“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, took the above oath before entering office, the same as every president before and after him. Yet, he managed to completely stray from the statement’s expectations of him throughout the progression of his time in office.
As the mastermind behind the renowned “Jacksonian Revolution” of the late 1820s, Jackson implemented novel procedures and methods of governing that were by no means constitutional.
Dr. Amy Sturgis, Native American historian, describes Jackson as the “first imperial president,” having expanded his powers in a way similar to those of dictators and kings.
When taking note of his wrongdoings, Jackson’s appearance on the $20 bill is an especially strange sight to see.
The Trail of Tears was a direct result of Jackson’s ignorance of legislative branch action, which was perpetuated by the 1830 Indian Removal Act. Historian Jeffery Ostler described this moment of American history as “bad enough.”
Regardless of their obedience and willingness to evolve their ways of living to fit the standards that colonizers considered “civilized,” Jackson’s unrelenting push to send the Cherokee nation further west can only be described as discriminatory. Even after pushing the Cherokee off their lands, with promises to provide resources and supplies to them upon their arrival west, Jackson was unable to fulfill his duties.
A member of the Cherokee nation recalls the words of his grandfather, who had walked the Trail: “There are some houses there but they are not the ones he built; they burned and rotted down.” Even the remnants of the Cherokee were left to suffer, much like the Cherokee themselves after Jackson’s treatment of them
Not only was Jackson forcing natives off their lands, to which they had spiritual and ancestral connections, but they were being moved to places they could not survive in.
“He began a policy of coercive Indian removal that led to what we could consider today certainly meets the criteria for, if we use the definition of the United Nations, ethnic cleansing,” Sturgis said.
Lacking consistency, Jackson’s executive orders were not just incoherent, but also overstepped his boundaries as president. Our Founding Fathers intentionally split the government into three branches so no one could gain an excess of power. As president, Jackson deliberately increased the power of the executive branch through his ignorance of the Constitution and by establishing a Spoils System.
In the words of president Thomas Jefferson, “I feel much alarmed at the prospect of seeing General Jackson president.” Jefferson, himself, did not think Jackson capable of leading a nation and called him “unfit” for the position.
Through the creation of the Spoils System, by which the president may pick and choose who to work with and add to his cabinet irrespective of merit, Jackson filled the executive branch with even more unqualified officials..
This system corrupted the government, changing historic systems in a way that would directly benefit the president.
Jackson was added to the $20 bill in 1928, when the US dollar went through the redesigning and resizing processes that created the money used today; he replaced president Grover Cleveland on the bill.
While much of the power to choose who appears on American currency rests in the hands of the Secretary of the Treasury, who takes input from other bureaus to assist in the process, there are two major rules that must be followed while redesigning the bills.
First, US currency can only feature deceased individuals. Second, Congress can propose acts to change currency designs, but the final design must be approved by the aforementioned secretary. Governmental processes such as these may be tedious and can take time.
Though many compare him to presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, Jackson’s actions and betrayal of his office say otherwise. Hence, his face should certainly not appear on the $20 bill. It undermines others who have been granted a similar honor, such as George Washington, featured on the $1 bill, who led the US to victory during the American Revolution and became the first president of the country, and Alexander Hamilton, featured on the $10 bill, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under Washington.
To compare Jackson to any renowned figures in American history is appalling; however, to put him on a pedestal similar to the ones that our Founding Fathers were given for their extraordinary accomplishments is totally wrong.
