How Democratic Was Andrew Jackson? - Paper Example

Introduction

Andrew Jackson was born between North Carolina and South Carolina in 1767. His life was not characterized by wealth, even though he was a President. Jackson was born poor and his father died just days before he was born. Jackson's fighting instincts made him difficult to raise and his mother struggled to make it work. He was only 13 years old when he was taken prisoner during the revolutionary war. He was also severely injured. His mother died before he was able to return from the revolution war. Jackson promised the people that he would listen when he was elected president of a democracy. A democracy is a country where the people make the decisions. Although he believed in democracy and was a strong believer, many people saw him more as a dictator or a king than the democratic leader he claimed to be. Andrew Jackson was very democratic. Very.

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The national bank had an effect on Andrew Jackson's democracy. Andrew Jackson sent a veto message in 1832 to congress. He stated that "great evils to our nation... might result from such a concentrated power in the hands of some men irresponsible for the people." (Document 4). This statement shows that Jackson cares about the people. He didn't want any of the citizens to make poor choices. Because of their wealth and power, the citizens may be deceived. Jackson listened and sent the message. A photograph shows President Jackson as a king, standing on top of the torn Constitution. (Document 3). This is a false portrayal of Jackson. He made the veto to protect himself and other political leaders as well as the citizens. He used his veto to ensure that people were not fooled. Andrew Jackson again helps people make the right choices and not be misled by those in power. These documents show Jackson listens to people and acts as a result.

Our Native American neighbors are now being forced westward, and their numbers have dropped dramatically. Jackson recognizes the problem and listens to people before he takes action. To spread the word, he sends a message directly to Congress. In his message, President Jackson stated that "Setting aside an ample district westof the Mississippi... be assured to the Indian tribes so long as they shall occupie it ..."" (Document 8). He then creates a peaceful solution to the problems of neighboring countries. Jackson's inaction may have led to the extermination of Indian tribes. Andrew Jackson stated, "We want to live in land of our fathers." We have the right to be free from interruptions or molestation ..." (Document 9). This acknowledgement allows us to see that Jackson will help us understand and support our neighbors.

The spoils system, which can be used to prove Andrew Jackson's democratic nature, is another way. The spoils system was a system that allowed you to work with the president if you were loyal and a member of their political party. People believe that he chose people who treated him well and showed respect. This assumption is false. Jackson wrote a letter to Congress that stated that "no one man has any greater...right to (government jobs)." (Document 6). Jackson also said that there were no bias opinions in the selection of a public officer, because the duties and qualifications were "so simple ...". Although many citizens disagree with Jackson's assertion that they were not biased, he stayed true to what he felt and what people wanted when making these decisions. The collector of the Port of New York is one of the opposing views. Andrew Jackson needed to choose a collector for Port of New York. He chose his long-time friend, Samuel Swartwout. Swartwout "absconded with $1222,705.09" (Document 7). Samuel was clearly a poor choice as a collector, as President Jackson soon discovered. Jackson had a strong opinion about Swartwout but didn't know it. Samuelson was a supporter from the beginning. President Jackson didn't know it but he supported Samuel. He quickly realized his error and corrected it. This was one error that was made, but it will not happen again.

Conclusion

Andrew Jackson's presidency is a complex topic that can be viewed from many angles. The majority of his decisions were based on the opinions and viewpoints of the people. To be democratic, one must listen to the people. Andrew Jackson was a great example of this behavior throughout his presidency. It led to a lot. He was both unbiased in his decision-making and he used the spoils system to his advantage. He acted accordingly to Native Americans' issues while following the wishes of Americans. Andrew Jackson wasn't the most democratic president, but he was one of the few who could accomplish as much as him. Andrew Jackson's presidency proved to be very democratic.