In many ways, Andrew Jackson stands out as unique amongst his peers as president.
What are some of those ways?
What type of legacy did he leave?
As presidents go, there is no doubt that Andrew Jackson was different.
He was the first president born to immigrant parents, and he was largely self-educated.
Elected out of Tennessee, he was the first president to be a resident of a state other
than Massachusetts or Virginia.
At the time of his election, the rapidly expanding and industrializing nation was brimming with
optimism and hopes for its future.
Jackson, the only president to ever be held as a prisoner of war, was the last president
who served in the American Revolution.
Yet, he was the first ever to ride a train!
Jackson’s presidency marked a shift in the course of American history.
Prior to his time in office, presidents vetoed bills based on matters of constitutionality.
Jackson, who vetoed more bills than any president before him, established a precedent of vetoing
legislation as a matter of policy.
Jackson often made executive decisions based on personal beliefs and declared that his
actions protected the interests of the “common man.”
Despite being raised poor, Jackson’s stunning military successes and national popularity
enabled him to attain the highest office in the land.
He overcame the “corrupt bargain” loss in the Election of 1824 and emerged victorious
in 1828, surviving possibly the most vicious presidential campaign in history.
While scandal and dirty politics were never far away during his time in the White House,
Jackson’s action-first optimism matched the can-do mentality of Americans at the time.
Jackson entered the office with intentions of cleansing the government of corruption
and restoring the nation’s finances.
He replaced around 10% of the government officers in the executive branch, firmly establishing
the “spoils system” as a part of DC politics.
Jackson also kept a very watchful eye on Congressional expenditures.
He was quick to veto any spending bill he believed was too costly or benefitted one
area of the country over another.
This penny-pinching approach enabled Jackson to pay off the national debt and earn the
distinction of being the only president to leave office with the country debt free!
While president, Jackson fought to restore the constitutional principle of “We the
People” and to give a voice to those he represented.
As their president, he inspired a sense of hope and promise in many Americans.
In Jackson, they saw evidence of someone who succeeded through natural ability and hard
work, rather than family name, wealth, and privilege.
As the expansion of democracy during his tenure did not include women or minorities, Jackson
is often the subject of intense criticism.
Slavery remained deeply ingrained in the fabric of Southern society, and Jackson personally
owned more than 300 slaves without ever freeing a single one.
The policy of Indian Removal, signed into law by Jackson, accelerated the displacement
of Native Americans, led to the deaths of thousands, and established a US government
policy that would endure for the remainder of the century.
Jackson left the White House and public life in 1832, retiring to his home at The Hermitage
in Tennessee.
Due to the Panic of 1837, and the failures of the Martin Van Buren Administration, Jackson
became increasingly unpopular in his retirement.
His health rapidly deteriorated, and he died of heart failure at his plantation on June
8, 1845, at the age of 78.
While serving as a hero to millions, Jackson is marked as a villain by countless others.
The result of the life and presidency of Andrew Jackson is a complex, divisive, and enigmatic
figure of American history.
Few presidents achieved his level of popularity, and no other American has an entire era named
in their honor.
The impact of his time in office and the significance of the Age of Jackson ensure that the character
of Old Hickory is permanently woven into the fabric of America.