Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Andrew Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy. Jackson's election in 1828 ushered in a new and lasting era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. Democracy made its stand in the Jackson years, and he gave voice to the hopes and the fears of a restless, changing nation facing challenging times at home and threats abroad.
One of our most significant yet dimly recalled presidents, Jackson was a battle-hardened warrior, the founder of the Democratic Party, and the architect of the presidency as we know it. His story is one of violence, sex, courage, and tragedy. With his powerful persona, his evident bravery, and his mystical connection to the people, Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, articulating a vision of change that challenged entrenched interests to heed the popular will-or face his formidable wrath. The greatest of the presidents who have followed Jackson in the White House-from Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to FDR to Truman-have found inspiration in his example, and virtue in his vision.
The White House, Washington, Winter 1832–33
Chapter 1: Andy Will Fight His Way in the World
Chapter 2: Follow Me and I’ll Save You Yet
Chapter 3: A Marriage, a Defeat, and a Victory
Chapter 4: You Know Best, My Dear
Chapter 5: Ladies’ Wars Are Always Fierce and Hot
Chapter 6: A Busybody Presbyterian Clergyman
Chapter 7: My White and Red Children
Chapter 8: Major Eaton Has Spoken of Resigning
Chapter 9: An Opinion of the President Alone
Chapter 10: Liberty and Union, Now and Forever
Chapter 11: General Jackson Rules by His Personal Popularity
Chapter 12: I Have Been Left to Sup Alone
Chapter 13: A Mean and Scurvy Piece of Business
Chapter 14: Now Let Him Enforce It
Chapter 15: The Fury of a Chained Panther
Chapter 16: Hurra for the Hickory Tree!
Chapter 17: A Dreadful Crisis of Excitement and Violence
Chapter 18: The Mad Project of Disunion
Chapter 19: We Are Threatened to Have Our Throats Cut
Chapter 20: Great Is the Stake Placed in Our Hands
Chapter 21: My Mind Is Made Up
Chapter 22: He Appeared to Feel as a Father
Chapter 23: The People, Sir, Are with Me
Chapter 24: We Are in the Midst of a Revolution
Chapter 26: A Dark, Lawless, and Insatiable Ambition!
Chapter 27: There Is a Rank Due to the United States Among Nations
Chapter 28: The Wretched Victim of a Dreadful Delusion
Chapter 29: How Would You Like to Be a Slave?
Chapter 30: The Strife About the Next Presidency
Chapter 31: Not One Would Have Ever Got Out Alive
Chapter 32: I Fear Emily Will Not Recover
Chapter 33: The President Will Go Out Triumphantly
Chapter 34: The Shock Is Great, and Grief Universal