On Indian Removal

Content Warning: This section references ethnic cleansing.

Hailed as a war hero for his role in the War of 1812, Jackson developed his particular political inclinations at an early age. Jackson was born the son of Irish immigrants in 1767. He grew up in poverty in the colonial South, and by the age of 13, he had lost his father and elder brother. He enlisted as a courier for the colonial forces in the American Revolution. By the war’s end, Jackson was an orphan, having lost his other brother and his mother.

Raised by his uncles, Jackson pursued a career in law and politics. He became a lawyer and was elected to the House of Representatives by his late 20s. He briefly served in the US Senate and then enjoyed a stint as a judge. However, it was his service in the War of 1812 that catapulted Jackson into the national spotlight. As a major general, Jackson saw success in multiple campaigns. His first came in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814, which secured land in present-day Georgia and Alabama. Later he was outnumbered by British forces during the Battle of New Orleans but managed to survive, earning him his status as a hero and the nickname “Old Hickory” because he was reputed to be as tough as hickory wood.

Although Jackson’s road to the presidency wasn’t without conflict and failure, he was elected in 1828, becoming the first president from a state other than Massachusetts or Virginia, both of which enjoyed long legacies of wealth and political influence. As the first “frontier” president, Jackson was also the first president to invite the public to attend his inaugural ball, cementing his populist reputation but also showcasing the Divisions Within America. Jackson likewise distinguish himself from his predecessors by founding the Democratic Party and orienting it around principles of individual liberty and popular sovereignty, embracing his veto power as a means of championing popular causes, recommending the elimination of the electoral college, and eliminating the national bank. Such actions earned him the nickname the “people’s president.”

Jackson’s popular support allowed him to make decisions regarding Indigenous Americans without many negative ramifications for his own political standing; in fact, opening more western land to settlement by white Americans was a move many rank-and-file voters supported. In 1830, he proposed the Indian Removal Act, but even before this, Jackson refused to enforce Supreme Court decisions that stopped states from usurping tribal lands for their own use and benefit. Jackson’s government forcibly removed the Cherokee and other tribes from their land in what is now known as the “Trail of Tears” due to its deadly consequences.

As Jackson’s actions became more radical and unilateral, his opposition grew in size and loudness. His dissidents referred to him as “King Andrew I,” drawing a parallel with the monarchy that the colonies fought for independence. After serving two terms in the White House, Jackson died in 1845 at the age of 78.