Rate Andrew Jackson as President

[Nytram01]

Andrew Jackson is a controverial figure of American history. A hero of the War of 1812, inexorably linked to the victory at New Orleans over the British, and a successful indian fighter, he is an American Icon. Yet as the 7th President of the United State he recieves mixed reactions.

He was the president who authorize the Indian Removal Act that led to the Trial of Tears, ignoring both the Treaty of Ghent and overturning a Congressional ruling in favor of the Cherokee's in modern day Georgia to force the Indians to relocate.

He used what he described as a "spoils system" of government where he simply rotated the members of his cabinet into new job and replaced federal appointed staff for party appointed officials, which in turn led to growing corrupting within the halls of power.

He declared war on his own banking system and justified it with these six reason. 1) it concentrated the financial strengh of the US into on institution 2) it open the country to influence by foreign powers, 3) it made the rich richers 4) it had too much power over members of Congress 5) it favored Northeastern States more than Southern or Western State and 6) it was controlled by only a handfull of individuals from elite families. When he had taken office had had paid off the national debt but his war with the bank would plunge the nation into a new depression that would last until the Whig's retook power.

He attempted to abolishe the Elecotial College in favor of giving the choice to decide who would be President or Vice-President to the people instead of the politicians. He called for a single term of officer for the President.

During his presidency the Nullification Crisis reached boiling point and South Carolina came very close to seceeding. His cabinet began to crumble through in-fighting and resignations and he and his Vice-President - John C. Calhoun - split apart politically. In response to South Carolina's nullification claim he sent Soldiers to the State as a threat of both enforcing the tariff and warning the State off of secession. He denounced both nullification and secession as unconstitutional. He was prepared to have Congress pass a "force bill" allowing him to use force to make South Carolina follow orders but while that bill was pass a compromise tarriff was agreed and the force bill became obsolete.

After the nullification crisis Jackson, somewhat prophetically, wrote that: "the tariff was only the pretect, and disunion and southern confederacy the real obect. The next pretect will be the negro, or the slavery question."

Famously he survivd an assassination attempt in 1835 due to his would-be assassin's guns failing to fire. Legend Jackson then attacked the would-be assassin with his cane while David Crockett restrained and disarmed the failed gunman.

And when his presidency came to an end Jackson state only two regrets. That he "had been unable to shoot Henry Clay or to hang John C. Calhoun."

[Zmflavius]

I disagree strongly with the trail of tears and his other Native American policies, and I disagree with his handling of Second Bank. Those two manage to pretty much spoil my opinion of him, though I do agree there are good parts to him.

[Free Lancer]

The only good thing that Jackson did was try to get rid of the Electoral College.

While I don’t agree with his policy towards Indians it was understandable back then when times were tough.

His paying of the national debt the only achieving event in his administration is forgettable compared to his policy’s bordering on insanity.

He really made a mess in politics that took years to clean up he was a bad president.

[Ares96]

Originally Posted by Free Lancer

The only good thing that Jackson did was try to get rid of the Electoral College.

While I don’t agree with his policy towards Indians it was understandable back then when times were tough.

His paying of the national debt the only achieving event in his administration is forgettable compared to his policy’s bordering on insanity.

He really made a mess in politics that took years to clean up he was a bad president.

This. To quote Henry Clay, "killing twenty-five hundred Englishmen at New Orleans does not qualify for the various, difficult, and complicated duties of the Chief Magistracy."

[Trotsky]

Good:

Nullification crisis

Bad:

The Bank War

Indian Removal

Spoils system

[Abhakhazia]

Even though now the Trail of Tears seems horrible, it was sadly a popular measure at the time. I also disagree with the handling of the Bank of the United States. I do support his electoral college measures, so that's why I put both bad and good.

[DTF955Baseballfan]

if by "bad President" does it mean "bottom 1/4"? "Bottom 1/3"? Obviously, the lower half aren't bad and the upper half good, some are just average.

jackson did have an amoral streak. Oddly for a Democrat, he actually strengthened the power of the Presidency by going totally gainst the Supreme Court and Congress on the Indian Removal thing. It was what the people wanted, but the government, which was supposed to make decisions for the good of the people, said "no" for very sound reasons.

Some of his ideas, while good, were done with no real rhyme or reason. Take universal white male suffrage. By adhering to the will of the people, did he show the people had a voice, no matter how far out in the wilderness they were? Yes. Was that the right thing to do? Yes. Did he go about it the right way? No! In fact, not only did he not try to work somethign out for all sides to be happy, he went so far as to start the spoils system which basically added a lot of corruption to the government and created a big mess. Which, ironically, was one of the big complaints against Bank of the United States, that it would created a big, more corrupt federal government.

Speaking of the Bank, there are likely differing views on this. But, taking the view, for the sake of this argument, that *not* having a national bank but smaller, local banks could be argued to be a wise move, was his abolishign it good? Well, he did pay off the national debt, and he theoretically laid the framework for the Jeffersonian "very samll governm in a nationof small-time farmers." Or however well that could be done. But, the way he went about dismantling it had little sense to it.

Jackson was in over his head in numerous areas. He handled the Nullification Crisis well, but in some ways he was actually more of a Federalist in his desire to be a powerful Executive. The ideas he had which were good, he really didn't implement with any great skill.

I'm just not sure if that makes him one with good and bad parts or a truly bad President. He's ahead of the very worst in my view. And, I'm just not sure where to put that line between humdrum and clearly bad.

It would be interesting to see who else could have brought universal white male sufrage, the next step toward universal suffrage, in easily and quickly in that era. There are probably some, but could, for instance, David Crockett be elected President that early, or would have had to wait another decade? Could Martin van Buren have risen without Jackson? WHere did Clay even stand ont he matter? Or, was that something Jackson gets more credit for than he deserves, and it was more of a state-by-state issue.

[scholar]

He was a good president, none of the bad things he did were unique or particularly unpopular. It only becomes bad when we enforce morals of the present upon the past. Its always similar when one asks an opinion about rulers, generals, or politicians in the past. It is, however, irrefutable that without Jackson we would not have the continental 48. James K. Polk stylized himself as a Jacksonian Democrat, and all democrats who wished to attain office needed to present them in such a way that they were still inside of Jackson's legacy.

Its difficult to judge him from the perspective of a modern man looking backwards without imposing our own morals and beliefs to his character, and it is impossible to rate him as anything less than a good president when seeing him from morals and beliefs of the time.

[King Henry]

He was directly responsible for the trail of tears, and trampled the separation of powers and the will of Congress and the Courts to do so. So that's pretty much unforgivable.

The spoils system was essentially blatant, institutionalized corruption, so that's a negative.

He abolished the bank, so that's another one.

So yeah, one of the worse presidents.

[Zuvarq]

The best thing he did had 'Crisis' in its name. 'Nuff said .

[scholar]

Originally Posted by King Henry

He was directly responsible for the trail of tears, and trampled the separation of powers and the will of Congress and the Courts to do so. So that's pretty much unforgivable.

He did so with the complete backing of the people, and would not have done this without popular support. After doing this his popularity soared and would forever be viewed as a "champion for the people". Unforgivable to you, perhaps, but not to the people of the United States at the time.

Originally Posted by King Henry

The spoils system was essentially blatant, institutionalized corruption, so that's a negative.

The only thing even mildly condemnable was its blatancy and that it went to some disreputable people. This practice was already a common affair in the entirety of the world and no President gave out its subordinate offices on virtue of their talents alone, but rather based on political leanings and personal or party loyalties.

Originally Posted by King Henry

He abolished the bank, so that's another one.

This was not even all that bad at the time, the bank was growing to the status where it was regularly influencing elections and was steering the entirety of the United States' economy out of the hands of its people and its government. In a sense, we were rapidly becoming plutocratic and oligarchical. Most democracies and republics that formed rapidly became this and its effects could be seen amongst the powerful colonial nations.

----

As I said before, Jackson is a difficult man to judge.

[Superwes]

Good:

• Trying to get rid of Electoral College
• Nullification Criss
• Getting rid of national debt.

Mixed:

• Bank Wars

Bad:

• Spoils System
• Personality?
• Trail of Tears

IMO

[Wolfpaw]

Shitheel of the highest caliber.

[CaliBoy1990]

IMO, Jackson wasn't all bad.......but he fucked up, a LOT. Perhaps the worst mistakes were the Trail of Tears, and, even worse, the elimination of the Second Bank of the United States.

Frankly, I think America could have done worse. We could have elected John C. Calhoun. Now that man was a true shitheel.

[Wolfpaw]

Originally Posted by CaliBoy1990

Frankly, I think America could have done worse. We could have elected John C. Calhoun. Now that man was a true shitheel.

While I don't disagree, being thankful that "at least he isn't John C. Calhoun" is hardly a vote of confidence.

[metastasis_d]

I went with bad.

He did do some good, but in my opinion not enough to outweigh the bad.

I'd hate to duel him, though.

[d32123]

He was a genocidal piece of crap (to put it lightly). There is absolutely nothing that can excuse him for his Indian policies. Just disgusting. From all accounts he was a total douchebag as well. No respect for this man.

[Trotsky]

Another plus of his White House is that 1500 pound wheel of cheese he had at a party that was consumed in like half an hour or something.

[TyranicusMaximus]

Did he leave America stronger than when he found it?

[Color-Copycat]

If only he hadn't been such a dick towards the American Indians at every possible turn and ignored the SC, and oh yeah, precipitate a major economic crisis by killing the Bank.