A Summary Of Andrew Jackson And Henry Clay

Throughout the course of American political history rarely has there ever been a rivalry as fierce and contested as that of the one between Tennessee’s Andrew Jackson, and Kentucky’s Henry Clay. During their extensive political careers the two constantly seemed to cross paths differing in terms philosophically and ideologically. Simply put, these two men profoundly shaped the American Antebellum period, specifically involving the 1820’s to the 1840’s. Their notions of what was best for the country became the basis for their respective parties and consequently their differences in methodology facilitated countless battles in the American political atmosphere. The most significant issues that centered on these types of political skirmishes involved

At the time the American economy was in a recession and on track to eventually succumb to a depression, so many wanted a tariff to protect their domestic goods from foreign imports. It is important to note that a moderate protective tariff was already in place and most of the debate revolved around the severity of the overall amount. Moreover, the tariff to some seemed that it was directly benefiting northern Industry while making southerner’s pay a higher price. Henry Clay advocated for a relatively high tariff and believed that it would eventually lead to creating a cornerstone market for the United States similar to the one that was in many European countries. Furthermore, Clay asserted through numerous orations that by having a high protective tariff it would bring the nation closer together and consequently become more interdependent. One way in particular that Clay tried to urge the American people to his side was by keying in on their fears of the current state of the economy, which was actively influential to a plethora of individuals. Conversely, Andrew Jackson also similarly supported a protective tariff, however it was for dissimilar justifications and not to Clay’s full extent. Jackson’s primary reasoning related to the need to stimulate the production of defense materials as well as the need to decrease the national

At the time, most of these internal improvements related to the construction of roadways, canals, or even the newly invented railway system. The Maysville Road issue is the most notable to stem from the discussions between Jackson and Clary during this era. Essentially, the bill would allocate federal tax money to construct a road only in the Maysville, Kentucky area. Proponents such as Clay stated that the road would eventually garner a positive impact in the bordering state economies such as Ohio and West Virginia. Generally, in other internal improvement projects, Clay saw them as mostly beneficial to the overall American economy in the long term. Specifically a portion of Clay’s program, “the American System” sought to use the profits from land distribution to the states to fund national improvement projects such as the Maysville Road. Dissimilar to their outlooks on a protective tariff, Jackson maintained a stark contrast to bills concerning internal improvement projects. In general, Jackson frequently cited the use of federal funds for internal improvements to unconstitutional if he deemed the improvement to only benefit a single state. Moreover, Jackson believed that these types of improvement projects were directly tied to corruption within the political system, which subsequently had led to his