Ben Jackson's Short Story

Jackson was a frontier president. He used his position to shift the center of political power from the East to the West. He was an influential national figure who believed that the president is someone who symbolized the interests of the people. The president shouldn’t just be an executive, but a person who can run the government with the people’s will in mind. His goal was to end the government’s corruption and cure the country’s financial problems, which he thought were caused by the rich elites running businesses and other financial corporations.

From the time he was young to the time he died, Andrew Jackson faced many hardships. After being confronted by death at a young age, he spent his life trying to prove to himself why he should still be alive. Even with all of the obstacles in his life, he went on to become one of America’s greatest army generals and presidents. All this can be tied into the author’s main point which is that we must set aside all of the great things that Andrew Jackson accomplished and look more into the setbacks he powered through to reach his goals.

As mentioned that the ultimate motive for Jackson was the National Bank. Jackson believed that the bank was evil like a “monster” for several reasons. Some of those reasons being that the

Jackson was brought up poor and received very little formal education. He will always be remembered as a war hero for his contributions in winning the battle of New Orleans. Before becoming President Jackson was a successful attorney, plantation owner, and served in the United States Senate. The election of 1829 was much different than prior elections, firstly there were fewer voting restrictions allowing three times as many people to vote, secondly this election was more based on the candidate’s personality and personal lives as opposed to the real issues at hand. While former President Adams was being criticized for his unfavorable characteristics, Jackson was also being picked apart.

However, upon arrival, Jackson was beaten, shot, had his legs broken, and was stuffed inside of a sleeping bag by Wright and four others (Tuttle). The group disposed of his body by burning it in a backyard fire pit, then proceeded to disperse his ashes into paint cans (Tuttle). Many of the individuals involved had an ill-will towards Jackson

Andrew Jackson was born March 15, 1767 and died June 18, 1845 because of tuberculosis. He was orphaned as a teenager by Andrew jackson, Father, and Elizabeth Hutchinson, mother. He grew up to be a landowner and lawyer, even thought growing up and facing poverty. He received erratic education years before the revolutionary war. After his older brother died, Hugh Jackson, Jackson joined a local militia and served as a patriot courier at age thirteen.

Jackson was an orphan by the age of 14. Jackson was brave he was tough and ambitious. As a child he survived smallpox. As an adult he survived severe gunshot wounds. During march in the war of 1812 a soldier described Jackson as “tough as hickory.”

He mapped out an area of the west that he was willing to give them as long as they moved out of Georgia. Jackson, being the war hero that he was, could have easily decided to slaughter the Indians to eliminate the issue. Instead, he gave them a coveted opportunity to move to land set up especially for them to live on. The Indians were a people who lived off the land for years. They were accustomed to and appreciated the struggles that emerge from that type of culture.

He wanted the people in office to support him so that he could do everything he wanted to do. Jackson made a front saying that it was because he wanted those jobs to be fulfilled by people that have fresh ideas and that he wanted to give more unqualified people an opportunity (Spoils System Document 2). In Spoils System Document 3, it tells about a time when a later supporter warned Jackson that an early supporter was bad news and shouldn’t be allowed in that position. Jackson didn’t believe him because he was a later supporter and gave the position to the early supporter anyway. Next thing Jackson knew, his early supporter had stolen tons of money.

The author James Curtis really talks a lot about the hardship of Andrew Jacksons life. In the beginning of the book, it mentions that Andrew Jackson had a little wild streak in him. Andrew Jackson was so reckless during his childhood days that he was the “most mischievous of youngsters thereabouts”  

When Jackson was young his family was killed by the British. His hatred for the British sparked the fight in him. Jackson lacked education but had experience with law and government. Jackson took his first opportunity to get back at the British by joining the military. Jackson led a successful army which won the Creek War, Battle of Horseshoe Blend, and Battle of New Orleans.

When Jackson was only two years old his father died, and his mother died when he was only 14 years old. Andrew received some sparse education in the local "old-field" school. At the very young age of 13, Jackson helped in the Revolutionary War informally as a courier and then at the age of 14, he formally joined the American forces in the war. Jackson was captured by the British at the battle of Hanging Rock. During his captivity, he refused to blacken the boots of a British officer and the officer slashed him with his sword, leaving Jackson with scars on his left hand and his head, giving Jackson a deep hate for the British.

He disliked the bank so much that he moved all the money to all the state banks he created. In document J, it shows Jackson standing a the constitution which is ripped up to shreds. When you walk all over something you are taking advantage of it and abusing its power and this is what Jackson was doing to the constitution. He is holding veto papers in who hand which stands for vetoing the bank and a scepter in the other. He has a crown on his head that represents as the king because he is forgetting about the people and acting like a kink and a dictator.

He had a harsh temper and his personality was just not fit to be in the position of president. Jackson was said to be better for the Army and military and that he just wasn’t really capable of the duties of being president. He even said himself that he was not quite made for president. “I know what I am fit for. I can command a body of men in a rough way, but I am not fit to be president.”

In the short stories, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “Wildwood” by Junot Diaz, there are a similar type of theme and main character. Both short stories utilize a theme of freedom and a main character that goes along with the theme. The main character is one that is “held back” and wants to have freedom, but there is an antagonist that is preventing that from happening. However, towards the end of the story, there is a plot twist and change in the mindset of the main character. Both stories end very differently, but with the same sort of idea.