Andrew Jackson– the terrible "great" president
Andrew Jackson– one of America's "great" presidents, a man of the people, the face on the U.S. 20 dollar bill– was revered for many things. He was a man who came from nothing and made himself a big figure in the country’s history. Referred to as a hero because to the common man of his day and age, Andrew Jackson was the man who defended the poor from the corruption of the rich people and rich establishments such as the United States National Bank. He was seen as so “great” that people and historians dubbed his presidency “The Age of Jackson”. However, as we step into an era of acknowledging and atoning for our American ancestors’ past sins, many are taken aback by the atrocious actions Jackson actually took during his presidency. From his slave owner businesses of buying and selling slaves, all the way to his deciding role in the Trail of Tears, I will examine a few of the many ways Andrew Jackson was a terrible “great” man and president.
Jackson’s story of success is an inspiring example of a man pursuing the American Dream: A poor boy who grew up in a log cabin and was orphaned during the Revolutionary War, eventually was able to rise to a kind of “frontier aristocracy” through hard work and perseverance. This story may seem picture perfect, but much of his wealth and success was built on slavery. This is evident through his ownership of the Hermitage, a self-sustaining plantation run purely on the labor and profit of African-American slaves. It is said that on this plantation, Andrew Jackson might have owned up to 300 slaves, and much of Jackson and his family’s wealth and profits were gained from the hard work of these slaves. Furthermore, if the sheer number of slaves Jackson owned isn’t appalling enough, the brutality he displayed towards the slaves is surely horrifying. For instance, when one of his slaves ran away, Jackson offered a $50 reward "and $10 extra for every 100 lashes a person will give to the amount of 300"(Brendan), basically rewarding for a death sentence. Jackson’s inhumane support for and use of slave labor is one of many reasons why he was a terrible man and an unprincipled president.
Throughout his life and presidency, Jackson was a fierce advocate for an act called “Indian removal”. During his service as an army general, he spent years leading brutal campaigns against Native Americans which resulted in the transfer of thousands of acres of Native American land to white people. He continued this campaign into his presidency when in 1830, he signed the Indian Removal Act, a law that would lead to the ethnic cleansing of many tribes which later came to be known as the Trail of Tears. The Act authorized a series of forced relocations of Cherokee Native Americans from their South Eastern homelands to territory west of the Mississippi River. Of the many crimes Jackson committed against Native Americans, this one is surely the worst. The Trail of Tears forced Native Americans to travel 1,200 miles on foot, divided the Cherokee Nation and separated families. Historians estimate that roughly 5,000 Cherokees died during the brutal, forced marches. Furthermore, this displacement of thousands of Cherokee Indians so many years ago continues to affect their descendents even today because these people still do not have access to their ancestors' homelands. The destruction of thousands of lives of Native Americans at the hands of Andrew Jackson shows that he was a ruthless man, and therefore a disgraceful president.
Despite Andrew Jackson’s contribution to the idea of modern-day democracy, the many crimes against humanity he committed show that he was not a morally just president and surely was not a “great” man.
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I really liked that you included his accomplishments and what made him "appealing" to the people of the time. This provided for a great contrast between what he is known for v.s the dark parts of his career that are often glazed over. The amount of detail you included really helped to shine a light on his theme throughout his career of discrimination and brutality. The facts about his personal treatment of slaves really revealed his underlying violent notions not just in office but also in his more personal life.
ReplyDeleteWhen we learn about Jackson from a modern viewpoint, it is clear that his actions towards Native Americans and slaves were extremely appalling. As your article mentioned, he committed atrocious abuses throughout his life, including during his presidency. However, in studying Jackson, it is important to keep in mind how society has evolved since the Age of Jackson. This certainly does not excuse Jackson's actions, it is just interesting to consider how the moral ramifications of politician's decisions have changed.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you presented the argument for Jackson being a great President and man, and then used a counter-argument that suggested otherwise. It is pretty fascinating how divided historians are on the topic of the quality of Jackson as a president, as there are so many examples that support both sides of the debate. On one hand, he is so nationally recognized for his background and his persona, but he is hated by many for some of his less-than-flattering actions. This post is very informative on his contributions and his shortcomings, both as the President and as a human being.
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting how this article describes the disconnect between the positive and negative influence of President Jackson. The idea that this man was accepted by the nation and actually elected president despite his numerous bad decisions is surprising--it shows how much we, as a nation, have evolved over the years, and accentuates the great life we are living today. I thought it would also be interesting to add that most of the Jacksonian increase in democracy only applied to white males, and while the common white man may have gained more freedom, as you stated in your article, this was at the cost of the Africans and the Native Americans. This article was very well written!
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