Best President of the Jacksonian Era, and Why?

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

either Taylor or Van Buren.

I admire Zachary Taylor for his bold attempts to keep the union together and stop slavery from expanding into the West through immediate statehood (in spite of being a southerner and a slave owner himself).  If he'd been successful, perhaps the worst elements of the 1850 compromise could have been avoided. In terms of effectiveness, he's lacking because he didn't work well with Congress, and of course his untimely demise. His biggest downside may be leaving the nation with Fillmore.

I like Van Buren for his policies of economic decentralization and widespread democracy, while he wasn't as much of a hardline on the bank as Jackson and not as prone to the more vile forms of populism. Still, he shares in some of Jackson's sins when it came to Indian removal and the protection of slavery (even though he opposed slavery both in his time in New York and after he left office.) If Van Buren's record can include his post-presidency opposition to risking war by annexing Texas and his support and candidacy for Free Soil, then he looks a lot better.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Taylor, if I'm not mistaken, actually opposed compromise and supported the South. These were all rather mediocre or poor presidents, but I guess I'll hold my nose and vote for Jackson.

Taylor did oppose the Compromise of 1850, but a President who supported the South wouldn't have advocated the admission of California and New Mexico as free states.