Jackson, Andrew (Administration)

ANDREW JACKSON WAS SEEN as the first U.S. president of the “common man.” Despite the fact that he was a wealthy slave-owning planter, he came from relatively humble origins and lived in the west, and this appealed to many people. Although he was a lawyer and had held many political offices (as congressman, senator, and governor), he was best known as a military general. His years as a tough Native American fighter and especially his victory against the British at New Orleans in 1814 made him a hero.

In 1824 Jackson received the most votes for president, but for the only time in American history, no candidate received a majority of electoral votes. The House of Representatives selected second-place candidate John Quincy Adams to be president. Jackson supporters saw this as a corrupt deal, as Adams immediately appointed House Speaker Henry Clay to be his secretary of state, the traditional stepping-stone to the presidency. Four years later, Jackson easily won the White House.

Although previous administrations had used patronage jobs to benefit their supporters, Jackson did this on an unprecedented scale. Jackson claimed to be getting rid of corrupt officials and purging northeastern arrogance, but opponents saw it as an abusive political maneuver to help friends and hurt enemies. Although previous presidents considered it appropriate to veto only in cases in which they deemed the legislation in question to be unconstitutional, Jackson regularly used the presidential veto to shape policy—a practice in use to this day.

Like most westerners, Jackson believed that the frontier must be open to settlement. Native Americans who did not assimilate into American society—despite often being “civilized” and politically advanced—would be forced to move west. Tribes in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi objected to treaty violations that forced them to submit to state law. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed and found for the tribes in several cases. Jackson ignored the Court's opinions, famously exclaiming, “[Chief Justice] Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.” Jackson's policies resulted in the forcible expulsion of these tribes—many at gunpoint—on what is known as the Trail of Tears. Without their traditional hunting grounds, many Native American tribes were left to survive in poverty in their new environments.

The greatest issue dividing north and south during the Jackson administration was not slavery but tariffs. [Page 590]High tariffs on imports made many items more expensive for most southerners, while northern industries benefited from the protectionism. Much of the money raised was used for internal improvements, such as canals, which again primarily benefited northern business interests. While in the Senate, he had supported federal projects to build canals and other infrastructure that were sorely missed during military campaigns. However, he came to see such projects as corrupt projects benefiting the wealthy. He also began to support significant tariff reductions.

Andrew Jackson's attempts to destroy the Second Bank of the United States eventually led to the Panic of 1837.

Most southerners thought the reductions did not go far enough. South Carolina sought to block collections of federal tariffs at its ports. It also began to discuss secession. Jackson threatened to find the leader guilty of treason if they went through with their threats. That, combined with further tariff reductions, ended such talk.

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