “common man” so attracted to him? Andrew Jackson began his life as a simple boy from Carolina, but he eventually became one of the most popular figures in America, thanks to his many accomplishments at war Jackson, aka “Old Hero” or “Old Hickory” (Oates 246, 253) started out as a lawyer, but he first gained fame as an Indian fighter in the West. He led the Tennessee militia against the Creeks in Alabama, massacring the Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. This attack “broke the back of Creek uprising”, which is how Jackson “took most of the Indian’s …show more content…
Jackson ran for president, and he won the popular vote, but he failed to obtain the majority of the electoral vote. Therefore, the House of Representatives was left to decide, so “on January 9, 1825, the House chose Adams to be the next president” (Oates 255). This decision was largely thanks to Henry Clay, who became Adam’s secretary of state. It appeared as though Adams had set up a deal with Clay in order to win the presidency. Jackson felt cheated, and he protested loudly against the way Adams was elected, calling it a “corrupt bargain”. Jackson believed that “Adams and Clay had conspired together to thwart justice” (Oates 255), and that thinking spread to his supporters. Jackson was seen as a force fighting against “corrupt elitists” that “used government for their own betterment” (Oates 257). In the public eye, Jackson was seen as both a war hero and a protector of the common man. Its no surprise he was appealing to the masses, especially to the poor, Western citizens from Jackson’s homeland. Andrew Jackson became one of the most popular men in American history, because of his amazing career as brave war hero and a honorable