Andrew Jackson strongly opposed the Second National Bank of the United States. The Panic of 1819 was a key motivator for the destruction of the Second National Bank for Andrew Jackson and many Americans (Shepard Software “Andrew Jackson”); it left many Americans unemployed and hundreds of businesses bankrupt especially farming businesses. A lot of the blame of the Panic of 1819 was put onto the Second Bank of the United States (Remini, American Empire, 164), and Jackson strongly believed it was the bank’s fault. As a supporter of farmers, and the common man, Andrew Jackson targeted the Second Bank of the United States (Remini, American Democracy 161). Though there are many reasons for Andrew Jackson’s opposition, was there a different much deeper reason for his strong dislike for the Second National Bank? Andrew Jackson may have used the destruction of the bank not for the reasons many Americans believed he did, but there may have been a lot more to the bank’s destruction that Jackson used for his own benefit, rather than the benefit of the American people. Andrew Jackson opposed the Second National Bank for his own personal financial gain.
Jackson was popular among many Americans because of his early background, as a poor American. Jackson had to depend on relatives to support him as child because of his parent’s early deaths, also Jackson fought in the American Revolutionary war, with many of his friends and close ones, including his brother, died (Shepard Software “Andrew Jackson”). Andrew Jackson’s background attracted many common American men because he was seen as relatable, and Jackson fought in the revolutionary war, and battled poverty at an early age. Though Jackson at the time of his election (election...
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...ten a finical and political gains from it.
Works Cited
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James, Marquis. The Life of Andrew Jackson, Complete in One Volume. Indianapolis: Bobbs Merill Company, 1938. Print.
Remini, Robert Vincent. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845 /. New York: Harper Row, 1984. Print.
- - -. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire, 1767-1821 /. New York: Harper Row, 1977. Print.
- - -. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom, 1822-1832 /. New York: Harper Row, 1981. Print.
Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr. Age of Jackson. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1945. Print.
Van Deusen, Glyndon G. The Jacksonian Era, 1828-1848. New York: Harper, 1959. Print. New American Nation Series 1.9.
Both Jackson's and Jefferson's actions and words are very similar and support the same beliefs. Thomas Jefferson was a strong supporter and spokesman for the common man and self-government. He strongly believed that the purpose of American government is to look after and support the common interests of the people. He was against anything that he felt would hurt the common man, such as the Bank of the U.S. and big government. Jefferson believed the Bank was hurting the common man and becoming a damaging monopoly.
Parsons, L. H. (2009). The Birth of Modern Politics: Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the Election of 1828. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Throughout his presidency, Andrew Jackson was regarded as both a tyrant (Document E) as well a democratic rembrandt. However, by the conclusion of his rule, Andrew Jackson’s America had emerged as a pseudo democracy, strongly supported and advocated for, but falling short and ultimately failing. The drastic reforms during the Age of Jackson brought about radical changes to the young nation that would be felt throughout the country and would set the foundation for politics today. President Andrew Jackson reformed the American voting system, made significant moves against the National Bank, sparked the beginning of democratic reform movements, and most importantly gave the Common Man a voice in the government. These democratic initiatives, however, were not seen everywhere as America was slowly divided by differing views on contentious topics and individualistic ideals. Jacksonian America, did not promote the democratic
The issue of whether or not America should have a National Bank is one that is debated throughout the whole beginning stages of the modern United States governmental system. In the 1830-1840’s two major differences in opinion over the National Bank can be seen by the Jacksonian Democrats and the Whig parties. The Jacksonian Democrats did not want a National Bank for many reasons. One main reason was the distrust in banks instilled in Andrew Jackson because his land was taken away. Another reason is that the creation of a National Bank would make it more powerful than...
Benson, Alvin K. “Bo Jackson.” The Eighties in America. Ed. Berman Milton. 3 vols. Salem Press,
By the time Jackson came to power, the nation had been drastically changed by the Industrial Revolution. The simple, pastoral, agricultural lifestyle was being replaced by the manufacturing world, of cities and factories. Politically, the nation was in great turmoil. There was still an everlasting debate among men in power, over what should prevail, the rights of the states, or the rights of the Federal Government. If not for several personal reasons, Jackson would have been a staunch advocator of states rights. The right to vote was still a major issue, the middle class feeling robbed of power in governmental decisions, the upperclass feeling threatened by the growth of the middleclass. However, Jackson brought with him many new ideas and principles. Since he himself had very modest roots, he sympathized with the middle and lower classes. He had worked for everything he had of value in life, and he acknow...
In the summer of 1832 and Congress renewed the Bank’s charter even though it wasn’t due until 1836. Jackson hesitated to approve of the charter, so Henry Clay and Nicholas Biddle went on the offensive to attempt to persuade Jackson to pass the bill. Jackson, having had his opinion on the banks cemented by Clay’s presence in the organization, then committed to de-establishing the Second National Bank. He waged war against Biddle in particular to make sure Biddle lost power. He vetoed the bank bill, and after winning the race to be reelected, he closed Biddle’s bank. He ordered his Secretary of the Treasury to move money from the Second National Bank to smaller, state banks. When Congress returned from its summer recess, it censured him for his actions. In 1836, Bank of US was dead, and the new democratic-congressmen expunged Jackson’s censure. Because Jackson had no formal plan for managing the nation’s funds after the Second National Bank closed, it caused problems in Van Buren’s administration. He destroyed the Bank of the United States, in the main, for personal reasons. Jackson hated the bank before his presidency because as a wealthy land and slave owner he had lost money due to its fiscal policies. He believed that Congress had no right under the constitution to charter a
However, critics of Jackson and democracy called him “King Andrew I” because of his apparent abuse of presidential power [vetoing]. These critics believed he favored the majority so much that it violated the U.S. constitution, and they stated he was straying too far away from the plan originally set for the United States. Because of the extreme shift of power to the majority, the limiting of rights of the few [merchants, industrialists] and the abuse of power under Jackson’s democracy, the foundational documents set in the constitution was violated, and the work of the preceding presidents were all but lost. During the construction of the new Constitution, many of the most prominent and experienced political members of America’s society provided a framework on the future of the new country; they had in mind, because of the failures of the Articles of Confederation, a new kind of government where the national or Federal government would be the sovereign power, not the states. Because of the increased power of the national government over the individual states, many Americans feared it would hinder their ability to exercise their individual freedoms.
Andrew Jackson was an autocratic president who exerted his authority like the “first king” of the United States. Jackson’s power went from single handedly vetoing the National Bank charter, to ignoring the separation of the branches of government, placing unfit men into important official job holdings and forcing Native Americans off their homeland.
Jackson was a strong opponent of the unequal and aristocrat dominated economic structure of most of America. He was very against the Bank of America because he believed it to have a monopoly on banking and felt that it was owned and run unjustly by wealthy aristocrats who were not always Americans (B). It must also be noted however, that while the Bank of America was undoubtedly corrupt (Nicholas Biddle is known to have given sums of money to close friends, and was also known to regularly bribe newspapers and similar media.) it also did what it was supposed to do very well. It provided money and credit to many of the lower classes that Jackson defended, and also was the source of much economic growth. As a result of this veto Jackson established pet banks in many Western areas to try to appease his main group of supporters and build up the rivalry between the agrarian South and West and the industrial North (C). Many immigrants found that one of the first things they discovered upon entering America was a sense of economic equality and lack of poverty, which are exactly the things Jackson was working towards (D). The case Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge decided that a charter given a person or group to do a service does not allow that group to have complete rights over this service. This decision supports the Jacksonian Democracy ideas that the rights of the community are more important than the rights of business (H).
The bank would be more for the rich and the foreign, but have no benefits for the poor. Jackson’s political rival, Daniel Webster, believes that this letter from Jackson showed just how evil Jackson was. Webster does not think Jackson was vetoing for the good of the people, but to ‘stir the pot’. By Jackson sending this letter, it causes a stir between the rich and the poor. The poor would feel imbalanced against the poor, and arguments would rush out.
One of the Jacksonian Democrats’ attempts to reduce the influence of the rich was by vetoing the charter to the Bank of the United States. Jackson stated his reasons in Document B mainly as a precaution of...
4.”Miller Center.” American President: Andrew Jackson: A Life in Brief. N.p., n.d. Web . 02 Mar. 2014
The validity of President Andrew Jackson’s response to the Bank War issue has been contradicted by many, but his reasoning was supported by fact and inevitably beneficial to the country. Jackson’s primary involvement with the Second Bank of the United States arose during the suggested governmental re-chartering of the institution. It was during this period that the necessity and value of the Bank’s services were questioned.
Elkins, Stanley and Mckitrick, Eric. The Age of Federalism: The Early American Republic, 1788-1800. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.