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Message:: [QUOTE="Neal, post: 26159579, member: 43872"]Whigs hated Jackson for many reasons.  His policies sometimes were more about personal vendettas than wisdom.  For instance, much of his opposition to and ultimate destruction of the Bank of the US was rooted in his hatred for Nicolas Biddle, its president. His appointments were often unqualified other than their loyalty and political support.  He said any fool could do a government job, and he knowingly put people in office whom even he considered fools.  His vast support came mostly from western and rural areas who resented the wealthy eastern banks because they insisted on more or less sound money policies which his supporters perceived as hindering the development of the new lands.  His pulling funds from the Bank of the US and his "Specie Circular" (requiring land purchased from the government be paid for in gold or silver) caused the Panic of 1837, for which he was not popularly blamed since he was out of office when it hit.  Van Buren's subsequent policies only made it worse.  But some of the Hard Times Tokens pointed out the connection, like this one criticizing Van Buren as "I FOLLOW IN THE STEPS OF MY ILLUSTRIOUS PREDECESSOR."  The reverse ridicules Van Buren's "subtreasury" system as an "EXECUTIVE EXPERIMENT," because that policy made a bad situation worse, making sure the Panic would cause a five-year depression.[ATTACH=full]1670158[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1670159[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]