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Name of President: Andrew Jackson Birth: March 15 1767, Waxhaw area Death: June 8, 1845, Nashville, Tennessee Political Party: Democrat Term(s):1829-1832 and 1833-1837 Vice President:John C. Calhoun (1829–1832__)__ and Martin Van Buren (1833–1837) **__Thematic Context __** Before Andrew Jackson was elected as President, the upper class had a good amount of political power which made them the demographic of choice for hopeful presidential candidates. This normality was shook by the Panic of 1819 which had caused the frontiersmen to take a big hit economically and even led them to be evicted by the bank. Since frontiersmen were shook by this economic blow, it was natural for them to become more invested in choosing their representative in the White House. Thus began the age of Jacksonian Democracy in which the common people were the targets of the President’s policies and platforms and gained more political leverage in the process. **__Thesis paragraph __** Andrew Jackson was the first president to attempt to adhere the common man’s will and to become the physical embodiment of the needs and wants of this demographic. Unfortunately, while he was attempting to accomplish this feat, he was abusive of his executive powers and showed disdain and distrust of the other branches of government. For his abuse of the system yet respect for the common man, he garners himself a decent grade of C+. **__Goals of this President __** Jackson laid out his goals of getting rid the national debt, rotating government jobs, changing the rates of tariffs, forcing the Natives out of the West, and restructuring the Bank of the United States at his first address to Congress. At the time, a system described as "to the victor goes the spoils" was how government positions were appointed which was despised by Jackson because let "incompetent hands" into government. This fostered his growing desire to overhaul and replace this system. Jackson also desired changes to be made to the Bank of the United States because of the monopoly that it held as a stable currency provider. As for the Natives, they were in the way of western expansion which is what the common man desired so they would have to be removed. Consequently, this led to the mass removal of Natives known as the Trail of Tears due to the amount of hardship endured during the trip. These changes, while harsh, were almost identical to the wants and needs of the people who were Jacksonian supporters which would lead to Jackson being a very popular President. **__Relationship of this President with Congress __** Although other Presidents tended to let Congress handle its own affairs, Jackson took on a more hands-on approach during his Presidency. He personally believed that the executive branch should be the strongest which is something that he achieved during his run as President. Unfortunately he increased the executive branch’s power by ignoring powers that had been given to the other branches and by going beyond his defined powers. This made him unlikeable to congressmen who weren’t his hardcore supporters. **__Positive and Negative Outcomes __** <span style="color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jackson’s removal of Native American that were living in Western territories, although brutal and heartless, was a very positive due to its prevention of potential land disputes or wars. This may have saved these Native Americans brutal deaths at the hands of the land-hungry frontiersmen. However, Jackson’s most negative decision was when he decided to veto the recharter of the Bank of the United States. This misinformed decision led to future financial crisis and led our economy down a very turbulent path. **__<span style="color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Future Influence __** <span style="color: #303030; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Undoubtedly Jackson’s biggest influence was on platforms for future elections. Because of his success as a candidate for the common man, this would lead other politicians to attempt to mimic this strategy in order to receive similar results. This system has shown to be so effective that it is still a key part of elections in recent times and has become a center part of how the American people pick their President. **__<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Conclusion __** <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jackson led a popular Presidency and had a committed following that stuck by him during his time as president. Unfortunately, he got his popularity by pandering to the common man and making decision with extensive executive power and nasty consequences. This earned him a C+ rating for representing the common man but using shady methods to accomplish this task. In summation, Jackson’s presidency solidified the idea that the common people had to power to decide who was the most fit to become president and this has stuck with America ever since. <span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">"American President: Andrew Jackson." //Miller Center//. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://millercenter.org/president/jackson> <span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">I&, the Eternal!. "Andrew Jackson | The White House." //The White House//. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/andrewjackson> <span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">"SparkNotes: Andrew Jackson: Context." //SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study Guides//. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/jackson/context.html>
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