Andrew Jackson, a Defining President of United States - Essay Example

? Andrew Jackson, a Defining President of United s Andrew Jackson, a Defining President of United s“Every good citizen makes his country’s honor his own; one cherishes it not only as precious but sacred. He is willing to risk his life in its defense and it’s conscious that he gains protection while he gives it.”1 This is a quote by Andrew Jackson which reflected his views as an American citizen, as a military leader and as a president. Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United Sates. Born on the fifteenth day of March 1767, Andrew Jackson grew up as a responsible citizen in the United States. Through out his life, he had numerous accomplishments with his biggest being the president of the United States. Apart from being an inspiring politician who held numerous different political positions before he became the president, he was a strong military leader. Andrew Jackson’s time as the United States president marked a turning point in the American history. He is believed to have made stronger the power of the presidency and defended the union2. He gained a new respect for the state in foreign affairs and established democracy within the country. Born from a poor background and orphaned in his youth, he became the first westerner and the first self-made person to move up to the White House. He founded the Democratic Party which stood out as a democratic symbol. He served a two term presidency and expanded executive powers. During his reign, Andrew Jackson changed the president’s role from being he chief administrator to being a popular tribune. Jackson entered the office with much expectation that he would transform the corrupt government and restore the finances of the state. To begin with, he replaced a ten percent of all government officers in place who had been very corrupt and always opposed him as the president. Andrew Jackson come in to power and initiated his slogan hat was title as “the principle of rotation in office”. However, many people had labeled it the spoil system. He kept watch on all government expenditure and any programs formulated for the governance of finance. A one point, Andrew Jackson voted a road bill that benefited one area of the country and did not improve the state’s defenses while it was very costly. The road bill had been approved by Congress as legislation as it had been a habit before Jackson came in. Prior to him, presidents could only vote legislation because they hoped it was unconstitutional. However, Jackson came up with a new principle of voting legislation as an issue of policy. His spending controls together with the increased revenues assisted Jackson o pay off the national debt. This made US a debt free nation for as long as he remained in power3. As part of hi reforms, Jackson supported removing Indian tribes from the United States and sent them to the west Mississippi River. He argued that the U.S policy of assimilating Indian tribes into the American society had failed and that it would destroy the Indian culture and ways of life. In addition to this, Jackson found out that the whites had a desire on the Indian lands. He therefore feared that if the whites remained in the areas they would finally get wiped out. His removal policy was strongly fought by his opposition groups which failed at the end. Jackson remained against the corrupt government which, after the end of his reign, the Indians where removed from their lands with great loss of Indian life. This was caused by inadequate supplies, corruption and he removal of a great number of Indians by force. Today, his Indian removal policy and its consequences that resulted to a trail of tears is the most prominent blight on Jackson’s presidential legacy. Andrew Jackson turned his attention o the issue that defined his presidency and shaped the office that he held. By the end of 1816, he United States Congress babbled the second United States bank for a period of twenty years which held the country’s money, made loans and regulated the currency. The United States Bank profits benefited the private stakeholders as well as the U.S government4. This was very different from the earlier years where the bank had been puzzled with corruption and with poor financial management. This had brought about much economic hardships in the United States. Jackson made an effect on all banks in general. Although he banks played a vital role in the US economy, Jackson also believed that the Bank of he United States had a lot of powers and that it could use it to ruin the economy of the country. He realized that the banks had some powers that could threat the national security. This was due o the highest number of foreign investors who had allegiances to other foreign governments. Jackson was both a strident partisan and a fiery patriot. In line with the national union, he denounced sessions and nullification while reproving policies. His aggressive Indian removal policy together with his adoption of cheaper western land prices reflected his nationalism’s foundation in the southwestern frontier. Andrew Jackson was described as a war hero and a ruthless Indian fighter. Being the commander of the American armed forces, he overwhelmed the British army during the New Orleans Battle. He was the first general who chased away the Spanish from Florida. Being termed as he Candidate, Jackson served a two term presidency. He and his supporters appealed directly to the people of America for their votes and completely changed the system of running the presidential campaign5. Believing he had a responsibility, granted from the citizens, to reform the government, Jackson survived a sex saga in his office while at the same time battled opponents in the private and in the Congress. He therefore re-invented and expanded the presidency role6. Andrew Jackson defended the union. In an increasingly fervent and diverse nation, he fought with extremely difficult issues of the period and pressed to unify the country under the federal government. Industrialization in the United States greatly changed the working manner of people. It changed the ay people earned and spend their money as well as the way they lived their lives. Banking institutions affected the common citizens. Andrew Jackson fought for the limitation of their power and paid off the national debt. He survived a terrifying assassination attempt placed on the U.S president7. On leaving his office in March 1837, Jackson left his mark on the presidency and entirely transformed the course of American history. He had strongly established that leaders, presidents, should be more than mere executive law enforcers. He brought in an impression that the president should be the sole representative of every citizen. Jackson set the execute branch on a balanced base with congress in terms of leadership and authority and shaping government policies. His presidency moved the nation further towards democracy and exercise of all human rights of expression within the state. Jackson’s good works are evident of his defining character and his worthiness to such an esteem. He is the reason o the transformed United Sates while he has made great impacts to people from different parts of the world. Andrew Jackson left a legacy of democracy in the state and served as a role model to any presidency. Bibliography Crotty, William J. 2005. A defining moment: the presidential election of 2004. Armonk (N.Y.): M.E. Sharpe. Hamilton, Neil A. 2010. Presidents a biographical dictionary. New York: Facts On File. Jackson, Andrew, and Harold D. Moser. 2007. Papers 7 7. Knoxville: Univ. of Tennessee Press. Midgley, David A., Phillip Lefton, and David A. Midgley. 2007. Barron's SAT subject test in United States history. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron's Educational Series, Inc. Parsons, Lynn H. 2009. The birth of modern politics Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the election of 1828. New York: Oxford University Press. Ratner, Lorman. 1997. Jackson's Tennessee lieutenants: a study in political culture. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Schug, Mark C., Jean Caldwell, and Tawni Hunt Ferrarini. 2006. Focus: understanding economics in United States history. New York, NY: National Council on Economic Education. Read More