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// (March 15, 1757 – June 8, 1845) // // Political Party – Jacksonian Democrat // // Time in Office- March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837 (two terms) // // Vice President – John C. Calhoun (1st Term) // // Martin Van Buren (2nd Term) // American Identity: One event that helped to identify what an American is was the Ordinance of Nullification in South Carolina. In response to the “Tariff of Abominations”, South Carolina nullified the tariff, and threatened secession from the Union. This independent attitude had been present in America since its inception, and this thought process was a foreshadowing of the Civil War. It showed once again that Americans would not stand for anything they viewed as tyranny, even if it came from within their own government. By now, this reaction should have been expected. Americans viewed themselves as independent, and South Carolina thought it could function on its own. Luckily for both South Carolina and the rest of the country, Andrew Jackson was able to preserve the Union, but the independent, rebellious attitude would stay and eventually blossom into the Civil War.
 * __ Andrew Jackson __**

Another event, entirely separate from the nullification issue, was the invention of the reaper by Cyrus McCormick. McCormick’s reaper would forever change farming in America, especially in the Northwest of the time. It allowed one farmer to harvest at the rate of five previously. This agricultural innovation is a classic example of what it means to be an American. Americans have always been industrious, and the reaper exponentially increased farming output, especially of grain. This improved life for individual farmers, allowing them to more productive and economical. The reaper represented the maximization of the agrarian potential in America at the time.

Analysis: Andrew Jackson’s presidency was sort of deceptively successful. He always seemed to be involved in some sort of controversy, and he certainly did things differently than those before him, but as a whole, the future of the country and of the presidency were better when he left office than when he began. His many successes while in office led to the United States gaining respect internationally and generally improving itself internally. The only real negative during his presidency was the Trail of Tears, but even that mishandled situation was aimed at aiding the American people. For all of this, Jackson deserves an A- for his presidency.

In general, Jackson stated his goals as being to improve the nation internally, including paying off the national debt, and “to ask nothing that is not clearly right, and to submit to nothing that is wrong” when dealing with foreign affairs. He also said he wanted to treat the Native Americans with respect and to try to do what they wanted and what was right for them while also sticking to his beliefs pertaining to the rights of Americans. He wanted all governmental policy to follow the Constitution, and also to assert his power as representing the will of “the people”, not just as a passive executive. For the most part, Jackson met his goals. He eliminated the national debt for a period of six months, becoming the first and only president to serve with the federal government in the black, and strengthened American relations with foreign countries, earning respect for American emissaries and making the United States the “preferred customer” with many nations. He did indeed adhere to the Constitution during his presidency, or at the very least his interpretation of it, as evident with the Bank War and ending nullification in South Carolina. He also used his power to represent the people since, as he saw it, his views were the majority because the majority elected him to office, vetoing more bills than the other 8 of the first 9 U.S. presidents combined, using his platform as grounds for veto. Jackson was very frank and honest about his opinions and goals, and met nearly all of them, with the glaring exception being the handling of the Natives with the Trail of Tears. He ended up not doing what was right for the Natives, instead defaulting to he own beliefs and “popular opinion” to drive them out of the States. For the most part though, Jackson effectively and constitutionally met his goals.

For the 21st, 22nd, and 24th US Congresses, the Jacksonians held the slight majority, but for the 23rd, the anti-Jacksonians held the majority, so Jackson was mostly dealing with a split Congress with a slight advantage in his favor. Jackson’s relationship with Congress was somewhat rocky, as he feuded with many leaders in Congress like Henry Clay and Daniel Webster constantly over issues like the Bank War. He was not afraid to show his difference in opinion, utilizing his veto power, regular or pocket, twelve times, which was more than the combined number of vetoes used in US history before Jackson’s presidency. His belief that the public had given him a mandate by electing him that his opinions were the majority opinion, and so he could veto on the grounds of his platform, since it represented the opinion of the majority. His most significant veto was of the renewal of the Bank of the United States. His opinion was clear: he thought the Bank of the Untied States had too much power and the potential to ruin the government if poorly operated. Jackson had his differences with Congress, and used his veto power relatively liberally, but on the whole it was a sound working relationship with Congress.

Jackson’s presidency was full of successes, the most important of which being dealing with and ending the Nullification Crisis of 1832. The protective tariff limiting foreign trade, “The Tariff of Abominations” in the South, had infuriated the Southern states, especially South Carolina, as Charleston was a huge port city. They voted to nullify the tariff, and threatened secession from the Union. Jackson, always firm in his ways, said that the preservation of the Union was important above all else, even as others even within his cabinet claimed it was violation of states’ and individual rights. Jackson was willing to do anything to keep the country together. In this, he was wise, as he threatened the use of force, but ultimately succeeded peacefully, to end both nullification and the threat of secession in South Carolina. Along with the threat of force, Jackson and Congress passed a bill to lower the protective tariff back down to a more reasonable level. Had South Carolina successfully seceded from the Union, other Southern states likely would have followed and the American Civil War very well could have started 30 years earlier over the protective tariff, which seems trivial compared to slavery.

Most of Jackson’s decisions were usually either mostly good with some bad, or well-intended actions that were rushed or incapably carried out. A prime example of this is the Trail of Tears. The Native Americans were alive and well in the American Southwest of the time, and, to Jackson and many others, posed a serious threat to the American way of life. After numerous failed attempts to assimilate the Natives into American society, it became clear that the two peoples could not live simultaneously so near each other. The Indian Removal Act was designed to peacefully move the Indians to reserved territory west of the border of America. Although Jackson meant well when he passed this act, it was rushed and not fully thought out, as it was pretty clear at this point that Americans would not stop expanding and pushing westward, even if it meant taking the Natives’ land. The Trail of Tears led to thousands of Indians dying on the harsh trek west, but it helped the American people and earned Jackson popularity among them. Had Jackson thought out this plan better, he might have permanently reserved large tracts of land where the respective Native tribes were already living, instead of forcing them west and so greatly reducing their numbers. Though well intended, the Trail of Tears was certainly the biggest blunder Jackson and his administration made.

Andrew Jackson, hero of the War of 1812, “Old Hickory”, was steadfast in his ways, and left many an impact on the future of America. The most influential was the way he treated the presidency. The way he acted forever changed the influence the president had in America. Not only had he exercised his right to veto on unconstitutional grounds, but also on platform grounds, which was the first time that had been done. He introduced the “spoils system”, where the incoming president replaced government positions with members of his party. Also, Jackson made clear the federal government had power, with him as its leader and representative of the majority. In general, the lasting impact Jackson left on the country was a drastic increase in presidential power. Ever flirting with the line between democratic president and monarchical “king”, he always stayed on the democratic side, despite what his detractors said, setting a valuable precedent for future presidents. Jackson was able to give future presidents’ the power that would be needed at certain times, while still maintaining the successful check and balance system between the branches of government. The impact he left on the position of president would last for the rest of presidential history.

Jackson as president was mostly successful. The people loved him even though looking back on what he did as president may suggest otherwise. He is looked at as hot-tempered and impulsive, but in actuality he almost always behaved rationally and made sound decisions. He always acted in the best interest of the people, or at least the majority, and held the country together through the nullification crisis. No matter what happened, Andrew Jackson could be depended on to maintain a firm grip on the country and its affairs, both foreign and domestic. There were shortcomings like the Trail of Tears, but even that was appreciated by the American people, which was ultimately the only people Jackson needed to please. The Bank War consumed much of his presidency, and it would eventually cause the Panic of 1837 (after his time in office), but for a time resulted in the only period of time in American history when the federal government was free of debt. Jackson saved the Union until the Civil War, and forever cemented the power of the president. Ultimately, he improved the country and set new precedents, leaving the country better off than before, deserving his grade of A-.

Bibliography:

"Art & History Home Origins & Development Party Division." //U.S. Senate//. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. .

Jackson, Andrew. "Andrew Jackson: Inaugural Address." //The American Presidency Project//. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. .

"Party Division." //U.S. Senate//. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. .

"President Andrew Jackson." //The Hermitage - Nashville, Tennessee//. The Hermitage. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. .