Andrew Jackson was an incredibly divisive and influential figure in American history, and your perception of him certainly depends on where you grew up and what you know about him. He, admittedly, did a few legitimately good things — for example, his election began a period of American history where ordinary voters, organized into political parties, dominated the polls, replacing the elite who until then had effectively chosen each president by hand. Of course, the voting public at the time was not particularly wise or sensitive, but in theory, that is a better form of government. He also did some very bad things, as evidenced by his personal history of slaughtering Native Americans without pause. My mom grew up in New Orleans and had only heard of the wonders he accomplished for Southeast Louisiana, namely winning the ultimately meaningless Battle of New Orleans and being the figure behind the name and statue of the picturesque Jackson Square, a very famous New Orleans landmark. I grew up in Pennsylvania and only heard of the atrocities he committed, nothing of how brave he might have been in battle or how tough he was in negotiation.

Jackson is still a divisive figure up to this very day. What could that mean for when he was actually president?

King Andrew the First

King Andrew the First is one of the most famous political cartoons of all time. It depicts Andrew Jackson in a king’s garb, with a flowing robe, fancy shoes, and a crown, holding a veto in one hand and trampling on the Constitution, internal improvements of the U.S. Bank, and the seal of Pennsylvania. This print was first made in 1832 by an unknown artist, and although President Jackson did a lot of awful things as president, 1832 was the exact opportune time for this type of political cartoon. Jackson began a longstanding tradition among U.S. presidents of using the veto as a political tool, and this change of the role and purpose of the president angered people. King Andrew the First references his veto of a congressional bill to re-issue the charter of the Second Bank of the United States, a move many saw as exceeding his presidential authority (Library of Congress). Opponents of Jackson viewed this use of the veto as undemocratic, unconstitutional, and unamerican, as one man would now be more powerful than the entirety of Congress. He changed the purpose of the veto with this decision in 1832, making the timely response later that year an opportune time to capitalize on those fears.

Andrew Jackson’s Bank veto wasn’t his only infamous deed in 1832. In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the Supreme Court ruled that a Georgia law prohibiting non-Native Americans from entering Native American land without a license was unconstitutional, on the grounds that it interfered with the federal government’s sole authority to make treaties with foreign powers (“Worcester v. Georgia.”). The decision, delivered by Chief Justice John Marshall, effectively made Native American nations their own countries, which states lacked the authority to govern, and Jackson hated this decision. He responded with the now infamous quote, “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it,” (Garrison). While the Supreme Court’s decision immediately became precedent and standard, Jackson decided to publicly not respect nor honor it simply because he did not like it. The Constitution separates the government into three equal branches, yet as the head of the Executive, Jackson thought of himself as more powerful than the judicial branch, making him certainly seem like a king.

King Andrew the First creates a strong sense of urgency for possible opposition to Jackson by depicting him trampling on the Constitution, a document held sacred by the vast majority of the voting public. His opposition saw his veto powers and his response to the Worcester v. Georgia decision as evidence that he saw the Executive as more powerful than the Legislative and the Judicial, and the cartoon demonstrates that with the remnants of the Constitution littered below his feet. The cartoon clearly responds to his Bank veto with the shredded Internal Improvements bill and the seal of Pennsylvania on the ground, as the Bank was located in Philadelphia (Library of Congress). Jackson used this veto to become more powerful than any other president before him, and depicting him as a king stoked many into a fury and unified them in opposition against him. But why do it then? Why create such an opposition force specifically in 1832?

Andrew Jackson was up for reelection in 1832, meaning if there’s any time for this type of political cartoon, it was exactly then. The President had exerted his authority over both other branches of government and changed the role of the office of the presidency forever. He was more powerful in authority than any American man ever before him, and King Andrew the First wished to call people’s attention to this perfect storm of executive overreach just in time for an election.

Citations:

Garrison, Tim A. “Worcester v. Georgia (1832).” New Georgia Encyclopedia, 20 February 2018, http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/worcester-v-georgia-1832.

Library of Congress. “King Andrew the First.” Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008661753/.

“Worcester v. Georgia.” Oyez, 14 Sep. 2018, www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/31us515.