What qualities must a man possess to be considered an honorable asset to society? Is it a healthy conscience or an intellectually-superior mind? When one envisions the perfect example of a leading man, visions of a morally-intact, well spoken, and thoughtful individual come to mind. After all, this single individual carries a country on his shoulder; in a way, he is the people 's Atlas. Stories and textbooks will be written in his honor, depicting his character and presidential legacy, therefore, it is instigated into human nature to pick out the very best of mankind for this position. This brings up another vital question: Was Andrew Jackson, our seventh president, worthy of this honor? Jackson, perhaps the epitome of contradiction, has met …show more content…
First of all, Jackson’s strong character can be traced back to his early childhood and adolescence. His family emigrated from their poverty-stricken home in Ireland to a Scotch-Irish immigrant settlement along the Carolinas. It was here, in the land of the free, that the Jacksons continued to live in poverty. As a young child, his knowledge of the woods bought him a part in the Revolutionary War. This part of his life, however, is dampened by sorrow and abandonment. For instance, his oldest brother, Hugh, who he fought alongside with, died of a heatstroke. In 1781, smallpox made an appearance into the scattered battles and massacres. Because of this disease, Jackson’s other brother, Robert, and his mother died. This made Andrew Jackson an orphan at the tender age of 15; it also hardened him as an individual. As he grew up, his other ventures would also be stained by his unemotional, yet power-driven traits. For example, he proved to be a ruthless military leader during the war of 1812. His name can be traced back to the battles of Horseshoe Bend and New Orleans. After the latter, a sense of patriotism followed and with it, it elevated Jackson to celebrity status. When Jackson became president in 1829, he took full control of his reigns and his position of authority. He did not defer to congress, and tried to be a direct link of power to the people. In this way, he used his power of vetoing to get his way in political matters. For example, when the Second Bank of America was …show more content…
Secondly, Andrew Jackson’s presidency is stained by the tears and oppression of minority groups, such as the African and Native Americans. In the years following his adolescence, Jackson became the owner of The Hermitage, his home. The Hermitage was a working plantation that depended wholeheartedly on the labor of slaves. When one of his slaves escaped, Jackson offered a reward and an extra ten dollars for every one hundred lashes to whoever found the slave. Perhaps the most controversial of Jackson’s actions during his presidency is the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that lead to the Trail of Tears. Soon after becoming president, Jackson passed the former act which called for the relocation of native tribes from their homelands to a designated “Indian territory” in present-day Oklahoma. While Jackson had a clear idea of his plans, he befriended the tribes and promised them prosperity, friendship, and the possibility of becoming civilized children of God. In other words, he, the symbol of reassurance in America, stabbed the backs of all natives. Beyond the question of Jackson 's morality, what was the ultimate reason behind the removal? The answer to this is simple: white settlers wanted to grow and cultivate on Indian lands, and they attained this when the government pushed the natives out of their lands. This act, as stated before, led directly to the Trail of Tears. Many tribes were relocated and had to walk hundreds of miles, suffering from disease, exhaustion, and
The removal of Indians from their native lands being the start of a long list of actions made by Jackson, he was warmly thought of positively by most of the United States population and risked everything he had to give more power, and even control to everyday people and fighting for the everyday person, because he knew what it was like to come from nothing and be someone with nothing and no power and nothing to give to society like many of the everyday country. He was, a lot like his people ultimately kind and fearful, also smart but yet blind to some true problems in the everyday world, and a man who fought a war for what seemed like a life time Jackson was a man who to me could widely be compared to our first beloved president George Washington. But in Jon Meacham’s American Lion he has presented the set in history, human definition of an inspirational man who forever created the true and yet controversial definition of the American presidency and what it means to be an American. Because to be a President it’s more than a title it’s putting millions of people’s lives in your hands and looking to you to guide them in a time of national trouble and fear, this book gives you all of the above from start to
From the time he was young to the time he died, Andrew Jackson faced many hardships. After being confronted by death at a young age, he spent his life trying to prove to himself why he should still be alive. Even with all of the obstacles in his life, he went on to become one of America’s greatest army generals and presidents. All this can be tied into the author’s main point which is that we must set aside all of the great things that Andrew Jackson accomplished and look more into the setbacks he powered through to reach his goals.
Andrew Jackson was a self made man and didn’t need the wealthy man 's money to succeed his goals in life. He was a hardworking middle class American who was born into poverty from Irish immigrant parents in 1767. He fought briefly in the American Revolution War, studied law and became the prosecuting attorney for western North Carolina, elected to the House of Representatives in 1796, and later the Senate the very next year in 1797. He rose to fame during the War of 1812 when he soundly defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans using a remarkably egalitarian force of slaves, Haitians, Choctaw, French pirates, Canary Islanders, and frontiersmen. After the war at New Orleans he was dubbed the name “Old hickory” for his leadership and
The era of Andrew Jackson which was nicknames the era of the “common man” certainly lived up to its name. As the seventh President of the United States, Jackson had a major effect on the life of the common man, in such a way that the life of the common man would never be the same again. Jackson’s aim, after the manner in which he was defeated in the Presidential Election of 1824, despite receiving more popular votes than John Quincy Adams who took on the office, was to reduce the power and the authority of the elite. When he came into power after the 1828 election Jackson began to carry out his proposals. Jackson expanded the voting right to all men, in accordance with the Declaration of Independence of 1776 which declared that “all men are created equal” instead of just the elite.
As the seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson had a significant presidency that is still debated about today. Andrew Jackson’s legacy is tarnished by his treatment of slaves, removal of Native Americans with the Indian Removal Act of 1830, and the political turmoil involving his cabinet. Despite this, Andrew Jackson is ranked among the top ten presidents because his presidency significantly shaped the United States. From a very young age, Andrew Jackson was a patriot at heart and fought for his country. During the Revolutionary War, young Andrew Jackson was a messenger boy who delivered letters and messages through the dense woods of the Carolinas to the American troops.
Chapter 1 In the broad field of American biography, there are found but few names more prominent than those of Generals Andrew and Thomas J. Jackson. As these remarkable men represent different generations, and belong to different periods of history, their similar traits of character are not distinctly discernable by a casual observer. It is believed that by contrasting them a nearer view will be obtained that may prove interesting and instructive to all intelligent readers. Being descended from the same stock, the striking similarity of character that General Thomas J. Jackson, or General Stonewall Jackson, as he is best known, bears to General Andrew Jackson is doubtless due to their common origin.
Under influence of president Andrew Jackson, the congress was urged in 1830 to pass the Indian Removal Act, with the goal of relocated many Native Americans in the East territory, the west of Mississippi river. The Trail of tears was made for the interest of the minorities. Indeed, if president Jackson wished to relocate the Native Americans, it was because he wanted to take advantage of the gold he found on their land. Then, even though the Cherokee won their case in front the supreme court, the president and congress pushed them out(Darrenkamp).
Hero or Villain You may believe that Andrew Jackson was a hero because he gave money to the states, helped the poor and got America a lot of land. Andrew Jackson was a villain not a hero. He caused the Indian removal Act, Trail of Tears, and the Notification crisis. These are only a few of the horrible things he did. He caused the death of hundreds of Indians.
Brittany Randall-Neppl APUSH Period 6 Mr. Kloster 12/19/2014 Andrew Jackson: Champion of the Common Man or Tyrant Andrew Jackson was born into a common life but overcame his mediocre beginnings to become a powerful politician; in 1828 he was elected president of the United States. However, he abused this position of power and made several choices that were detrimental to the welfare and rights of the American people. Jackson implemented the spoils system on a national scale and had unofficial members of his cabinet who did not have to answer to Congress. After South Carolinians were upset by the Tariff of 1832 he was angry toward those who did not agree with it. He also destroyed the National Bank and authorized the Specie Circular.
Andrew Jackson, being a tyrant, abused his power in his time of presidency. He was the 7th president, but before Jackson’s presidency, he had no political experience. One of the only things that really qualified him was the hardships he went through when he was younger. His father had died while Jackson was young and Jackson received the reputation as a “self-made man”, or an independent man.
Andrew Jackson during his time was considered a very patriotic politician he hated the rich, he hated the Indian, and loved the idea of slavery. It has been said that he grew up not educated and had a bad up bring but still managed to get to a high political suture. Jackson at one point was general and had a very decorated portfolio, which made sense he would become president, Andrew was most well know for “The Battle of New Orleans” where Andrew Jackson, prevented the British Army and General Edward Pakenham, from seizing New Orleans nearing the end of that war.
The time has come to make a judgement of the great Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the United States from 1829~1837. Although some people didn’t like Jackson very well due to very few of his decisions, he made many good decisions during his presidency. Andrew Jackson should be remembered as a hero of the common man due to his unifying leadership, generous approach of governing, and concern for economic equality. The first reason that Andrew Jackson should be remembered as a hero is because of his unifying leadership.
Andrew Jackson disobeyed a direct order from the Supreme Court, which it means he was above the law. I really wonder how Americans tolerated him, at that time, he was cruel to the Indian common man. Because of him, the Native Americans have the worst end of the Trail of Tears. They are the ones who are forced out of their traditional homes and sent away on a journey of pain and death. Those who had fallen ill, most of the time died, and those who had the will to move on were able to make it to the end and start new lives.
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States, young at the time. Some believe that Andrew Jackson was a good president, but doesn’t stand out too much. Others, including me, believe that Jackson was not a pleasant person, nor president.
Born into a non-aristocratic poor family, somewhere in the Carolina’s on March 14, 1767, was a man named Andrew Jackson. Jackson, also called “Old Hickory” was a very bold proactive man in American history. From being a military hero and founding the democratic party to enacting the trail of tears and dismantling the of the Bank of the United States, the man and his legacy are a prominent topic for scholarly debate. Some believe he was a great president and some believe he was the worse president. But if you look at it from a moral perceptive or in the eyes of a foreigner, Jackson’s legacy was far more villainous than heroic.