President Andrew Jackson's Legacy Positive Contributions Demonstrated strong executive leadership in 1832 tariff controversy Champion of the common man in politics. Established the Democratic Party. (sparked the 2-party system with the Whigs as opposition) Negative Contributions Spoils system Killing the BUS resulted in thousands of bank failures. Specie circular hurt western farmers Disobeyed authority of the Supreme Court regarding Cherokee and BUS Trail of Tears. Cabinet crisis and break with Calhoun resulted in increased sectionalism. 1

The Western Frontier Man Characteristics of the Western Man: Westerners were the “Common Man” and thought of white men as equals regardless of wealth or birth. Mostly Small Farmers that bought land from the government. Westerners were independent and Self-Made but wanted the government to help them – Jacksonian not Jeffersonian. Not “govern least is best” like the early Jeffersonians. Westerners wanted government to help the Common Man – transportation, land sales, Indian Removal, but against policies that helped the easterners like the Bank of the United States and the American System. Hated the Indians and believed they deserved their lands. Universal White Manhood Suffrage = No property qualifications to vote. Needed state banks to help them with loans to buy land but then hated all of the banks when banks still wanted the loans repaid even with a bad harvest. Later the “Common Man” Farmers wanted more inflation – Greenbacks and Silver – that would help them pay back loans. Less slavery in the West but not abolitionist. The farther West the fewer slaves and the common man did not want the competition.