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**__Andrew Jackson__** (March 15, 1767 - June 8, 1845)

Political Party: Democrat

Terms of Office: March 4, 1829 - March 4, 1837 (two terms)

Vice President: John C. Calhoun (1829 - 1832) and Martin Van Buren (1833 - 1837)

Andrew Jackson was a unique president to say the least. He came into office as the first president from the West and the second without a college education. Old Hickory, more nearly than any of his predecessors, was elected by the popular vote. His presidential career left an impressive, lasting imprint on the future of the United States. Andrew Jackson deserves the grade of a B- because of his veto of the recharter bill for the Second Bank of the United States, response to South Carolina's nullification of the Tariff of 1828, and pavement of the two-party system.

Jackson's goals were clearer than the blue sky. Perhaps the most important goal was to bring the common man into center stage. He represented these people. To accomplish this, Jackson adopted the Spoils System. He initiated sweeping removals of high ranking government officials to restore opportunity for government service to the citizens. His intentions were noble for sure but there is a reason why this was called the "spoils" system. Jackson was basically rewarding those who made campaign contributions with political positions. The question being asked was, "Is he loyal to President Jackson?". Jackson allowed a variety of men into office including illiterates and criminals. One man, Samuel Swartwout, even managed to steal one million dollars. Though Jackson denied that political criteria motivated his appointments, his words contained little truth.

Jackson did not have a good relationship with Congress. In fact, another one of his goals was to strip power from the legislative branch. Unlike previous presidents, he wanted to thwart the legislative program. Under his presidency, only one major law was passed: the Indian Removal Act of 1830 at his behest. During this time, Jackson made good use of the presidential veto. He repudiated twelve bills, more than his six predecessors combined. One of these include the veto of a bill to aid the Maysville road in Kentucky in 1830. It was his statement against federal internal improvements. It seems strange because the Democrats were the majority party in Congress. Only in the 23rd Congress Senate did the National Republicans lead. Jackson had a fierce political philosophy that put him in charge of the country, not the Congress.

The veto of the recharter bill for the Second Bank of the United States was President Jackson's most positive decision, though some can argue against this. Jackson detested the financial monster which belonged to a group of wealthy and private investors. It had enormous power over the smaller state banks and nation in general. Jackson saw it as a threat to popular liberty. When the recharter bill came to Jackson in 1832, he firmly vetoed it on grounds of the bank being unconstitutional. This was one of the defining documents of Jackson's presidency. In reality, this was a personal statement from Jackson to the rest of the country. He would not allow the private stockholders to enjoy special privileges. With the veto, Jackson vastly increased the power of the president. While this was a direct cause of the economic Panic of 1837, Jackson managed to kill the Bank and its obvious elite ownership. Understand that Jackson represented the common man and that an elite group of men in charge of the nation's finances was simply something unimaginable.

A few items of interest can take the crown as the most negative move by Jackson but there is only one that seems the most conspicuous. The removal of the Indians, specifically the Cherokee, was the worst decision the man made. Andrew Jackson was a notorious supporter of Indian removal. He believed that their civilization was lower than that of the whites and for their own survival, should move to the west out of harm's way. In Georgia, the Cherokee Indians fought for their land against invading white settlers. The state government claimed to have state jurisdiction over their lands and Jackson backed it up. In 1830 the Indian Removal Act passed through Congress and the relocation of the tribes east of the Mississippi began. Forced relocation of the Cherokee Indians did not occur until Jackson's successor Van Buren took office. On this "Trail of Tears", an estimated 4,000 Cherokee died. Jackson has been criticized for this part of his administration perhaps more than any other and that criticism is justifiable. Again going back to the common man, Jackson did not mind taking the homelands of thousands of natives and giving them to the whites. In that process he ended the lives of many and inflicted unbearable pain on others.

Jackson's response to South Carolina's nullification of the Tariff of 1828 had the most lasting effect on the nation. South Carolina declared it to be unconstitutional and that the appropriate measure was to nullify it. They took it a step further by stating that the state would secede from the Union if federal force was used to collect revenue. Jackson would not stand for threats of secession. He privately spoke of marching an army into South Carolina to put down the rebellious citizens. In 1832 he issued a ringing proclamation against nullification. As the nation was being pushed closer to armed conflict, Henry Clay developed a compromise Tariff which would bring the rates down. This was passed in 1833 along with the Force Bill. It authorized the use of military force to enforce the revenue laws. South Carolina rescinded its nullification of the tariff. This entire episode demonstrated Jackson's principle of a strong, unified nation. However, it was a large step in the direction of civil war. Jackson might have believed that he had managed to save the nation from crumbling, but he had actually set it on its course.

Andrew Jackson molded the nation into a starkingly different shape. He was a democratic champion who represented the masses. Taking over after John Quincy Adams, the nation seemed to be better off when Jackson left office. Some of the problems he dealt with were inherited from Adams, including the Tariff of Abominations. Needless to say, Jackson did a better job than his predecessor. He deserves a B- since he was not just an average president, though he was not the best either. Also important to note, the two-party system was Jackson's legacy. He made many enemies during his presidency and that gave rise to the Whig party. This new political party was composed of Anti-Jacksonites. Their basic foundation was a fiery hate of him and his administration. The two-party system is still in place today and ironically, it was given life by Andrew Jackson. The Jacksonian Democratic era had its share of ups and downs but one thing is for certain; the impact has lasted forever.

Bibliography:

"American President: Andrew Jackson." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. .

"Andrew Jackson -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. . "Biography of Andrew Jackson." //The White House//. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. . "Party divisions of United States Congresses -." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. .