A Short Summary On Andrew Jackson's Removal

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Brandon Warren November 3, 2013 Jackson Free Response APUSH Tyrant: One who uses their power to impose their will on the people, with no regard for law or ethics, a despot or dictator. Andrew Jackson’s presidency is commonly seen as one of blatant disregard for checks and balances, law, and the Constitution in general. However, Jackson did nothing that would fall outside of presidential jurisdiction, or that would be considered unconstitutional. Jackson was not a tyrant running roughshod over the Constitution, because he followed checks and balances, and the constitutional rights of the president when he signed the South Carolina Force Bill, when he vetoed the bank charter, and when he removed Native Americans in the Deep South.…show more content…
As Americans moved west, Jackson supported the process of removal and relocation. A major event during the removal process was the Trail of Tears, the march of the Cherokee Indians in 1838. Before this event, Jackson followed every law to the letter, and was in the process of negotiating treaties with southern Natives. However, the process was moving along too slowly for southern settlers, as states passed laws regulating Natives within their states. Congress was forced to pass the Removal Act of 1830, which appropriated funds for removal. Jackson continued to support treaty making with the Natives. Eventually, all five “civilized tribes” were forced out through the Indian Intercourse Act of 1834. Jackson again, did nothing illegal. In fact, in this situation, it seems that Jackson did nothing at all. He simply allowed Congress to pass the laws and then he signed them. Jackson was not a tyrant at all, because he followed was written into the Constitution under the rights of the president, and was following protocol when he passed the force bill, vetoed the bank charter, and supervised the Indian Removal process. Jackson would have been a tyrant if he had done so of his own accord, and completely ignored the Constitution, which he clearly did
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