Jackson
was far more similar to Thomas Jefferson (who actually disliked and distrusted him) than
Alexander Hamilton. Like Jefferson, Jackson had a vision for the United States that emphasized
white landowners, or, as it is often portrayed in textbooks, the "common man."
Jackson, like Jefferson, promoted widespread suffrage, and many states removed property
restrictions for voting during his time. He promoted expansion, and made the removal of Native
peoples central to his presidency. He championed the cause of the "common man" in his
so-called "bank war," vetoing and "killing" the Second Bank of the United
States out of a belief that it benefitted the wealthy at the expense of ordinary
Americans.
He also opposed the program of public works funded by the national
government. Jefferson favored what he described as "small" government, encouraged
western expansion, and was most popular among the small landholders who benefited from the
relaxation of voting requirements. Hamilton, on the other hand, openly favored eastern cities.
As Secretary of the Treasury, he instituted many policies that Jackson sought to undo. Chief
among these was the Bank of the United States, which he championed over Jefferson's objections.
Hamilton also promoted manufacturing as the heart of the new American economy, and favored high
tariffs to encourage domestic industry. In Jackson's day, Hamilton's ideas were best represented
by Henry Clay, the founder of the Whig Party and promoter of an American System that featured
many ideas that dated back to Hamilton's time. He was opposed at almost every turn by Jackson.
So, Jackson had far more in common with Jefferson than Hamilton.
No comments:
Post a Comment