I did, however, appreciate the irony of having someone who considered "killing the Bank" among his biggest accomplishments having his mug splattered on one of their notes. I will miss that a bit.
But yeah, Ol' Hickory signed the Indian Removal Act that led to the Trail of Tears, then refused to enforce the Supreme Court decision that would have prevented Georgia from enforcing its laws on the Cherokee lands, though he probably can't be blamed for active malice in it. He killed the Second Bank of the United States based on the idea it was working for moneyed interests at the expense of the "common man", which led to deregulation, wildcatting, and cyclic recessions/banking panics that wouldn't end until the Federal Reserve. His Specie Circular, intended to stop land speculation by requiring hard gold or silver, instead set off the Panic of 1837, and he refused to back down even when it was clear there simply wasn't enough specie in circulation. His attempt to stop office "inheritance" by enforcing the term limits (on the books since 1820) on appointed offices was intended to reduce nepotism and ensure democracy in the bureaucracy, but instead resulted in the spoils system. That said, he also smacked South Carolina hard when they tried to pull nullification shenanigans, an act that compares favorably to Buchanan and the Confederacy decades later, and generally pursued a very successful foreign policy of trade engagement in Europe. He ushered in the era of Jacksonian democracy as well, shifting the power locus of American democracy by greatly enlarging the franchise from landowners and moneyed sorts to all white males (well, it was the early 19th century...baby steps, here). I wouldn't say he's the worst president ever, but he's certainly not among the best.
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Topic: Murrican Politics Megathread 2016: There Will Be Hell Toupée (Read 1583567 times)