Andrew Jackson Pros and Cons List
Andrew Jackson was born in poverty in 1767 and died in 1845. By 1812,he had become a wealthy Tennessee lawyer and a rising young politician. He earned himself national fame as a military hero as a result of his leadership when war broke out between the United States and Britain.
He became America’s polarizing and most influential political figure during the 1820’s and 1830’s. He narrowly lost to John Quincy Adams in the 1824 presidential election. Four years later Jackson returned to win defeating Adams and then becoming the nation’s seventh president from 1829 to 1837.
List of Pros of Andrew Jackson
1. He became the first self-made man to become President of the United States.
2. He supported the “common man” and felt that the government was only helping the rich people.
3. He made America proud because he was the hero of the Battle of New Orleans.
4. He took part in the Revolutionary War.
5. He felt the Bank of the United States only favored the rich and he criticized it.
6. Andrew Jackson did not like the idea of nullification, which means that states don’t have to follow federal laws, and when South Carolina threatened to break up the country, he sent the U.S. army to stop it happening.
7. He was a strong leader and caused the great expansion of the powers of the presidency.
8. His firmness helped to postpone the civil war for thirty years by preventing South Carolina from dissolving the Union during the nullification crisis.
9. Jackson always identified himself with the ordinary Americans through his actions and speeches when president. He preferred the ordinary citizens instead of members of the wealthy and educated classes.
List of Cons of Andrew Jackson
1. Before he became president, he decided to invade Florida against orders. His instructions were to only capture runaway slaves but instead he conquered the territory and wiped out entire villages.
2. He executed two British officers while in Florida. This was against the orders given to him by his own military court.
3. Even though the Supreme court had ruled that the Cherokees had a legal right to stay on their land in Worcester v. Georgia, he still forced them out of their land. This action led to the death of over four thousand Cherokee Indians.
4. He promoted slavery by removing American Indians off their land so that he could get cotton land for white Americans
5. He violated the first amendment and illegal mail tampering by ordering Southern postmasters to stop delivery of anti-slavery literature in the South.
6. Being a cruel slaveholder, he owned around one hundred forty slaves and even offered at one time a reward to anyone who delivered three hundred lashes to one of his runaway slaves. Jackson wanted this to be a scary example of any slave who thought about running away.
7. He was stubborn and self-willed and listened only to himself.
8. Jackson was selfish and ran the country ignoring two of the three branches of government. If he did not like a law or bill he would simply choose to ignore it.