Politics, Religion, and Reform essays

Politics, Religion, and Reform essays Andrew Jackson does not deserve to be ranked among Americas greatest presidents. Although many people do think he deserves to be one of the greats, I feel differently. He was extremely contradictory of himself, and based his actions on personal feelings, rather than what was best for the country. Jackson accomplished some positive things, but the majority of his actions were not done for the good of the country. When Jackson first entered office, nobody really knew his stance on many major issues. This was partially due to the fanfare, and mudslinging present during the campaign, but also partially due to the contradictory messages he was sending. In Tennessee he aggressively pursued wealth and opposed legislation for relief of debtors, but he understood what brought him to office, and decided to express the will of the majority, in order to stay in office. When in the Army, Jackson had defeated a battle against the Creek Indians, The Battle of Horseshoe Bend, in 1814. Because of the Indians defeat, he felt that the Indians were weak. When Jefferson made it to the presidency, he felt there was no need to negotiate with weak people, so he passed the Indian Removal Act, so he could just move them off their land. Jacksons support of the federal support for internal improvements bill and protective tariffs set of the sectional controversy, that may in fact have added to the push toward the civil war. The south had much fewer canals and roads, and they had fewer plans to build more. Because of this, southerners were against paying tax money to build roads they would never drive on. Jackson, whose firmest political roots were in the south felt that federal support of internal improvements was, a lavish giveaway program prone to corruption. In 1830 he vetoed a bill to provide federal support for a road in Kentucky between Maysville and Lexington. The veto of the road bill was done alm...