No. That’s what I thought when I began my book. No, he was a petty guy, a big-government guy, who was totally wrapped up in corruption in the party.
No, the evidence is NOT that the BUS was “corrupted.” Local banks and merchants liked it because it standardized money from one region to another, making ALL their bank notes stronger. Calling in the loans did NOT cause the recession, either. The shrinking of Mexican silver and Britain raising the interest rates did-—this has been proven beyond a doubt now.
No, you are absolutely wrong on the Panic of 37. This was the view of 50 years ago, but economists have “followed the money.” It was 100% due to Mexico and British interest rate changes. Jackson is off the hook for that one.
No, Jackson was wrong on the Supreme Court. He personally allowed Georgia to violate a sacred treaty just so he could reward his cronies.
What Jefferson thought is irrelevant about what JACKSON did about the Court.
The tariff was indeed passed by the DEMOCRATS (his party) thinking that it would be so high the Whigs would reject it. They didn’t. Then Calhoun tried to back out of his own bill. Yes, Jackson was right enforcing the tariff.
But this was the very tariff that allowed him to pay off the debt-—it sure wasn’t him “controlling” government because it grew, absolutely and relatively under Jackson. So hard to praise him for ending the debt under a tariff bill passed under Adams that gave him the revenue to do so.
I go with Rothbard on that issue.
Jackson was right in the principle regarding the Supreme Court, but wrong in that case.
The Treaty was legitimate and should have been respected.
I think that was the greatest blot on his Presidential legacy.
Jackson gradually lowered Tariff's to make them less odious to the South, while paying off the debt.
It still took a great deal of government restricting it's spending to do so.
Jackson was the last President to leave the Office with the government not in debt.
The nation was growing so there was a need for government to grow as well to handle it's legitimate responsibilities.
Remember the Tariff was the major source of Government revenue, there was no income tax.
Yes, the South outfoxed itself and it was to blame for the Tariff of abomination ,not the North.
Jackson followed Jefferson thinking on the court that it was executive branch that upheld the laws and each branch was equal to the other in constitutional responsibility.
Jackson was in my opinion a great man, a man who had some severe flaws, but also great virtues.
I did some research on the subject ( a History of Money and Banking in the United States, Murray Rothbard) and I see where you are correct on the issue of the influence of Mexican silver and the British (the raising the interest rates) came into play and caused the recession of 1837.