ause it went against his interpretation of the Constitution. He had a strong will, and a strong temper, and he brought it to bear on every problem that faced him. The Ancient Romans had a saying: Consulis, hominis non esto. It meant Be a consul, not a man. They intended this to mean tht someone in office should be the office, not himself. The key to Jacksons power was that he never obeyed this aphorism.It was through this powerful personality that Jackson was able to effect politics in America to such a degree. He controlled the presidency almost completely from 1828 through 1861, a third of a century. He did this in devious ways. First, there were his two terms of office. Then, he used his popularity to almost name a successor, Van Buren. He briefly lost control for one term after that, but then regained it in the personage of his lackey, James k. Polk (he was even called Young Hickory). Jackson followed up Polk with Taylor. Taylor, unfortunately, died in office, and his Vice-President became President, but he didnt seriously threaten anyone. Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, while not actually children of Jackson, idolized the man and followed his policies almost to the letter. So Jackson left a vast legacy in the form of a flock of followers who followed him into office.There are several things you could say to refute the argument that Jackson significantly changed the Presidency. First of all, one might point out that he did nothing to alter the Constitution, which gave presidential powers. But the Constitution so loosely defined the President that it left a great deal of room for change. It only spelled out elections, his power over the Armed Forces, and things like the power to make treaties. The majority of the Presidents powers were left open.One could also claim that Jackson himself didnt change the Presidency; that he was merely the figure head for a nationwide movement. But if this was so, then why was hi...
