7 Strongest Pros and Cons of Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson is one of the most important men in the United States and world’s history. He was elected as the seventh president of the United States in 1829 and remained in office until 1837. His beliefs and work founded what is now known as the Democratic party in the political system. His life, career, and presidency where very colored and often critiqued by historians and enthusiasts alike. From his ownership of slaves, to his hatred of the British, it can be tough to truly understand what was accomplished by President Jackson.
The Pros of Andrew Jackson
1. He Was A Self Made Man
One of the best things about Andrew Jackson is the fact that he was never handed a thing, which formed his political viewings. His father died before he was even born, and his life just got more difficult from there. At the age of 13 he became involved with the Revolutionary War, where he served as a courier for the local militia. It was also during this war that both of his brothers were captured and killed by the British. He worked labor intensive jobs until he began to study law and pursue and political and legal career in Tennessee, and because he did not come from a well known family, he had to succeed through his own merit.
2. A Supporter of the Common Man
The founding belief of Andrew Jackson’s political views was that the government was only there to benefit the rich. He made it his mission to change this, and did a pretty great job! His views, which were shared by his supporters, prompted the founding the Democratic Party. His upbringing and experiences with the rich molded his opinions on the wealthy and the government.
3. Seasoned Military Man
Another strong point of Andrew Jackson was just how much military experience he truly had. He fought and led in some of the most historic battles of the country. Along with being involved in the Revolutionary War, he was also appointed the commander of the Tennessee Militia in 1801, led the Battle of New Orleans, the War of 1812, and the First Seminole War. All of this military experience gained him a good amount of Merit for his presidential Campaign in 1828.
The Cons of Andrew Jackson
1. A Pattern of Disobedience
Before Andrew Jackson became the President, he repeatedly disobeyed orders that he was given, which resulted in some pretty tragic things. A couple examples of this is when he was given the orders to invade Florida. He was told to only capture runaway slaves, instead he took the opportunity to completely conquer the territory and killed entire villages of Seminole people. He also went against a Supreme Court ruling and violently forced thousands of Cherokee Indians off of their natural land. As a result of this, nearly 5 thousands Cherokee people where slaughtered.
2. He Promoted Slavery
Andrew Jackson was extremely against the abolitionist movements. His ties with slavery are some of the most controversial things surrounding this President. He himself owned nearly 150 slaves, who he treated very poorly. There was once an incident of him offering rewards to anyone who would capture and torture runaway slaves, as a message to the rest. He also furthered his support for slavery by unlawfully kicking Indian people off of their land in order to obtain the cotton fields that resided upon it.
3. Mail Tampering Is Illegal
Going right along with his pattern of slavery support, Jackson also had a pretty scandalous run in with the post office. He forced mail men to stop delivering any form of anti slavery, abolitionist literature to people in the south. This was not only illegal, but very immoral as well.
4. He Held a Grudge
One of the other note worthy things that defined Andrew Jackson and his presidency, was his completely disdain for the British. From the time he was a little boy he had a variety of horrible experiences with them, that defined his views on politics and war. When he was only a boy, he was slashed with a sword by a British soldier, after refusing the shine his boots, and was left with gruesome scars all over his left hand and head. Both of his brothers where also killed by the British during the revolutionary war. These experiences formed a grudge for Jackson that would last for his entire life.
