Introduction

Andrew Jackson is one of the most notable figures in the United State’s history.  He is one of the most recognized social, political, and military leaders whose contribution to the history of United States is unfathomable.  Andrew Jackson was born on 15th March 1767 to his immigrant parents Elizabeth and Hutchison Jackson. He was born in the Waxhaws region that straddles North Carolina and South Carolina few days after the death of his father (The White House). Jackson was captured at a tender age of 13 years during the American Revolutionary war since his parents were supporting the revolutionary cause (Russell). He was orphaned at the age of 14; his mother died of cholera. Though he was born in a poor household, Jackson made tremendous steps towards becoming one of the most influential Americans during his time. As a matter of fact, he became the 7th American president after clinching the seat with the most populous vote in the American history.

Who is Andrew Jackson?

Andrew Jackson was the son of poor Scottish-Irish immigrants, who were born in South Carolina (Miller Center). The young Jackson joined a local militia at the age of 13, where he acted as a courier during the American Revolutionary War. The Britons captured him during his early years; during this period, Jackson lost his two brothers Robert and Hugh. Not long after the death of his brothers, his mother also succumbed to cholera in the year 1779. After the death of his parents, Jackson was raised by his uncles. During his teenage life, he attended law school in Salisbury, North Carolina and he completed his course in the year 1787. Andrew Jackson became a lawyer in Jonesborough, which is a part of Tennessee. His influence grew every day and in 1796, Jackson became a member of the convention that established the Tennessee Constitution. It is also n the same year that he was elected Tennessee’s first representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jackson’s political influence became more evident in the same year as he was elected to the Senate in 1798. However, he resigned after eight months in office.

Andrew Jackson was not only a politician, but also a judge where he was appointed as Tennessee’s Supreme Court judge in 1798, where he served until the year 1804. It is also worth noting that Andrew Jackson was a merchant and landowner. In the year 1804, he acquired an expansive plantation in Davidson County; Tennessee (near Nashville) called the Hermitage. Jackson used slaves to cultivate his plantation where he grew cotton.

Jackson in the Military

Apart from being a politician, trader, judge and merchant, Jackson was also a military leader. In the year1801, Jackson was appointed as the commander of the Tennessee militia. One of his major achievements in the military field is the success he achieved in 1812, when he conquered Creek Indians at Horseshoe Bend. During this success, Jackson, and his troops managed to kill 800 warriors and procured 20 million acres of land.  After defeating the Creek nation, Jackson was promoted to the rank of the major general and replaced General Thomas Flournoy, who was in charge of the seventh military district.

Jackson’s military career thrived and he was dubbed as a national hero on 8th January 1815 after leading 5000 soldiers to defeat 7500 Britons in New Orleans.  His rising star was recognized by receiving the thanks of congress and a gold medal. His bravery in the war field made him popular among his troops, who nicknamed him “Old Hickory” since they believed he was as tough as Old Hickory Wood (Benson). Jacksons star in the battlefield continued to shine as he overthrew the West Florida governor Jose Masot in the 1st Seminole between 1817 and 1819. Masot was allegedly assisting the Indians to fight against the Americans. Jackson with his troops also managed to capture Pensacola after overthrowing its governor. Through his efforts, Jackson managed to sign a treaty with Spain to cede Florida and was declared its governor, after which he acted in that capacity from March 1821 to December 1821.

Jackson’s Political Career

The tremendous success in the Jackson’s military career made Jackson a very popular person where interest to join politics was conceived. After resigning his first post in the Senate, Jackson was re-elected to the senate in the year 1822. By this time, his fame had spread like a bushfire in many states in the United States and most state factions rallied around him and persuaded him to run for presidency. In the year1824, the Pennsylvania convention nominated Andrew Jackson to the post of U.S presidency, and he accepted half-heartedly. By this time, the Democratic Republican Party was the most popular party as people viewed it as the national party. Jackson was regarded as the best choice as the as he represented the people’s voice. Most American people had great hope in his leadership. However, his nomination attracted a significant number of critics especially from Crawford and Gallatin; they described Jackson as a military leader who had total disregard for the constitution. According to them, he was unfit for the presidency.

During the 1824 elections, Jackson had to face Crawford and John Quincy in the race to the White House. Despite Andrew Jackson being the most popular candidate, he lost the race to John Quincy Adams. However, the deal was as a corrupt bargain since Henry Clay’s secretary of state exchanged the seat. In protest to the deal, Jackson was again re-nominated for the presidency in 1825; three years before the 1828 elections. The nomination was also the cause of the split of the Democratic Party into two.

After the corrupt elections of 1824, Andrew Jackson laid plans for the ouster of Adams from the office of the president. In preparation for the 1828 election, Jackson resigned his post as the senator in October 1825 to campaign for presidency.  The Tennessee legislature was also active in the presidency race as it also nominated Jackson for presidency post. Jackson’s campaign team was a strong one; it attracted Vice President John C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren and Thomas Ritchie, and they formed a strong coalition (Wright).

The strong coalition with Jackson as its presidential candidate won the election with a landslide. After wining, Jackson made John C. Calhoun his vice president. During the campaign period, Jackson’s opponents regarded him as a donkey; critics and mockery were the order of the day. He was also nicknamed as ‘’Jackass’’; the reference to the donkey led the Democratic Party to use it as the party’s emblem (Benson). The choice of Jackson as the seventh president of the United States was regarded as a major step towards enhanced democracy. Jackson made an extraordinary move by becoming the first American President to invite the public to attend the inauguration ball at the White House. This increased his popularity since a huge crowd attended the ceremony and this earned him the nickname ‘’King Mob.” The choice of Jackson as the American president had great significance on the United States’ politics since the centre of political power shifted from the East to the West. The choice of Jackson brought about strong rivalry between the opponents and the supporters of “Old Hickory”, which had become a strong personality by then. This great rivalry brought about the emergence of Democrats (pro-Jacksonites) and the Whig Party (AP U.S. History Notes). According to the members of the Whig party, they were defending popular liberties as opposed to the autocratic Jackson. The Whig was formed as a strong opposition to the leadership of Andrew Jackson. The name was a historic British name which had strong opposition to monarch. Whig members referred to Jackson as ‘’ King Andrew’’ to show mockery and hatred to his leadership style.

In the year 1832, Americans once again went to the ballot for the presidential elections and once again the incumbent Jackson was determined to retain the seat. This was the first election that used the National Party conventions. During this election, Jackson and his running mate Martin Van Buren were on the race to contest against Henry Clay and his running mate John Sergeant. The campaign for this election was quite different from the one of 1828, which was more personal since the campaign was more issue based (Wright). The main campaign issue during the 1828 campaign was the Bank of the United States, Jackson’s use of spoil systems, and his use of Veto. The issues of bank of the United States had resulted in a major crisis within Carolina. Jackson and his supporters were against the charter since the people viewed them as enemies.  In contrast, Webster and Clay led the Congress for its recharger, which was due to expire in the year 1832. Jackson seemed to fight for the rights of the common man and was strongly against the charter. Despite the strong opposition, Jackson secured re-election over Clay with over 56% of the popular vote and 219 out of 286 electoral votes.

Jackson’s Presidency

Jackson’s presidency had both the positive and negative side of it. It is understood that Jackson failed to submit to Congress in policy-making. He is also the first American president to assume command with his power veto. Americans regarded Jackson as the King of democracy resulting in the emergence of the Jacksonian democracy. The Jackson’s presidency believed in giving power to the elect president and the vice president to the American population by abolishing the Electoral College. This earned him the nickname “people’s president.” It is also during his presidency that the spoils systems involved the rotation of office holders.

During his presidency, Jacksons became the first American president, who vetoed more bills than all of his predecessors. His leadership also believed in rewarding loyalty and being appealing to the general public.  It is also believed that Jackson relied heavily on an informal group of advisors (kitchen cabinet) to set policies neglecting his cabinet (Benson). The major source of conflict during the Jacksons presidency is the battle between him and the Second Bank of the United States. According to Jackson, the bank was a private corporation that served as a government-sponsored monopoly. As a result, Jackson put up a spirited fight against the bank, vetoed its re-charter bill, and charged it with disproportionate economic privilege. The presence of Second Bank of United States had brought about great animosity between the westerners-southerners and easterners-northerners. The westerners and southerners believed that the Bank was a tool to make northerners and easterners rich at the expense of the rest of the country. This move had different reactions from the public, but a majority of the American public supported it as he won the re-election in the year 1832.

Another important achievement of the Jacksons presidency is the elimination of the national debt for the first time. It is during his tenure in office that corruption and embezzling of funds by public officials were dealt with accordingly. The rate of federal involvement and internal improvements were also significantly slowed during g his presidency (Jaffa). The Jacksons leadership was also associated with intense discrimination between the Native Americans and immigrants. This brought about the major controversies experienced during his tenure in office. Though Jackson had negotiated treaties and removal policies long before his presidency, historians often lay blame on him for sufferings such as the Trail of Tears; the forced relocation westward of an estimated 15,000 Cherokee Indians (Welch, John and Susan). During this period, Jackson had initiated an Indian removal policy whose objective was to force relocation of all natives to the west of Mississippi river.

It is also during Jackson’s presidency that sectional issues began to arise and the southern states wished to preserve state rights. The southerners began feeling inferior to influential manufacturers of the north. In 1830, the real effects of sectional issues were felt during the nullification battle as South Carolina left the union after disagreeing with the federal law. The issue of tariffs made them upset; in 1832, the signing of the moderate tariff caused the South Carolina’s to feel that they had the right through nullification. Jackson’s chest thumped against Carolina and threatened to use military to enforce the tariff. However in the year 1833, a compromise tariff was enacted that helped pacify the sectional differences for some time (Stone and Kuznick).

After his presidency, Jackson had his preferred successor Martin Van Buren, who defeated the Whig candidate William Henry Harrison during the 1836 elections. This was a great indicator that the Old Hickory had become popular among the Americans. Jackson asserted that he had left the party more popular than it was when he entered it. The Democratic Party had become a strong party in the politics of the United States; it became a strong force in the American politics. After retiring as a president, he retired in his Hermitage home, where he died in the year 1845 although he remained in politics actively until his death.

Andrew Jackson’s Legacy

Andrew Jackson can be regarded as one of the most influential people in the American history. Compared to his predecessors Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, Jackson made history when they became the first westerners to get to the White House despite being orphaned at a tender age and being born in poor families. By so doing, Jackson became a symbol of democracy and the founder of Democratic Party, which became a tremendous force in American politics. During his two-term presidency, he changed presidency from being an administrator to a popular tribune. He gave the powers of the president and those of his deputy back to the people.

In the military field, Jackson also had a lot to be remembered for. During the revolutionary war, he was involved as a courier, and this resulted in him being in captivity. The conquering of the New Orleans in January 1815 and the previous victories against the Creek Indians had won Jackson plaudits from different quarters. This earned him promotion to the rank of the major general. During his reign as the major general, Americans and slaves secured land. It is also through his efforts that Spain ceded Florida after overthrowing the government of governor Mosat. This created an opportunity for Jackson to serve as a governor (Benson). Jacksons was strong-willed, sharp-tempered, a fierce patriot, and rabid partisan. He was always controversial both as a general and President; he personalized disputes and demonized opponents. In a notorious episode, Jackson broke open his first Cabinet and forced a rupture with Vice-President John C. Calhoun by championing the character of Peggy Eaton; the vivacious and controversial wife of the secretary of war. Behind Jackson’s towering rage lay shrewd calculation of political effects (Bronski).  It is also imperative to note that Jackson changed the style of politics in America. He strengthened himself against the Congress by forging direct links with the American people. He was a strong advocate of the general public, and this became evident when he invited the public to the inauguration ceremony in the White House. He portrayed himself as a people’s servant rather than an executive. However, it is also imperative to understand that he expanded the presidential authority in other ways. He dominated his cabinet, and forced out members who would not execute his commands. His presidency was also characterized by the use of the kitchen cabinet to make important public policies. This portrayed him as an autocrat, who had total disrespect for institutions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is imperative to note that Andrew Jackson made significant contributions to the history of the United States. Throughout his life as a lawyer, judge, military commander, and politician, Jackson made great contribution to the American history. As a military commander, Jackson made history as he conquered almost every battle he was involved. The major achievements were the victory against the New Orleans and Spanish ceding Florida. His greatest contribution was his political career; he was one of the most successful politicians in the American history as he was the first Westerner president. Jackson is also one of the greatest presidents because he was concerned with the plight of the common man. For this reason, he made significant progress in defining democracy in the United States. His efforts brought about the comparison between the Jeffersonian and the Jacksonian democracy, which are great features in the American history (Benson). This democracy brought about the two- party system in American politics and the Whig and Democratic Party. Although he is one behind the Jacksonian democracy, his critics have described him as an autocrat who had no respect to constitution. Much of this is attributed to use of slavery in his cotton firm as well as the subjugation of Native Americans and the celebration of white supremacy. These issues among others have made some scholars to dismiss the pHrase ‘’Jacksonian Democracy’’ as a contradictory statement. Andrew Jackson was also the first president to embrace the powers of the president earnestly.

Jackson’s presidency was viewed as another American revolution. His leadership brought a new twist in the American politics since by 1850, the common man had demanded his place in politics. The office of the president was no more reserved to the Easterners and the elites, but poor orphans and westerners had a chance for the top job.

Works Cited

AP U.S. History Notes. Nullification Crisis. (n.d.). Web. 1^st Apr 2015. https://www.apstudynotes.org/us-history/topics/nullification-crisis-/

Benson, Lee. The Concept of Jacksonian Democracy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015. Print

Bronski, Michael. A queer history of the United States. Boston: Beacon Press, 2011. Print

Jaffa, Harry V. Crisis of the house divided: An interpretation of the issues in the Lincoln-Douglas debates (50th anniversary ed.). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2009. Print

Miller Center. (n.d). American President: A Reference Resource. n.d. Web 1^st Apr 2015. http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/jackson/essays/biography/1

Russell, Thaddeus. A renegade history of the United States. New York: Free Press, 2010. Print

Stone, Oliver and Kuznick, Peter. The untold history of the United States. New York: Gallery Books, 2012. Print

The White House. (n.d). History & Grounds: Andrew Jackson. n.d. Web. 1^st April. 2015. https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/andrewjackson

Welch, Susan., John, Gruhl and Susan, Rigdon. Understanding American government (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2012. Print

Wright, G. USA. London: Reaktion, 2008. Print

Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?