In 1815, the war of 1812 officially ended, marking a new point in U.S. history. The hatred of native americans was on the rise by andrew jackson supporters and america as a whole wanted more land. Using the ideals of manifest destiny, America was to wipe out many tribes of native americans. After discovering the west coast from Lewis and Clark, America wanted more land than ever before. This idea of manifest destiny would go on to fuel Andrew Jackson’s presidency and help him become president, and change the future of the americans in the west forever, as it brought economic prosperity and trade in the pacific.

 

In 1830, Andrew Jackson would sign a very controversial act, removing the native american tribes inside of georgia. The supreme court voted against doing this and the native american tribes in that area even won a court case against being removed. But Jackson knew none of this mattered, he had more power after all. He passed this act starting the trail of tears and moving the native american people to Oklahoma. ⅓ of the cherokee would die on this journey. Despite the horrendous actions brought upon the natives, the American people wanted to expand westward.

Andrew Jackson primarily ran on the promise that he would act in the interests of the people, that he and he alone could represent the will of the majority. At the same time white male suffrage, the idea that all white men should be able to vote,  was an increasing ideal in the United States. This set the precedent that presidential candidates can no longer run on the interests of the elites and must actually campaign to the common man, which we still see to this day.

As his presidency went on Jackson became more anti-establishment. He began losing support in the country, which is most evident by the political parties that were formed specifically around hating Jackson, such as the Whigs or Anti-Masonic party. As a last ditch effort to console a second term, Jackson promised the people the destruction of the most elite institution in the United States, the national bank. His scheme worked and as a result, he destroyed the national bank and gave the money to a multitude of Pet Banks that belonged to the states. This ended in an economic recession in the United States, but ultimately didn’t matter because the collapse  of the national banking system was the will of the people, and therefore the only way to get elected is to support it anyway.