Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Should Jackson be replaced on the twenty dollar bill?

The privilege to be put on US money is held for a very few select people. Normally deceased American heroes and founding fathers of our nation. Andrew Jackson, the seventh president, is on our twenty dollar bill, and is regarded as a hero. But should he really be on there? Old Hickory was born on March 15, 1767 and died in June 8, 1845, he was elected into office by popular vote of the people and is regarded as a hero for the common man. But Jackson wasn't really as democratic as some people might think, and could even be regarded as King Andrew I. Andrew Jackson, a national hero, was born in a backwoods settlement in the Carolina's. Jackson would sometimes get into brawls and once killed a man in a duel, even so, Jackson was a well-liked man that people rallied around. Andrew Jackson was also to be considered as a war hero, fighting in the war of 1812. As well as defending at the battle of New Orleans. Common white men were big supporter of him, as he extended suffrage for them. Though president Jackson was also a big slave owner, which makes you wonder just how democratic was he? The only people who got a say were white men. Leaving over half the population as underclass citizens. Patronage, or the spoils system, is the practice of giving jobs to political supporters as a reward. This system, which is illegal and thought to be highly undemocratic today. Though president Jackson denied to take part in it, there is substantial evidence and proof that he did. Jackson appointed Swartwout, a criminal, as a tax collector in a government job. Swartwout was an early supporter of Jackson's cause and people hated him, yet Jackson gave him the job. Which ended up having 1.2 million dollars stolen. The main reason that Andrew Jackson doesn't deserve to be on the twenty dollar bill would be his unjust, illegal, and cruel displacement of the Native Americans. President Andrew Jackson disregarded the supreme courts ruling and had thousands of Native Americans march onto reservations so that they could use the rich land for settlement and gold mining. Thousands of Native Americans died while on the trail of tears and they despised him. So President Jackson doesn't deserve to his spot on the 20 dollar bill. He was undemocratic, only supporting white men, unfairly gave hundreds of job positions to his supporters in patronage, as well as owning slaves, and inhumanely relocating thousands of Native Americans. Many other U.S figures could deserve this place a lot more than Jackson. Andrew Jackson didn't even abide by some the laws, as he completely ignored commands and court rulings.

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