Andrew Jackson
Hero, or Villain?
His nickname-"King Andrew"
he was like a dictator as president
Abused veto power (used veto 12 times)
Used popularity and power to fill his cabinet with loyal, democratic followers
Labeled king by cartoonists.
Know to reward people for helping him with government jobs.
Slavery
Source of Andrews wealth.
owned around 150 slaves at the time of his death.
wanted his slaves to be treated well ( told overseer to “that he was to treat them with great humanity, feed and clothe them well, and work them in moderation.” but he could be cruel and whip them.
Wanted an overseer tried for murder for killing a slave.
Thought of his plantation as a normal business practice
Jacksonian Democracy and Universal White Male Sufferage
From 1810 to 1840 political life in the US became more democratic
-Democratic Expansion- expansion of suffrage
-Starting in Maryland state after state in the 1810s and 1820s started easing voting rights
-ensured that most white men could vote
-Number of voters greatly increased by the 1820s
-Political movement during the second party system toward greater democracy for the common man
-Promoted the strength of the president and executive branch
Spoils System
The practice after a president is elected to give its supporters, family and friends jobs in office to award them to working towards victory.
-Jackson did this after winning his presidency
-A mob of office speakers headed for Jackson to try to get jobs from him after his inauguration into office.
-Many people were taken out of office due to this
-In one year 423 posts makers were deprived of their jobs and most were very good workers.Bank War
he was concerned about the bank’s constitutionality
Jackson said that the bank would not kill him because he would kill it
Jackson’s opposition to the bank became an obsession
he vetoed the bank recharter bill
he also ordered that the government’s deposits be removed and placed in state banks
Peggy Eaton Affair
she was the wife of Jackson’s Secretary of war; John Eaton
she had a reputation of a beauty
other wives of public officials ostracised her; causing a problem in Jackson’s administration
she was suspected of having many affairs before her marriage
her first husband was suspected to be suicide
Role in War of 1812
he was a major general
Sent to New Orleans to defend against the incoming British attacks.
Defeated 7500 men at New Orleans and forced the British to retreat.
Named “Hero of New Orleans”
claimed he was “born for the storm” of life in America
Indian Relocation/Trail of Tears
Jackson pursued for the Indians Tribes to be removed from their Ancestral lands.
The removing of the indians would free up space for the americans heading west.
The removals were often brutal and not just removing them with words but physically making them leave.
A war resulted out of the indians rebelling
The indians made their own language after they settled
Tariff of Abominations
The Tariff was a heavy tax on imports designed to boost american manufacturing
South carolina didn’t want the tariff for their state
Jackson ordered 50,000 federal troops to enforce the law
Hero Or Villain
Sources
- http://www.tn4me.org/sapage.cfm/sa_id/174/era_id/4/major_id/21/minor_id/62
- http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/4b1.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoils_system
- http://www.ushistory.org/us/24d.asp
- http://www.macmillanhighered.com/catalog/static/bsm/historymodules/modules/mod09/main.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonian_democracy
- http://www.shmoop.com/jackson-era/facts.html
- http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jackson-appoints-john-eaton-as-secretary-of-war-and-starts-scandal
- http://www.shmoop.com/war-1812/andrew-jackson.html
- http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/124