The Jacksonian Era
By: Kayden Brewer
Killing the National Bank
Andrew Jackson disliked the National Bank. He believed that it only benefited the wealthy. Also, despite the Supreme Court's decision that under the Elastic Clause the National Bank was "necessary and proper" and was therefore constitutional, Jackson thought the National Bank was unconstitutional. When the time came to renew the National Bank's bill he vetoed it.
The Nullification Crisis
During his presidency, Andrew Jackson passed the Tariff of 1828 and the Tariff of 1833. This angered the southern states, since they had to pay more for the everyday goods they needed; however, the northern states liked and benefited from this since the southern states had to go to them to buy products. South Carolina believed that they could nullify the tariffs by refusing to pay the tariffs. In response Jackson threatened South Carolina by telling them there would be military action if they didn't pay the tariffs. His threat worked and South Carolina paid the tariffs.
"Trail of Tears"
The "Trail of Tears" was the event in which the Cherokee Indians were forced out of Georgia and into Oklahoma. Andrew Jackson thought this would benefit the US economy by providing new farmland on the frontier. When Jackson first attempted to move the Cherokees out, they went to the Supreme Court who ruled that the Cherokee Nation was its own nation occupying its own territory and said forcing them to move was unconstitutional. Jackson ignored this and the Cherokee couldn't fight back since they were too weak to go up against the US army.
All Hail King Jackson
This political cartoon depicts Andrew Jackson as a king. This is because during Jackson's presidency Jackson refused to listen to the Supreme Court's ruling, causing him to nearly have complete control over the US government. The artist shows a document in Jackson's hand that reads, "Veto", because Jackson used the veto more than any other previous president. He is also shown standing on the Constitution because he didn't care if his actions were constitutional.
MORE LAND!!!
Hello, my name is Harry Butts and I am writing you this letter to tell you how happy I am that the Cherokees have been moved out of Georgia. I recently moved to US from Ireland and was looking for a place to settle down, start a farm, and build a family. The removal of the Cherokee Indians in Georgia gave me the perfect opportunity to do that. I was hoping you could find a way to express my gratitude to President Jackson.
Thank you,
Harry
What Did We Do to Deserve This???
Greetings, my name is Halo Peno. I have sent you this letter to ask what have my people and I done to deserve this treatment. We have done nothing, but try to get along with you Americans since the French and Indian War and in return you treat us like savages. I don't know what else we could have done to get along with you. We are too weak to fight back now, but I want you tell your president that he has made a new enemy called the Cherokee Nation!
You shall rue this day,
Halo