Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) became the seventh President of USA in 1829. He received a very irregular education and at the tender age of 13, joined a local regiment during the American Revolutionary War. Andrew Jackson was the last US President,
His dedicated and brave military service got him promoted to higher ranks. Though a strict officer, Andrew Jackson was popular with his troops. He is said to be 'tough as old hickory' wood on the battlefield. This earned him the nickname 'Old Hickory'. Andrew Jackson was nominated for US President for the Democratic-Republican party by the Tennessee legislature in 1822. the party also honored him as the Senator in US Senate. However, it was this hard-to-crack military image that worked largely against him in the first Presidential elections, as many thought him to be unfit for the office of the President. This concern directly exhibited itself in the election of 1824.
In the Presidential Election in 1824, no majority could be received by a candidate (though the electoral and popular votes were won by Jackson). the House of Representatives got the final election decision, and selected John Quincy Adams as US President in 1825. This decision infuriated Jackson that led him later to call for the abolition of the Electoral College.
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Finally, in the rematch at the US Presidential Election in 1828, Andrew Jackson defeated John Quincy Adams. In this election, Jackson formed an alliance with Vice President John C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren, and former supporters of William H. Crawford. Jackson supporters named themselves Jacksonians or 'Jackson Men'. Jackson is held as the founder of the modern Democratic Party.
After he became the President, he took radical measures to abolish corruption from the President's office. the rotation policy of the employees in the office was implemented to prevent the increasing corruption of the bureaucracy. Though such a measure was not fully welcomed by his party supporters, he did not beckon to his party pressure and went ahead with his rotation theory.
- Repayment of the total Federal Debt
- Implementing the theory of rotation in the office to prevent the growth of a corrupt bureaucracy
- Opposition to the Second Bank of the United States
- Nullification crisis that arose out of the disagreements over tariffs
- Advocating the policy named "Indian Removal" that authorized the President to pull off treaties to buy tribal lands in the east. these lands were bought in exchange of lands further west, beyond the existing US state borders.
Twice during his Presidency, in 1933 and 1935, attempts were made to harm Andrew Jackson physically. Though, he survived both the times. Later he died in 1845 at the age of 78.
After his death, three equestrian statues have been established in three different locations of US - Washington, Nashville and New Orleans in his memory. these statues have attracted a large number of tourists over the years.
A few of the popular quotations by Andrew Jackson include :
- "One man with courage makes a majority".
- "there are no necessary evils in government. Its evils exist only in its abuses".
- "All the rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous Judiciary".
List of Vice Presidents in the US |
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Last Updated on: September 28th, 2017