Legacy Of Andrew Jackson Essay
The Impact of Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson’s impact is deeper than just being the seventh president of the United States, his legacy is not his presidency. He formed the Democratic party, but the two-party system was Jackson’s legacy. Jackson spoke as the people’s choice he connected with the citizens by being born into a family that was not high in the rankings, but modest farmers. He worked up the ladder to become the political power he ended up being, from being captured at thirteen by the British to becoming a lawyer, and then finally, the seventh president of the United States. Andrew Jackson rose to the top of the American political power system and was more popular than President John Quincy Adams. Jackson was a military hero, a frontiersman,
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and a populist. These qualities concerned the elites in society but captivated the common people. Andrew was more like the common people than the first six presidents. He was self made and although he was an educated lawyer/landowner he still thought that education was inessential to running a country. The first six were all wealthy, educated, and from the west which made it so that the people were interested in Andrew Jackson more so since he had such a different background and view. All presidents before Jackson had been born West of the Allegheny Mountains; Jackson was born in a log cabin in the East. In the article The Rise of the Common Man it is said, “At the Inauguration in 1829 it was said that it had the embodiment of ruffians” (http://www.ushistory.org/). There were crowds so big that there was a fear of people being injured in the rush, which in the end people did rush Jackson. Liquored, uneducation, common man supporters filled the Executive Mansion hoping to view the new president. Arthur T. Stansbury quoted in the article The Rise of the Common Man, “To us, who had witnessed the quiet and orderly period of the Adams administration, it seemed as if half the nation had rushed at once into the capital” (Stansbury). The 1824 election, Jackson’s first attempt at presidency, started with four candidates but was brought down to two: Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. Adams won the election even though Jackson had the most popular votes. Feeling robbed Jackson and his supporters insisted that the president should win based on the amount of popular votes. There were not strong party affiliations in the election. The defenders of the Adams administration started to call themselves "National Republicans" or “Republicans”. Andrew Jackson’s supporters started to be called “Democratic Republicans” but not long after it was shortened to “Democrats”. The presidential election of 1828 between Andrew Jackson and re-running President John Quincy Adams is considered the dirtiest presidential election.
There were rumors of adultery and the coffin handbills. “According to the handbills, Andrew Jackson ordered the execution of six militiamen in black coffins during the Creek War. Twelve more coffins are shown representing the Indians and regular soldiers killed” (McNamara). Jackson’s wife Rachel was married to another man but applied for a divorce then married Jackson a year later. It was unknown that the divorce was not verified until two years after Rachel and Andrew’s marriage. Meaning that Andrew Jackson was married to another man's wife for a year. Adams used this as dirt against Jackson to gain more supporters. The article The Election of 1828 Was Marked By Dirty Tactics by Robert McNamara tells that, “In retaliation, the supporters of Andrew Jackson started to spread rumors that John Quincy Adams when he served as an American ambassador of Russia obtained an American girl from sexual services of the Russian czar” (McNamara). Supporters even began calling Adams a “pimp” and began to state that obtaining women explained his success as a diplomat. The two men and their supporters continued to start rumors or use the other men’s secrets as blackmail and advantages to leap forwards in the campaign and win the presidential
title.
Andrew Jackson made more vetoes in his presidential years than all the other president's vetoes combined and he used it as a political weapon. He used the veto a total of twelve times which was more than the first six presidents all together. Though he did this to increase presidential power since he believed that he was the representative for the people. the veto was used to oppose his enemy Henry Clay. Another veto used was the Maysville Road Bill. Jackson did this because he wanted to pay down the national debt but also because Henry Clay was a Kentuckian.
These are a few reasons of how Andrew Jackson’s impact is deeper than just being the seventh president of the United States. Because Andrew Jackson became president, the presidency has become even stronger than before. Even though it was at the expense of the Congress the strength of the presidency grew immensely. The President now has to appeal to the common people of the country everyday, instead of a special interest group to get elected.
and a populist. These qualities concerned the elites in society but captivated the common people. Andrew was more like the common people than the first six presidents. He was self made and although he was an educated lawyer/landowner he still thought that education was inessential to running a country. The first six were all wealthy, educated, and from the west which made it so that the people were interested in Andrew Jackson more so since he had such a different background and view. All presidents before Jackson had been born West of the Allegheny Mountains; Jackson was born in a log cabin in the East. In the article The Rise of the Common Man it is said, “At the Inauguration in 1829 it was said that it had the embodiment of ruffians” (http://www.ushistory.org/). There were crowds so big that there was a fear of people being injured in the rush, which in the end people did rush Jackson. Liquored, uneducation, common man supporters filled the Executive Mansion hoping to view the new president. Arthur T. Stansbury quoted in the article The Rise of the Common Man, “To us, who had witnessed the quiet and orderly period of the Adams administration, it seemed as if half the nation had rushed at once into the capital” (Stansbury). The 1824 election, Jackson’s first attempt at presidency, started with four candidates but was brought down to two: Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. Adams won the election even though Jackson had the most popular votes. Feeling robbed Jackson and his supporters insisted that the president should win based on the amount of popular votes. There were not strong party affiliations in the election. The defenders of the Adams administration started to call themselves "National Republicans" or “Republicans”. Andrew Jackson’s supporters started to be called “Democratic Republicans” but not long after it was shortened to “Democrats”. The presidential election of 1828 between Andrew Jackson and re-running President John Quincy Adams is considered the dirtiest presidential election.
There were rumors of adultery and the coffin handbills. “According to the handbills, Andrew Jackson ordered the execution of six militiamen in black coffins during the Creek War. Twelve more coffins are shown representing the Indians and regular soldiers killed” (McNamara). Jackson’s wife Rachel was married to another man but applied for a divorce then married Jackson a year later. It was unknown that the divorce was not verified until two years after Rachel and Andrew’s marriage. Meaning that Andrew Jackson was married to another man's wife for a year. Adams used this as dirt against Jackson to gain more supporters. The article The Election of 1828 Was Marked By Dirty Tactics by Robert McNamara tells that, “In retaliation, the supporters of Andrew Jackson started to spread rumors that John Quincy Adams when he served as an American ambassador of Russia obtained an American girl from sexual services of the Russian czar” (McNamara). Supporters even began calling Adams a “pimp” and began to state that obtaining women explained his success as a diplomat. The two men and their supporters continued to start rumors or use the other men’s secrets as blackmail and advantages to leap forwards in the campaign and win the presidential
title.
Andrew Jackson made more vetoes in his presidential years than all the other president's vetoes combined and he used it as a political weapon. He used the veto a total of twelve times which was more than the first six presidents all together. Though he did this to increase presidential power since he believed that he was the representative for the people. the veto was used to oppose his enemy Henry Clay. Another veto used was the Maysville Road Bill. Jackson did this because he wanted to pay down the national debt but also because Henry Clay was a Kentuckian.
These are a few reasons of how Andrew Jackson’s impact is deeper than just being the seventh president of the United States. Because Andrew Jackson became president, the presidency has become even stronger than before. Even though it was at the expense of the Congress the strength of the presidency grew immensely. The President now has to appeal to the common people of the country everyday, instead of a special interest group to get elected.