Andrew Jackson – a President of the U. S.

Andrew Jackson, the founder of the Democratic party and American war-hero, was the 7th president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Despite being a prominent political figure for his time, along with shaping the Democratic party into what it is today, Jackson will forever be infamously known for his “Trail of Tears”, the involuntary relocation of the Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw nation, after the coerced treaty with President Jackson and the Cherokee tribe. (Cherokee Nation n.d.). The Trail of Tears resulted in an average of 4,000 deaths from starvation and sickness.

(Editors 2009). The Native Americans makeup for a sizeable minority in the United States, and play a respected role being the original people group to inhabit the land that is now the United States of America. The thought of having Andrew Jackson on the face of this bill is a slap in the face to those who he has hurt.

Despite disagreement or agreement with postmodernism’s influence on the education system, it has brought forth constructive criticism to the jaded view of history that the United States had held for a multitude of years. Winston Churchill once said, “history is written by the victors.” This is a quote often referred to when discussing the objectivity that infiltrates historical evidence when shared and the quote remains true to this circumstance. While Jackson may have been great for his time, a historian now is able to look back and see the depraved man stuck in cultural animosity. There has been much contention in Western culture with Jackson remaining as the face of the $20 bill, a popular form of U.S. currency. This bill serves as a daily reminder to many of the tragic execution of the 4,000 Native Americans on the Trail of Tears. (Perry).

One could argue that keeping Jackson as the face of the $20 bill is the United States condoning his decision and racist behavior. The opposition to this argument is that Jackson’s work as a public servant should not be discounted by his personal shortcomings and poor decision-making. However, with so many other qualified candidates for the role for the face of the $20 bill, it seems as though the simplest solution would simply be to take him off the bill.

While there is an array of qualified candidates to choose from to replace Jackson on the $20 bill, one candidate stands out as a proper and well-deserved replacement, President Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States. He, to many members of both political parties, is a symbol of hope, peace, and prosperity. In his first election, he won against the incumbent president, Jimmy Carter, by a landslide. He heard the American people’s cries and brought forth practical solutions to better America as a whole. Members from both political parties went out to the polls to vote for Reagan. The term “Reagan Democrats” was even coined, highlighting the many previous Democrats who voted red because of Reagan. (Yurto?lu). To this day, Reagan remains high-favorability among the public eye.

Jackson and Reagan possess some striking similarities. While Jackson was the founder of the Democratic party, Reagan is known as the founder of the modern-day Republican party. Both were favored highly among the people of their time. However, Reagan’s legacy upholds to this day, while Jackson’s reputation has been demolished. While Jackson used governmental force to oppress people, Reagan used his governmental power to liberate people. In all areas of his platform, foreign and domestic, Reagan was a liberator to those burdened by the infringing force of big government. Whether it was Berlin, where he echoed the words “tear down this wall!” or his fierce fight against the welfare system, Reagan was passionate about defending and liberating others. (Murray).

The replacement from Jackson to Reagan would be transformational to the lives of many. For too long, the Native Americans have put up with the United States inconspicuous form of disrespect to their people group. The United States is a leading voice in championing civil rights and the tone-setter in the global arena for equality in many areas. Because of this, it is unacceptable to be allowing Andrew Jackson’s actions to be inherently condoned by the Treasury Department and the United States as a whole, by the continuous printing of the $20 bill.

Not only is the replacement needed for the sake of condemning Jackson’s actions, but the Reagan replacement is well-deserved honor for one of America’s dearly favored presidents. Reagan’s accomplishments such as rebooting the United States economy, strengthening the U.S. national defense and foreign relations, along with acting as a prominent peacemaker and diplomat by putting an end to the petrifying Cold War, just scratches the surface as to why President Ronald Reagan would be a fantastic replacement.

In conclusion, the United States has been making giants steps towards positive progression in reference to the previous acts of injustice that went unrecognized for so many years in the nation. The act of former President Andrew Jackson is simply just a small portion of the brutality that the Native American nation has had to face. While it is wrong to blame the current American people for their ancestor’s actions, it is important to take compassion on the appalling events of the past, and to be considerate when moving forward. Recognizing and condemning evil is necessary in the proper time and place. Letting evil go unaddressed does not benefit either party, the victim nor the victor. It is only by grace, compassion and confrontation that a problem can be properly solved. The United States of America should be quick to change the $20 bill to a respectable replacement for this very reason. As the leader in so many arenas, the U.S. should be quick to take the charge in leading with compassion and understanding on the people group who were first to inhabit the nation.

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