On December 23, 1814, Andrew Jackson made history. His victory over the English that day made him a national hero. Jackson used this popularity to secure victory over John Quincy Adams in the 1828 election. But who was the real "Old Hickory?" Was Andrew Jackson a courageous, honor-bound "man of the people" or, as his opponents liked to think, a bad-tempered, poorly educated farm boy? This essay will present both sides of the case and try to reach a conclusion. Jackson used his power as president to promote his belief in a limited federal government. He achieved this by vetoing any bill that he believed impeded the rights of the common man or expanded the power of the federal government. Paradoxically, however, in an effort to limit government control, Jackson increased the president's power by vetoing more bills than the previous six presidents combined. These vetoes helped earn him the nickname "King Andrew I". The vice president, John C. Calhoun, led fierce Southern opposition to the Tariff of 1828. Passed by John Adams, this tariff imposed a heavy tax on imports. This greatly benefited the North, but forced Southerners to pay higher prices for manufactured goods. Finally, South Carolina declared the law unconstitutional and argued that a state can strike down a federal law it deems unconstitutional. Although Jackson believed in states' rights, he thought a nullification act would lead to disunion. He believed it was unconstitutional and considered it treason. Jackson favored a strict reading of the Constitution and believed that it should be followed to the... means of governments' paper deposits ral from the bank and placed them in a series of "house banks." . This condemned the already bankrupt bank. Jackson nevertheless won re-election in 1832, defeating Clay by a huge margin. President Andrew Jackson was a very controversial man. Sometimes he fights for the common man with a clear mind and a sharp mouth, but other times his anger blinds him from what is really happening around him. However, he fought valiantly to keep the Union together and for the rights of the common citizen as an American. The "black mark" of his presidency was the forced relocation of Native American peoples from the lands where they had lived for many generations. Andrew Jackson was a living oxymoron. As James Patron wrote in Jackson's biography, Jackson was "the citizen who most defied and obeyed the law. A stickler for discipline, he never hesitated to disobey his superior".."