Alexa Gottesfeld
U.S History I
Thomas
26 April 2013
How Democratic was Andrew Jackson?
Democracy: the power and strength of the government come from the people exercised either directly or indirectly through elected. Andrew Jackson is known for becoming more democratic as he got older but maybe that’s not one hundred percent true (Document D).
President Jackson seems to have the best track record but nothing everything is always what it seems. Jackson had some things hidden up his sleeve. Starting from day one, President Jackson preached about the common man as well as equal rights and opportunity. He wished to have equal voting rights (Document C), also wished colored men and soldiers but within that time, coincidently, his slave holdings have seemed to increase (Document N). But why would the man who wanted equality, raise the number of his slaves? (Document O)
Also, it is not very democratic if you are power hungry. Andrew Jackson was, he didn’t care much for the thoughts of others when it came to the Bank Veto Message, in which he said no modifications were necessary and vetoed the bank’s bill (Document F). When Jackson vetoed the bill he ignored the constitution and went with what his opinion was (Document E). To which Daniel Webster pointed out in a response message that Jackson was abusing his power as president (Document G). Perhaps he wasn’t so democratic at all.
The biggest downfall of Jackson’s presidency was the Cherokee Trail of Tears. President Jackson started to think that the Native Americans were getting to close to the United States Property so Andrew Jackson decided that he wanted to do something about it. Andrew Jackson had a message to congress that the movement of the Indian tribes were coming to close to the territory of the U.S. and that they need to be removed or they will have to face consequences (Document J).
But the Cherokee Tribe went against their fighting roots to take the demand to move all the...