The War of 1812, or the Second War for American Independence, was one of the most important and difficult wars fought in American history. American regular army was largely disunited and ill-disciplined, in contrast to their enemy’s enthusiasm and cohesion. However, they proved that they could stand up for what they felt was right for the second time, forcing British to retreat. The War of 1812 served as a watershed in America history. Politically, the nascent nationalism was encouraged with reviving national literature. Along with the development of universal manhood suffrage-- all adult white males were allowed to vote--the elite and wealthy Federalists Party died out forever. Economically, the British blockade during the wartime actually contributed to the country’s industrialization: as the biggest importer was cut off, Americans had to produce the daily necessities and manufactured goods domestically to maintain the whole country, which resulted in further commercial independence from Europe. With the development in economy, Henry Clay’s American system, including a strong bank, a protective tariff, and internal improvement, was highly supported. Socially, the pioneers continued to explore westwards, expanding national territory by gaining lands from Native Americans. People enjoyed a short period of “Era of Good Feeling.” However, the issues of tariffs, the Bank of United States, internal improvements, and slavery were heatedly contested, separating the North and the South. Furthermore, the economic panic caused by over-speculation in land discouraged the common people. During this disheartening time period, people called for an encouraging leader who would bring back national morale. As a result, General Andrew Jackson, “Old Hickory”, who was known for winning the Battle of New Orleans and capturing Florida, was elected as the seventh president. He claimed himself as the leader for common people. President Jackson drastically carried out several major reforms during his presidency, including the introduction of the system of rotation in office, the bank war, and the Indian removal policy. Some support the argument that he is the democratic hero in the history of the United States, while other opponents argue that he is notorious for his racist tendencies and harsh policies against Native Americans. The way to judge the legacy of a president is to distinguish whether the purpose of his actions is for his citizens or not. Although Jackson’s reforms may create huge controversies by current standards, he is more likely to be remembered for his positive legacies in promoting the American democratic political system when considered in his era.

Admittedly, President Jackson’s most infamous political action was the Indian Removal Act. There was also a serious racist tendency in Jackson’s personality. For instance, Jackson did not hesitate to kill the Native Americans. When he swept across the Florida border, he clearly exceeded Washington's instructions, hanging two Native American chiefs without ceremony and executing anyone who assisted Native Americans. The core of Jackson’s view of national interests was the supremacy of the interests of white people. The purpose of his reforms was to provide white people with various opportunities and conditions to have an access to power, wealth, and land, without taking into consideration of native people’s rights. The growing population in U.S and expansion of slavery in the South, along with rapid development of cotton cultivation and the possibility of gold, all prompted Jackson to remove Native Americans from the American South as soon as possible. During his presidency, Jackson entered into 94 treaties with Native Americans tribes and occupied more than 20 million acres of their land. He actively implemented the Indian Removal Act passed by Congress in 1830, forcing the Native Americans to leave their homeland and retreat to the west, even though many tribes tried to adopt American ways. The Supreme Court ruled in Worcester v. Georgia that the Act was unconstitutional, but Jackson openly refused to enforce it and the Southern states ignored it. Suffering from the cold, hunger, flogging and massacre, a large number of west-ward Indians died on the “Trails of Tears” to the newly established territory. However, this permanent frontier free of white encroachment lasted only 15 years. Consequently, Jackson’s reforms released pioneers’ insatiable greed and gave rise to continuous conflicts between the whites and Native Americans, ruining the Natives’ social stability. Jackson deserved to be considered as a notorious president according to what he had done to Native Americans.

Nevertheless, most of Jackson’s political and economic reforms achieved remarkable results. First, Jackson introduced the system of rotation in office to eradicate the notorious corrupt bureaucracy, some of which had been in place since Washington’s tenure. He believed everyone was competent to be in the office, thus it was better to bring new blood of the generation to the office. Jackson removed 20% of administrative officials during the eight-year presidency. He appointed new bureaucrats based on their intelligence, loyalty, and education. The system of rotation shook the old concept of hereditary officeholding and provided more opportunities for ordinary citizens to participate in government work, narrowing the distance between the people and the government. The common men had easier access to the administration of the country, which means more voices could be heard and the government would be more democratic. Jackson’s another significant legacy was the expansion of presidential power. After the establishment of the US federal government, it was widely believed that under the principle of separation of power, the president was mainly responsible for managing the administration and implementing the resolutions of the Congress, and Congress was the direct representative of the interests of people and the authoritative body for making laws. However, Jackson declared that the President directly represented the will of people. He engaged in positive actions to expand the president’s veto power and the right to appoint. During his presidency, Jackson vetoed 12 bills. For example, he vetoed the improvement of certain harbors and a bill that allowed the Federal government to purchase stock from certain companies approved by Congress. Jackson not only helped the president get rid of Congress’s shackles but also enabled the president to directly participate in national legislation. The third remarkable positive action led by Jackson was fighting against the illegal behaviors of the Second Bank of the United States. The Second Bank monopolized the banking industry to safeguard the interests of the manufacturing industry in the Eastern Area. Moreover, the president of the bank managed to manipulate the market to make profits and create economic chaos. Jackson vetoed the bill to recharter the bank. He also instructed the Treasury Secretary to withdraw federal funds from the bank and deposit them into state banks, cutting off its economic ties with the federal government. Although opponents argued the unreliable state banks gave rise to the financial crisis in the whole country, the striking positive impacts of the bank war should not be neglected. The Bank War not only met the interests of the civilians but also inhibited the investors’ machination to control over the country’s political affairs, preventing the wealthiest to overrule the common. At the same time, Britain occupied a quarter of the capital in the bank, and Jackson’s overthrow of it cut off their reach into the U.S financial sector, which facilitated the country to independently develop the national economy. Jackson’s positive actions exerted a huge impact on the movements to promote the political rights of citizens, on extending the constitutional veto power of the president into the power of influencing legislation, and on eliminating financial monopoly control of a single institution. Therefore, Jackson indeed did what he could do for the benefits of common people, which constituted a key step in establishing a democratic government.

Based on the evidence analyzed above, the conclusion could be safely drawn that President Andrew Jackson should be remembered more for his positive legacies in promoting the democracy of the United States. Although some of his actions have demonstrated a tendency towards racism and inequality, it was largely due to the limitations of his class and the age at that time. Most of Jackson’s citizens disliked the Native Americans and intended to broaden the national borders. Considering American’s unstoppable ambitions, the Indians would sooner or later fall prey to the country’s long-term development. The Indian Removal Act was notorious only based on the judgment of Native Americans and current critiques but was beneficial to American citizens at that time. The introduction of the system of rotation in office, the expansion of the President Power, and the significant bank war all reveal the remarkable achievements and dedication to the common people of President Andrew Jackson, which is why he should be remembered as an outstanding president.