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Introduction
It is almost inevitable to hear mixed reactions about Andrew Jackson when the topic of his presidency comes up. Some believe that he was an excellent leader. For many others, certain decisions he made during this presidency ruined his legacy.
Was the 7th President of the United States truly a good person and leader? The author of this sample essay attempts to answer this question as she reviews his good and bad decisions.
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Getting to Know America’s Seventh President, Andrew Jackson
Among the many presidents our country has witnessed over the last few centuries, Andrew Jackson emerges as one of the more memorable leaders. The seventh president of our great nation, Jackson stayed in power from 1829 to 1837 and was known as “the People’s President,” dedicated to upholding and serving the common man.
Was Andrew Jackson a good or bad president? This essay seeks to explore the different events of his presidency and highlight his accomplishments and challenges.
The Story Behind the People’s President
Andrew Jackson was born in 1767 to Scotch Irish folk who moved to America from Ireland. He grew up in poverty in Waxhaws, North Carolina. After his brother died during the Battle of Stono Ferry, he enlisted in the local militia at the tender age of 13 and became a compatriot courier. During his service, he and his other brother Robert were captured by the British and acquired smallpox, of which Robert did not survive.
Jackson lost his mother shortly after to cholera and was orphaned at 14. Because of this, as well as the deaths their family experienced during the Revolutionary War, he developed a deep-seated aversion for the British.
He eventually chose to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1787. At the age of 21, he became the prosecuting attorney in North Carolina’s western district, which today is considered a part of Tennessee. He eventually made his way to Nashville in 1788, where he became a rich landowner from all of his earnings as a lawyer. His first government stint was as Tennessee’s first representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. Following this, he was elected to the Senate, but he only stayed in this position for eight months. He was then chosen to be a circuit judge on the superior court of Tennessee.
He also had a military career, despite his inexperience. Jackson served as a major general for the Tennessee militia. He was known for his victory at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The rest of his military experience earned him the moniker “Old Hickory,” referring to his toughness on the battlefield.
It was his military background and “war hero” image that helped him become a political celebrity, which led him to gain the popular vote in the 1823 Senate elections. He was nominated for the presidency several times, and after a tough and challenging presidential campaign, Jackson became the seventh president of the United States in 1828, winning by landslide. He was the first president to invite the general public to witness his inauguration at the White House, which then earned him the nickname “King Mob.” He was known for his “Kitchen Cabinet,” an informal gathering of friends and advisers who would offer guidance on dealing with national challenges.
Andrew Jackson’s Presidency: The Good and the Bad
As mentioned earlier, just like any imperfect leader, Jackson had a track record of both good and bad decisions that are forever immortalized in American history. What were his key milestones and what were his questionable choices?
He promoted, supported, and practiced slavery
Centuries of the slave trade were some of the more painful events in the timeline of American history, and Jackson was an active part of it. As a plantation owner, he was said to have owned slaves numbering up to 161 at a time. This was part of the reason why he became so wealthy. He took advantage of the cotton boom, hired and sold numerous slaves, and even brought some of them to the White House in Washington.
History also documents his controversial conduct of beating his slaves, with one particularly horrifying incident of publicly whipping a woman. He would also run after them when they would try to escape and lock them up in chains once they were found.
This pro-slavery stance was documented as America expanded and grew, as Jackson vetoed many policies that aimed to abolish slavery in the western territories. He even actively barred anti-slavery materials from being delivered to the Southern states.
He authored the controversial Indian Removal Act
Another terrible stain on Jackson’s legacy was his cruelty to Native Americans. Not only did he look down on African Americans, but he also believed that this group of people are also inferior to white men. He was a supporter of “Indian removal,” so much so that he wanted to send away all these people who found themselves on newly-acquired American territories. He wanted white settlers to primarily benefit from the new lands.
The Indian Removal Act caused the tragic displacement of almost 50,000 natives, turning over vast amounts of land to white settlers. Despite heavy criticism, he firmly defended his decision and said that it was in the best interest of the nation. His disdain of these people led him to call them “savages,” and, in his effort to forward the future of white people, cost the lives and the culture of many Native Americans. Today, this group of people continues to inherit and carry with them generational trauma from what their ancestors experienced during the Jackson presidency.
His “Old Hickory” supporters were the foundation of the Democratic Party
Andrew Jackson’s renomination in the presidential election caused the division of the Democratic-Republican Party. Those who were originally supporters of “Old Hickory” were who formed the Democratic Party. That being said, Jackson is also known for the development of the national two-party system.
He battled the Second Bank of the United States
This feat is known to be one of Jackson’s greatest accomplishments as America’s first leader. Jackson believed that the Second Bank was actually masquerading as a private entity when it was, in fact, a government-supported monopoly. He saw it for what it was: corrupt and elitist. Using his veto power, Jackson vetoed a bill from his opponent Henry Clay, which proposed the re-chartering of the bank. Thankfully, he was able to garner support from the general public, and on his second term, he achieved his goal of closing down the institution. For those who don’t know, Clay represented the Whig Party, comprised of Republicans and other opponents of Jackson.
He established the spoils system
Shortly after winning the elections, he introduced this fascinating system, where he chose to appoint civil servants to government roles. Jackson believed that loyalty to his leadership and political party was more important than education and experience.
He eradicated national debt
He was known for his hatred of debt, so during his presidency, he made it his mission to eliminate all of America’s national debt. He achieved this in 1835, making it the only period in American history where total debt stood at $0.
He had an unlikely opponent in his Vice President, John Calhoun
One of his most unexpected opponents was his second-in-command. Calhoun advocated for the principle of nullification during the nullification crisis, prompting Jackson to threaten to apply force in order to establish a federal government in South Carolina. Of course, Calhoun protested and eventually became the first Vice President to resign from office. Because of this, a compromise was reached, with Jackson even benefiting from a provision that gave him authority to use armed forces to uphold federal laws if need be.
Conclusion
So was Andrew Jackson a good president? After an in-depth view of his track record, I personally cannot release him from the atrocities he committed as a plantation and slave owner. Despite so many impressive accomplishments before and during his time as our president, what weighs deeply in my heart was his active and enthusiastic participation in the abuse of minority groups. His ethnocentrism towards African-Americans, as well as Native Americans, is also atrocious.
To me, it is shameful that someone who did not advocate for human dignity and instead perpetuated continuous discrimination against certain groups made it to the presidency. I can only hope that future leaders will learn from his life and only bring forward with them the good aspects of his leadership.
My dream is for a modern president to embody the positive characteristics and resoluteness of Jackson. May he or she be truly for the common man and advocate for his best interests in this day and age. I am somehow thankful that we have a rich and colorful history of leadership such as Jackson’s that, however imperfect, have a lot of critical lessons to teach young minds.