TO WHAT EXTENT DID
JACKSON USE HIS PRESIDENCY
TO BENEFIT THE COMMON
MAN?
[Document subtitle]
“Peace, above all things, is to be desired, but blood must sometimes be spilled to obtain
it on equable and lasting terms.”
- President Andrew Jackson
Natan Beyero
o
Although one of President Andrew Jackson’s campaign promises was to keep the interest
of and benefit the common man, he didn’t fully live up to the people’s expectations. Even
though his origin as a common person earned him trust from the lower and middle class
of the population, his life was rather unique. After losing his parents and two brothers
during the Revolutionary war, Jackson grew up with an intense hatred for the British which
is evident in how he lived. (owlcation.com)
Jackson's term as president (1829-1837) began a new era in American politics. With
voting rights expanded to the common people regardless of their status as a property
owner, a unique time period known as the “Era of the Common Man” was emerging. In
addition, the election of President Andrew Jackson, a self-made man, to the office of
presidency proved that one doesn’t necessarily need to have an elite family background
or attend a prestigious college to hold the office of presidency.
Jackson is held responsible for the financial crisis that occurred during the Panic of 1937.
After the National Bank was destroyed, Jackson used his executive power to put the
money in various pet (state) banks. So, states began printing money without regulation leading to inflation. Jackson’s Specie Circular executive order, which was meant to
provide a solution, did the opposite - as banks couldn’t meet the demands of Gold and
Silver. The federal government's refusal to accept paper money for land purchases hurt
the US economy, resulting in lower wages while unemployment rates rose. Because this
affected the working middle class in a negative way, Jackson is discredited for this
decision.
Jackson was a major supporter of the Indian Removal Act. As with most of his actions,
Jackson claimed that the law would benefit the common man. But in reality, the removal
had to come at some cost. Although it aided the westward expansion of the US, it allowed
the Natives to form alliances against the government. As a result, American-Indian Wars
didn’t end until the 1920s. Indian interracial marriages were common in some areas, so
the laws had to become complicated. In addition, the Natives’ opposition to the Federal
government made them uncooperative, so disputes had to be settled by conflict instead
of agreements or treaties. The outcome was little to no gain for both sides.
Jackson was a man of fiery temper and revenge-minded, which interfered with some of
his decision making. Because of his hatred towards Henry Clay, Jackson vetoed the
Mayville Road project, claiming that it was “unconstitutional” (the federal government can
fund state projects only if they benefit the whole country.) The Bill had come from
supporters of the American system, which sought to unify and strengthen the US through
internal improvements, a centralized banking system and protective tariffs. This decision
can be considered correct from a strict Democratic Republican perspective, but it appears
to be an anomaly in comparison to the rest of Jackson’s presidency – he expanded (or
abused, as some may say), the power of the President.
Even with all his negatives, it isn’t possible to deny Jackson’s positive impact on the
common man. Jackson led a campaign to destroy the Second Bank of the United States,
because he was convinced that his efforts had gained national support after his re-
election in 1832 (History.com); hence vetoing the its re-charter. Although one can argue
that Jackson made poor economic decisions in some instances, it is worth noting that he
is the only President in history who managed to make the US debt-free. In 1829, when
Jackson was sworn into office, the US had about $58 million in debt, which is equal to in
value to today’s $1.4 billion (politifact.com). Although Jackson’s fiery temper and daring
spirit influenced much of his actions as a president, his positive impacts on our nation are
still felt to this day.
Citations:
History.com Editors. “Bank War” HISTORY.com. A&E Television Networks. Aug 21, 2018
http://www.history.com/topics/bank-war
Kendall H. “Andrew Jackson and the Era of the Common Man” Owlcation.com. Jun 8, 2016
https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Andrew-Jackson-A-Common-Man
UShistory.org. “The Rise of the Common Man” U.S. History Online Textbook. 2018
http://www.ushistory.org/us/24a.asp
Lauren Carroll. “Was Andrew Jackson the only U.S. president to bring national debt to zero?”
politifact.com. Apr 21, 2016
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/apr/21/ben-carson/andrewjackson-debt-balanced-budget-president/