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Andrew Jackson started fife with major hardships, from the death of his father prior to his birth, to the loss of his two brothers and mother during the Revolutionary War. At the age of 13 he joined a militia group and was captured and beaten, this started a drive to succeed at any cost for the young Andrew Jackson (Carol Jerkin). Jackson was designated commander of the Tennessee militia in the year of 1801. During the war of 1812 he led his troops to victory against the creek Indians at Horseshoe Bend. Killing some 800 warriors and procuring 20 million acres of land in present day Georgia and Alabama.
After this military success, Jackson was appointed major general. After leading 5,000 soldiers in the defeat of 7,500 British in New Orleans, on January 8, 181 5, Jackson was dubbed a national hero. He received the thanks of congress and a gold medal. He was also popular among his troops, who said that Jackson was “as tough as old hickory wood” on the battlefield, earning him the nickname “Old Hickory’. (networks) Jackson Worked his way up the legal path from lawyer, congressman, to Judge on the Supreme Court. Jackson was aggressive and determined to make a difference in the oral, he was a self-made man.
To most American’s Jackson was a war hero due to his victory over the British troops in New Orleans. He had not only experienced not only in the business world but also as the common man. With the combination of experience the nation saw him as a powerful leader who would change the system for the better of man-kind. The people had favored Jackson with the understanding that he was not corrupted by the political games of the past presidents. The voters wanted political corruption ended and reform in the federal system. Jackson went in and cleaned house of the republicans or as he saw it the corruption.
Their replacements were of loyal supporters of the Democratic Party that Jackson founded. This was the start of the two party system we have in affect today. The symbol of the Democratic Party to this day is the donkey in reference to Jackson nick name. The Democratic Party was for the individual man or the common man instead of the privileged republicans. The saying of “to the victor go the spoils” (White house. Gob), this was the establishment of the spoils system or the rotation of the office holders with a new president elect.
Jackson did not use his congress in policy – making but experienced his veto power and his leadership to acquire control of policy making and having his last say in things. Jackson took on the second bank of the United States because of its poor management and fraud. He vetoed their recharging bill and the U. S. Went without an official central bank for many years due to this action by Jackson. Jackson took a military stand against South Carolina when the state tried to nullify the tariff that Jackson had implemented. It was reported that Jackson threatened John C.
Calhoun with hanging him for going against the tariff. There was a compromise that the tariff was lowered and South Carolina dropped their nullification (legerdemain’s. Com). Jackson assisted the state of Georgia forcing Indians from their lands to reservations located in the west. He used what is known as the Indian removal act that was passed in 1830 and initialized by Jackson to force them to move. He did this despite the fact that the Supreme Court ruled that in Worcester v. Georgia in 1832 that Native Americans should not and could not be forced to move.
This act led to the rail of tears where from 1838-39, U. S. Troops led over 15,000 Cherokees from Georgia to reservations in Oklahoma. It was estimated that around 4,000 Native Americans died because of the march. (Kelly) Andrew Jackson left a permanent imprint upon American politics and the history of presidency in the United States. Within eight years he melded the amorphous coalition of personal followers who had elected him into the country’s most durable and successful political party, an electoral machine whose organization and discipline would serve as a model for all others.