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Andrew Jackson Born: March 17, 1767 Death: June 8, 1845 Party: Democrat Terms: 1829-1833 and 1833-1837 Vice President: John C. Calhoun (1829-1832) Martin Van Buren (1833-1837) President Andrew Jackson wasn’t the greatest president in American history. He had a long list of positive and negative actions that lead me to give the president a C. His actions with the Bank of America, Texas, and French debt were all very respectable. He struggled with the Native Americans, the tariff, and South Carolina seceding. Jackson wanted to eliminate the American Bank. He had a strong distrust for the bank and felt it had an unfair monopoly on finances. Andrew Jackson also wanted to spread America out by moving to Texas and taking Native American’s land. Jackson Also wanted strong unity in the states which he believed would lead to a stronger country. Jackson did very well with what he wanted to do. After Jackson became president he fought and beat the Bank. Also he helped to gain Texas’s trust leading to future union with America. The Natives were forced to move giving Americans even more land to colonize and grow. Finally even with the threat of seceding by South Carolina Jackson helped keep them under the Union. This leads me to believe Jackson felt very successful. Andrew Jackson had a very tough time with Congress. The congress was lead by Henry Clay and Henry tried to hurt Jackson every chance he could. Clay and congress forced Jackson to veto a lot of bills and fight Congress on many issues. They also helped to keep Jackson’s cabinet from becoming a strong group. President Jackson’s most promising action in office was getting rid of the American Bank. The Bank was a very corrupt organization. The congress created the bank and many people felt this was an abuse of power. It gave too much power and monopoly of finances to one bank. The bank also did not support the common man it served the elite and wealthy. Jackson taking away funds and vetoing the bank was great for the United States. In contrast to defeating the bank Jackson hit a real low when he moved 15,000 Native Americans from their home land to Oklahoma a harsh and desolate area. The transfer to Oklahoma killed many innocent Natives and lead to much anger and hatred from the Natives leading to the Black Hawk war and trouble with Native Americans. Jackson had a lasting impression on western expansion in America. He helped to get Texas to become a free republic and later a state. He removed Natives allowing people to move west. This would create more states and cause the civil war. Jackson unknowingly leads to frayed relations with Mexico and causes war for what today are the south western states of the union. Overall Jackson wasn’t a horrible President he made some mistakes but also helped the country stay united and expand. Jackson’s grade to me would be a C because of the Trail of tears negating the war on the bank and the Texas independence over shadowing the near secession by South Carolina. DeGregorio, William, and Sandra Lee Stuart. __The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents__. Fort Lee, NJ:Barricade Books, 2009.