Rennie Combs US History H Mr. Hertel-Therrien 2/16/23 Was Andrew Jackson Democratic Andrew Jackson was known for many things. He was a general, war hero, politician, and man of the people. But was he truly democratic? This essay will prove that Andrew Jackson was not democratic. Being democratic is defined as “a way of governing which depends on the will of the people” (The Council of Europe). He appointed unqualified people to jobs because they had supported his campaign, went against the constitution during the Nullification Crisis, and also critiqued the national bank, which raised a cry of alarm for liberty, and also turned people against each other based on wealth. During his term as president, Andrew Jackson was required to hire a collector …show more content…
Document 15 shows how when Andrew Jackson was advised by his Secretary of State on who to pick, he chose a supporter of his, who was a known thief and not at all qualified, Samuel Swartwout. But Jackson refused to listen, instead of choosing someone qualified and capable, he chose what was best for his political future. He gave a supporter of his, and a funder of his campaign the job. The port of New York did not only have lots of money that came through it, but it also was a major trading spot. When Swartwout stole over one million dollars from that port, it caused Jackson to be extremely embarrassed and upset. Internationally the scandal was spread. Countries laughed at America for hiring a man known to have criminal tendencies to such an important position. And Jackson lost support in his campaigns from this. People felt that he had not put aside his personal …show more content…
In 1828 and 1832, Andrew Jackson passed tariffs raising the cost to import goods to America. This was mainly to protect the fast-growing Northern economy. Many Southern states did not like that British goods were now more expensive because many relied on foreign trade in their livelihoods of farmers. In 1832 South Carolina published “South Carolina Exposition and Protest”. This was a document written by the Vice President. John C. Calhoun was Vice President under Andrew Jackson, and wrote this paper, although his name did not appear on it. He used Thomas Jefferson and James Madison Kentucky Resolves as a source. The Kentucky Resolves stated that states had the authority to determine whether the federal government had passed a bill into law that exceeded their power. If that were the case, individual states could declare said law null and void in their jurisdiction. John C. Calhoun used this document to explain South Carolina’s grievances with the tariffs. South Carolina eventually declared that the tariffs of 1828 and 1832, were null within their jurisdiction. Furthermore, they threatened that if federal officers tried to forcibly collect the tariffs, they would secede from the Union. This shows that Jackson was not democratic because he obviously was not following the will of all Americans, just the ones who made the most money. The Northern aristocrats were taken care of, but