Andrew Jackson Trial
President Andrew Jackson is charged with impeachment on the indictments of reckless disregard for the economic interests of the citizens of the United States under Article I, reckless disregard for the principle of the separation of powers and specifically for disregarding the authority of the United States Supreme Court under Article II, and reckless disregard for authority of the states and unlawfully using powers of the federal government to suppress that authority under article III. Jackson stands here today under the trial by the U.S senate to determine whether or not he is guilty of these indictments. After hearing the testimonies of ...view middle of the document...
President Jacksons measures in removing the national bank were despicable to the Supreme Court and overall the American people. His issue with the bank resided in the fact that he believed it was monopoly that the government had no business investing all their money in this privately owned sector. He also preached that the bank was unconstitutional but in fact this belief is wrong. The Supreme Court ruled that indeed the bank was constitutional under the Mcculloch vs. Maryland.
As President Andrew Jackson began to remove money from the National Bank and deposit it in the so-called "pet banks," the Senate voted to officially censure him in 1834. Jackson filed a protest with the Senate, saying the Bank's abuses of power made it his "duty" as chief executive to rid the country of the Bank. He carefully ended with an appeal to the people, explaining anew his reasons for opposing government monopolies and saying that he was proud of his actions.
Jackson symbolized what Americans perceived themselves to be--defiant, bold, independent. He was someone with whom they could identify. Thus, Jackson was reelected by an overwhelming majority and was able to transfer that loyalty to his successor, a man who hardly lived up to the image. But all this left a curious question unanswered. Was this new democracy voting for leaders whose programs they favored or, rather, for images that could be altered and manipulated almost at will? The answer was essential for the future of American politics, and the election of 1840 gave the nation a clue.
