Best President of the Jacksonian Era, and Why?

[Rooney]

This is probably the best era of presidents the U.S. has ever experienced. I voted for President Pierce because of his opposition to internal improvements and tariffs. He does have the terrible distinction of caving to Northern agricultural interests, railway proprietors and land speculators by signing the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 but his opposition to internal improvements somewhat makes up for it. 

[Rooney]

Surprised you didn't choose Van Buren.

I was going to (as I do deem Van Buren the best president) but so many people had already selected the Little Magician that it felt unoriginal.

Yeah, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, that horrible piece of Yankee corporatist legislation(?)

No, I would not say corporatist as I am fairly sure that that philosophy was not all too present in Antebellum America. It is not inaccurate, however, to state that the Kansas-Nebraska Act was supported by agricultural interests and that Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois introduced the bill in part because of land speculation. 

[Rooney]

Polk; his leadership during the Mexican War and with the purchase of the California and Oregon Territories is what gives him top honors in my book.

You are using a good book t0 judge President Pol. He's a good choice as well. I applaud his repeal of the Black Tariff, signing of the Walker Tariff, veto of several internal improvement bills, the Slidell Mission to Mexico and reestablishing Van Buren's Independent Treasury. In terms of a classically liberal economic vision Polk is one of the best presidents the U.S. has ever had.

In terms of Oregon I deem that Secretary Buchanan mishandled the situation but political issues in Great Britain concerning the Corn Laws were able to stop more belligerent figures from taking power across the Pond. In terms of Mexico I find that Polk is held accountable for starting a war that he never wanted. Polk attempted to work with the Herrera government in Mexico to purchase lands from that nation. The United States could easily have taken the land due to massive debts that Mexico owed the U.S. but the Slidell Mission was rebuffed. Things then progressed towards war but it is to the credit of Polk and Herrera that peace was the first option that both desired in handling issues surrounding Mexican/U.S. relations.

[Rooney]

I'm sorry if my post comes across as a little bit agressive, and you're obviously correct about what was the motivation of some of those backing the bill (not a total U.S. History illiterate over here), but it strikes me as odd that that would be what you find problematic about the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Feel free to correct me if I misunderstood you.

I did not find what you posted as aggressive. Additionally your post history is evidence that you are far more literate in United States history than I am in Belgian history.

The reason I find the issues mentioned as the most problematical parts of the bill is because these highly personal (and some moralists may say greedy) reasons allowed for Kansas and Nebraska to become the political footballs that they became.

[Rooney]

John Tyler

Tyler is a fairly good choice but as a Whig he has some terrible connotations to his legacy. The ones which stand out the most are the Tariff of 1842 (or the Black Tariff) and the unconstitutional way in which he and Calhoun managed to bring Texas into the union. He also extended the authority of the Monroe Doctrine to the Hawaiian Islands which paved the way to the eventual imperial annexation of the islands in 1899.

He is to be applauded for vetoing the National Bank Act, the the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, ending the bloody Seminole War and vetoing several harbor and naval improvement bills. President Tyler was far from a perfect classical liberal in office but he is far superior to all modern presidents in that regard.