Ryan+S.+-+AJ+-+SP10

//March 15, 1767 - June 8, 1845 Democrat Presidential Terms: March 4, 1829 - March 4, 1837 (2 terms) Vice President: John C. Calhoun VP Term: 1829-1832 Vice President: Martin Van Buren VP Term: 1833 - 1837 (No VP 1832 - 1833)//
 * Andrew Jackson**

Andrew Jackson is a president who people have varied opinions about. He had a very eventful presidency, filled with both the good and the bad. Unfortunately the bad, the Trial of Tears and the removal of the nation bank for example, out way any good Jackson did during his time in office. For the immense number of poor decisions made during his time as president, Andrew Jackson, unfortunately, deserves a D.

Andrew Jackson had several main goals upon entering the Oval Office. For one, he wanted to pay off the countries growing debt. Jackson, in fact, succeeded in this goal. He is actually the only president in history to relieve to country of its debts. Jackson's other primary goal was to make the country much more democratic and give the individual more rights. He attempted to do this by using the Spoils System. The Spoils System is a system in which a political party grants government positions to its voters. This did grant common men of power, but it is a largely ineffective system. Often times those introduced into the government were highly inexperienced and sometimes even literate men. They had no right to be in such high ranking positions. Incorporating the Spoils System so much into his terms was a great blunder for Jackson.

Jackson had a very shaky relationship with congress. He over-extended his power and made both house of congress have a majority of democrats. Though, strangely enough, Jackson did not get along with congress. Although they were from the same political party, Jackson seemed to have had much different ideas about how to shape the country compared to congress. Andrew Jackson vetoed more bills than every president before him combined. Jackson's most notable veto was to the Second National Bank. Jackson felt that a national bank merely served the rich, so in response he collapsed it and formed smaller local and state "pet banks." This system worked well at first, but eventually led to the Panic of 1837. Jackson did, however, pass both the Force Bill and Compromise Tariff. These were bills made in response to the Nullification Crisis.

The only major positive that occurred in Jackson's presidency was a payment of the national debt. Technically the debt wasn't paid off, but it was lower to about $33,000, the lowest it has ever been. As previously stated, Jackson was the only president in the history of the United States to ever "pay off" the national debt. Unfortunately, Jackson later caused the Panic of 1837. This catastrophic event caused the nations debt to increase ten times in its first year.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jackson's presidency was filled with negatives. The most horrid of his actions was the "ethnic cleansing" of several Native American tribes. Jackson hated the Indians because he felt that they restricted the nations expansion westward. To deal with them, Jackson advocated use of force to move them westward, and if necessary, the "extermination of the savages." With the use of military force and political pressure, Jackson forced many Cherokee leaders into treaties and agreements forcing their westward movement. Five Native American tribes simply moved westward. Because of their lack of violence toward the Americans, they were dubbed the "Five Civilized Tribes". In the end 45,000 American Indians were relocated. This event would later be called the Trail of Tears. It is one of the countries darkest chapters and it is one often ignored by Americans.

Andrew Jackson and a massive, though not necessarily good, effect of future generations and the history of the United States. The most influential effect was his removal of the national bank. Although it was initially helpful, it decimated the American economy shortly after Jackson left office. With the end of the Second National Bank, came the Panic of 1837. Jackson did not have to deal with the issue, but much of Van Buren's time in office was spent correcting the crippling blow JAckson had made on the American economy.

The United States was definitely much better off before Andrew Jackson entered the Oval Office. The man was a war hero but he had a very obscure view on how the country should look. He removed the national bank, which obliterated the economy, forced tens of thousands of American Indians westward, and tried to run the government his way with his excessive use of veto and the Spoils System. For his vast amount of negatives, Andrew Jackson, most certainly, deserves a D.


 * Work Cited**

"Andrew Jackson |." //The White House//. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. .

"Andrew Jackson." //State Library of North Carolina//. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. .

"JACKSON, Andrew - Biographical Information." Web. 12 Mar. 2010. .

"The Trail of Tears - Cherokee Indians Forcibly Removed from North Georgia." //About North Georgia//. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .

"Spoils System." //United States History//. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. .