Best and Worst Presidents from 1789-1836

Amanda Pointer
Dr. Ubriaco
16 November 2010
History to 1877 Best and Worst Presidents from 1789-1836 A great president is considered to be wise and noble. He is also firm, patriotic, and was known as, “the one who invented tradition as he went along.” The greatest president of the United States from 1789-1836 was George Washington. He was the first president of the United States and started great traditions. He took his job very seriously during his time. He was in term from 1789-1797 and contributed too many extraordinary events. George Washington led troops in the Revolutionary War in 1775 as commander of chief, before he became president. He then led troops in the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, which established federal authority. He brought American focus on America instead of being involved in foreign entanglement. George Washington also facilitated the economic take-off, and facilitated in territorial expansion and the inclusion of the new states. First of all, before George Washington was even elected president in 1789, he served as the commander of chief in the Revolutionary War. He led troops in this battle against Great Britain to earn freedom from the British rule. They were considered traitors by the British, but in the end they won their independence, claiming sovereignty as a free state. They called themselves Americans and named their country the United States of America. Shortly, after the Revolutionary War, George Washington was elected to be the first President of the United States. He was very modest and shy, but also took his job very seriously. In 1794, he showed strength and courage by leading troops in the Whiskey Rebellion. This consisted of many farmers in the western counties of Pennsylvania that engaged on a series of attacks because they were angered by an excise tax imposed on whiskey. The tariff effectively eliminated any profit by the farmers from the sale of an important cash crop, and became the lightening rod for a wide variety of grievances by the settlers of the region against the federal government. Citizens of the east had no problem abiding by the concept that individual states were “subservient to the country,” people in the west were less accepting, so they continued their attacks. They would riot in river towns and rough up the tax collectors. This all continued until a federal marshal was attacked in Pennsylvania. President Washington had had enough and issued a proclamation, ordering the westerners to return home. Washington and his 13,000 men set out to suppress the uprising. This was the first use of the Militia Law of 1792 and was also the first test of power to the new federal government. This showed the people that Washington wasn’t fooling around and established federal authority. George Washington was a great president because he forced American focus on America, rather than being involved in foreign entanglement. He wrote a speech known as “The Farewell Address,” that stated it would be good faith and justice with all nations and cultivated peace and harmony with all. This helped to prevent the United States from becoming involved in foreign affairs and territorial wars not relating to our nation. Washington’s views on military alliances and foreign policies are similar to a type of isolationism. George Washington also helped facilitate economic take-off. With Hamilton’s help, they established a national bank, used to assume the responsibility of war debts, and established a national currency. Profits from the bank were used to pay off Revolutionary War debt. In 1791, Hamilton’s plan came full circle with the completion of the United States Mint, the First Bank of the United States, and what we know today as the United States Coast Guard. Lastly, George Washington was a great president because he helped to facilitate territorial expansion and the inclusion of new states. These new states included Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee. On the other hand, Andrew Jackson served as the seventh president of the United States from 1828-1836, and did not measure up to George Washington’s accomplishments. He made more of a negative impact on America than he did positive. He was known as a common man with strength and character who used his appeal to the public to his advantage. During his presidency, Jackson violated the Constitution, took major advantage of his power and was extremely inconsistent with his views. He caused an attack on the bank for personal gain. He was also a large plantation owner and owned several slaves. He ruined relationships with the Native Americans and the US. Andrew Jackson did nothing to undermine class inequality, abused executive authority, and passed the Tariff of Abominations The Tariff of Abominations was the highest tariff in history and led to the nullification crises. Southern farmers believed this tariff was to benefit northern industrialists at their expense. South Carolina used “the power of the state” to deem the abomination tariff unconstitutional and therefore, null and void. Jackson retaliated with the Force Bill in 1833. This gave the military the right to use whatever force necessary in order to ensure the federal tariffs were paid. Its main purpose was to suppress South Carolina’s refusal to collect tariffs during the nullification crisis. Through this form of retaliation, Jackson got his way, and South Carolina rescinded its nullification ordinance. Andrew Jackson abused his constitutional power when he drove away the Native Americans during the Indian Removal Act. The Cherokees were civilized people who lived along with the rest of the population peacefully, and the Indian Removal Act was a violation of the treaty they had with the United States. Andrew Jackson didn’t care, and the removal of the Native Americans caused many deaths and the expansion of slavery in the West. This led to more cruelty and unorthodox, freedom, imprisonment of innocent people. Andrew Jackson was one who owned many slaves, for he was a large plantation owner. When the renewal bill came around for the National bank, Jackson vetoed it. He didn’t believe in a National Bank so he, without authority, began to transfer the money from the National Bank to state banks. Andrew Jackson took advantage of his power when he transferred the money. This severely hurt the economy, caused major inflation, and the decision was not made with the well being of America in mind; it was because he was having a dispute with Biddle, head of the B.U.S. He also felt that the banks were for the wealthy and Jackson had debt of his own. Jackson was ”a man of the people” and had some strong qualities, but he was the worst president from 1789-1836. He defied the constitution, threatened his people, and abused his power. He did what he thought was best at the time but didn’t think about what it would be like in the long term.
Overall, George Washington is seen as “the father of this country,” and is the best President of the United States from 1789-1836. He helped to establish many important economic and foreign policies that are still in place today. With his help, the United States has become the great nation that it is today.