U.S. History : Jacksonian symbolism - Essay Example

Although Andrew Jackson symbolized the emergence of the common man, the essence of his presidency can be found by looking at his policies in the areas such as nullification, the spoils system, Indian removal and the Bank War. Write as essay examining Jacksonian symbolism and policies in these areas. While Jacksonian democracy emerged to promote the rule of the ‘mass’ and the ‘common’ of America, the policies that substantiated Jackson’s regime and their impact apparently became the chief determinants that aid in the assessment of his presidency and the truth of its underlying principles. The crisis on nullification which became a sensationalized conflict in South Carolina is one of the areas through which his policy on tariffs may be evaluated. In the early 1930s, the tariffs imposed upon taxes on imported goods anguished the leaders and people of the state of South Carolina. John C. Calhoun, back then, became one sharp precursor of ‘nullifying’ the federal law by the state on the ground that the state, with its own set of rules to follow, need not abide by the laws set by the federal government. Imposition of tariffs was treated with abomination by the southerners yet President Jackson merely expressed moderate stand on the issue. For Jackson, modest decisions in favor of tariffs are necessary to ensure national security and the stable production of commodities. This would also establish better commercial relations with European manufacturers, to be able to adjust revenue to the level that paid the nation’s debt. Jackson himself was against the philosophy of nullification, seeing how this had every tendency of dissolving the Union and violating the rule of majority. Hence, by opposing the struggles of those who desired to nullify the legal connections between the state and the federal authority via further issuing the “Nullification Proclamation”, new tariff was proposed but only up to the extent when nullifiers denounced it to proceed with the endeavor of safeguarding the rights of the South from the legislation believed to suppress advancement of their interests. Through this event, Jackson occurred to exhibit an enduring symbolism of one who stood by the nation during storm, having vindicated the Union and proving that nationalism reflects the same principles as the rights of the state. Political party work had been richly rewarded with the use of public offices made possible by the “Spoils System”. This system is known in several nations and by 1840, the local as well as the state and federal governments extensively utilized it. Here, one need not be an elite to become part of the government and to address the concern of common citizens who wanted to hold political office despite lack of proper education and other qualifications, Jackson spoiled a certain number of individuals to assume office. This move is found to be politically motivated as the president preferred to act as such in order to counter the schemes of his opponents and replace the officiating bodies who served the economic favors of New England. On exclaiming “To the victor belong the spoils”, it may be perceived of Jackson that the “spoils” in the context of his regime were a symbol of his position on democracy which primarily bore the president’s theme of being “champion of the common man”. As a significant part of Jackson’s political structure, the spoils system remained until the emergence of the civil service reforms at the latter part of the century. It is through this system that Jackson’s so-called “kitchen cabinet”, composed mostly of friends, often conferred with him via informal gatherings despite the presence of the formal cabinet officials. By the time the rapid growth of the United States prompted expansion toward the lower South in the early19th century, the whites were confronted with the conflict of having to deal with the original settlers. The Indian tribes Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chicasaw, and Seminole occupied the area at the time and white Americans thought that co-existence with Indians upon common occupation of the lands would not fulfill their intended progress on economy. Hence, these Americans demanded the federal government to drive away Indians and encourage them to seek other territories. To respond to this, Jackson commissioned the U.S. military forces in 1814 to combat and defeat the Creek faction which eventually lost 22 million acres of land in Georgia and central Alabama. Since Jackson was on the side that supported the cause of the whites toward land acquisition, more lands in 1818 were yielded as Seminoles were sanctioned for the unruly practice of protecting fugitive slaves. Jackson negotiated nine out of eleven treaties which pushed southern tribes to evacuate their lands in the east and migrate to settle in those of the west. Such treaties had been agreed upon in the hope that the government would consequently ponder on their peaceful intention and situation so that some of the lands could still be kept by the tribes and that Indians could be protected from the social injustice shown by the whites. On May 28 of 1830, President Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which authorized him to trade uninhabited lands lying west of Mississippi for Indian lands within the realm of state borders. Indians in great numbers protested against the relocation policy while some managed to concede then during the fall and winter of 1838 and 1839, a forced march was ordered by the U.S. government for the Cherokees to move to the west and this event in history marked the “Trail of Tears” since it claimed roughly 4,000 Cherokee lives in the process. Thus, in this scenario, the Indian Removal Act demonstrated how Jackson’s power and policies could be a source of victory for the American people yet a source of ruthless evil for others who are non-Americans. Upon assumption of office as the 7th U.S. President, Jackson rallied against the Second Bank of U.S. in the belief that this financial institution which has heralded the Federal Reserve System would be detrimental to the U.S. economy as a whole since it possessed a great amount of power typically in favor of the privileged elite. The ‘bank war’ led to a justification that the interest of the working class would be at risk when Jacksonian democrats observed how serving the advantage of the elites kept the common people from achieving their economic ends. Many, nevertheless, believed that Jackson contradicted the Bank due to the fact that his political enemies were on its side. Jackson acted to bring to thorough investigation the bank’s policies and political agenda. In drafting his policies concerning this issue, the president expressed his plan to challenge the constitutionality of the bank for which Nicholas Biddle, the bank’s director applied his own political power summoning the aid of Congress officials, which included the powerful Kentucky Senator Henry Clay and some influential businessmen who understood Biddle’s cause to stand against the president. However, the side of Jackson won the mass over and on a day in 1833, Jackson proclaimed that the Second Bank would no longer be the national bank of the U.S. then through his executive power at the time, the president rendered the final act of ‘bank war’ by removing all the federal funds from the bank. References http://www.presidentprofiles.com/Washington-Johnson/Andrew-Jackson Nullification.html#b http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h326.html http://www.historynet.com/andrew-jackson-and-the-indian-removal-act.htm http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2959.html http://suite101.com/article/andrew-jacksons-bank-war-a202709 Read More