Why Should Andrew Jackson Be Dealed On The $ 20 Bill?
Why should the United States honor a president who caused immense pain to many innocent people and led our country into a financial panic and depression by putting him on the $20 bill? Andrew Jackson was not the great man that many people learned about. Jackson did many things during his presidency that are dishonorable, such as supporting the Indian Removals, or kicking qualified men out of office to make room for his friends in the government. Even though many people believe he was the people’s president and stood for democracy, we should not be applauding a president that supported discrimination and slavery during his time in office. Andrew Jackson was against the national bank, too, and even went as far as to begin a campaign to close
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Even his Farewell Address alluded to the bank as “an insidious "money power" that threatened to subvert American liberty” (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History). Jackson’s war on the bank had devastating effects on America’s economy that eventually led to the Panic of 1837 and a financial depression that continued until the mid-1840s. Jackson’s war on the bank also included attacks on chartered corporations, which hurt those companies and their workers (Miller Center). Andrew Jackson was also known for being highly against the usage of paper currency, even going as far as to “order the issuance of a ‘Specie Circular’ in 1836 requiring payment in coin for western public lands” (Miller Center). Why would we want to honor Andrew Jackson on a currency he openly …show more content…
One of the biggest examples of these would be his creation of the Spoils System. By enforcing this system, Jackson was able to take qualified, educated men out of the government and replace them with his close friends. The quote: “The Spoils System led abuses of political power designed to benefit and enrich the ruling party” (American Historama) explains how this system led to power imbalances and why it was unfair and undemocratic. Additionally, Jackson also betrayed his southern supporters during the Nullification Crisis. Andrew Jackson, having been from the south, had most of his supports from there, but turned his back on them in favor of the manufacturers from the north (Encyclopædia Britannica). Jackson even used militia troops to collect large amounts of tariffs from the south, and South Carolina threatened to secede. The Nullification Crisis led to betrayal, distrust, and chaos. Additionally, many accounts of Jackson’s personal life describe him as hot-headed, unlikable, disagreeable person. Jackson’s opponents even described him as “King Andrew I” as they believed his personality and ideals did not represent a democratic government (History). Andrew Jackson was simply an unpleasant, undemocratic
Even his Farewell Address alluded to the bank as “an insidious "money power" that threatened to subvert American liberty” (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History). Jackson’s war on the bank had devastating effects on America’s economy that eventually led to the Panic of 1837 and a financial depression that continued until the mid-1840s. Jackson’s war on the bank also included attacks on chartered corporations, which hurt those companies and their workers (Miller Center). Andrew Jackson was also known for being highly against the usage of paper currency, even going as far as to “order the issuance of a ‘Specie Circular’ in 1836 requiring payment in coin for western public lands” (Miller Center). Why would we want to honor Andrew Jackson on a currency he openly …show more content…
One of the biggest examples of these would be his creation of the Spoils System. By enforcing this system, Jackson was able to take qualified, educated men out of the government and replace them with his close friends. The quote: “The Spoils System led abuses of political power designed to benefit and enrich the ruling party” (American Historama) explains how this system led to power imbalances and why it was unfair and undemocratic. Additionally, Jackson also betrayed his southern supporters during the Nullification Crisis. Andrew Jackson, having been from the south, had most of his supports from there, but turned his back on them in favor of the manufacturers from the north (Encyclopædia Britannica). Jackson even used militia troops to collect large amounts of tariffs from the south, and South Carolina threatened to secede. The Nullification Crisis led to betrayal, distrust, and chaos. Additionally, many accounts of Jackson’s personal life describe him as hot-headed, unlikable, disagreeable person. Jackson’s opponents even described him as “King Andrew I” as they believed his personality and ideals did not represent a democratic government (History). Andrew Jackson was simply an unpleasant, undemocratic