Jackson
was, by the time of his presidency, far from a "common man." Rather, he was a wealthy
white Tennessee planter and politician who had risen to national prominence through his military
exploits. His background as a backcountry lawyer and his keen political instincts made him a
compelling candidate to many ordinary white Americans. Jackson's "common man" appeal
was in large part related to style, but he also promoted policies that were at least framed as
beneficial to white small landowners. One, of course, was his removal policy toward Native
peoples in the South and the upper Midwest. Thousands of Native Americans were uprooted from
their lands and "removed" to Indian territory in the West. This policy was enormously
popular among southern whites, who gobbled up land in what is today Alabama and Mississippi to
establish small farms and especially cotton plantations. Jackson's policy deliberately appealed
to their economic interests as well as long-held prejudices against Native...
Monday, 16 March 2009
How did Andrew Jackson help the "common man"?
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