From: Simon Laub Subject: Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) - 7th president (1829-1837) Newsgroups: alt.history,soc.history,soc.history.war.us-revolution Keywords: The first "peoples president", US history, Democracy. Date: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 5:17 PM Amazon review of Jon Meachams Jackson biography: "American Lion". Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) - 7th president (1829-1837). ---------------------------------------------------------- The first "peoples president". When Andrew Jackson became president, he ushered in a new era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in american politics. New blood is of course always necessary. And often changes comes violently. According to Jeffersson: "The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." But sometimes, in democracies, those in power can be unseated and something new can come about in an orderly way. Which was what happened in 1828. All good. Still, as the french political philosopher Joseph de Maitre observed, "Every nation has the government it deserves". And Jackson for sure was both good and bad. Brilliant and blind at the same time. He forced indians from their native lands, and risked everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. Even though his world was the one who eventually gave way to our world - It was a different world. Jackson was the only president to take a bullit in a frontier gunfight, and the only one to assault his own would be assassin. He was an uneducated boy born far away from eastern elites. He was elected president in 1828. In a campaign that was more on personality than on issues. It was the experienced, reserved John Quincy Adams against the national war hero with humble origins. Quincy Adams eastern aristocracy against the the swelling ranks of frontier settlers and manual laborers. In the end Jackson won with 647.292 (56%) votes against Adams 507.730 (44%) votes. --- With hindsight it might be obvious that America should eventually end up having an orphan as president in these years. And that this person should grow up to fight both the british and indians before settling in as president. However, as it happens, when history unfolds, it is not so obvious. Jacksons father had died before he was born. In 1779 Andrews brother Hugh, just 16, had died fighting the british at the battle of Stono Ferry, southwest of Charleston. At 13 Jackson joined the continental army along with his brother Robert. In 1781 the brothers were surprised by a british unit and taken prisoner. A british officer ordered the boys to clean his boots - which they refused. The officer then took out his sword, cut Andrews left hand to the bone, and left a prominent white scar on his head. The officer then smashed the sword over Roberts head - who died as they were taken to prison camp. With two Jackson brothers dead at the hand of the british his mother nursed him back to health only to leave him to care for other relatives. Where she dies in the fall of 1781. Even by the standards of frontier America this was an extraordinary run of terrible luck. Somehow he survives though. Marries beautiful Rachel (then married to someone else - a scandal at the time) - and joins the army. Before he can arrive at the White House there were wars to attend to: Following the Creek Indian uprising in 1812 in which 250 whites were massacred at Fort Mims, Alabama. Major General Jackson led 2500 Tennessee volunteers against the Creeks in 1813. Defeating a force of 1000 indians, killing 300 and putting the remainder to flight (Horseshoe Bend, 1814). On january 1815 Jackson led his forces to a victory over British veterans advancing on New Orleans. Under cover of morning fog, Jacksons troops dropped more than 2000 British troops, while american casualties was just 21 (Battle of New Orleans, 1815). Which made him a national hero. And on it goes. During the first Seminole war (1817 - 18) he invaded Florida, responding to raids from on Georgia settlements by Seminole indians and fugitive slaves. Destroyed seminole villages and overthrow the spanish governor. ---- When he was elected president in 1828 the cumulative toll of the campaign and the coming admistration had put his wife Rachel to bed, her cries echoing in her slave Hannahs ears. She lingered for 5 days and then died. They had been married for over 40 years. Through wars, indian fighting, financial chaos and life at the american frontier. She gave him peace and a sense of family. Which was now all gone as he was on his way to Washington. When Jackson was away - in war or killing indians - Rachel was given to crying and worrying. He loved her, but didnt listen that much to her. He would leave no matter what when duty called. He was nevertheless very protective. When someone mentioned her in a quarrel in 1803 - several shots were fired in a crowded street. In 1806 there was another dispute - apparently it also included a slur against Rachel. Which lead to a duel between Jackson and a Nashville man named Charles Dickinson. So, at 7 O'Clock Friday, May 30th, 1806 in Logan County, Kentucky, Jackson and Dickinson faced each other at 24 feet. Dickinson fired first and hit Jackson in the chest with a bullit. Though wounded, Jackson levelled his pistol and fired, killing Dickinson in cold blood. He carried Dickinsons bullit in his body until he died. In another incidence of frontier violence, Jackson was shot in the arm in an 1813 Nashville quarrel. Physicians wanted to amputate his left arm. But he wanted "to keep my arm". And so it was. Without Rachel he was then president in 1828. President of a republic of 24 states that is. To eliminate the closed political system of wealth and privilege, Jackson introduced a system of "rotation in office". The procedure meant to shake up bureaucracy, and reward friends, and became known as the "spoils system". Good! Certainly. But not all was. More dubious is his support of the indian removal Act of 1830. Which authorized forced removal of indians from traditional homelands. Savage!? To some. When Harvard bestowed an honorary degree on president Jackson in 1833, former president John Quincy Adams, a Harvard graduate, refused to come: "I would not be present to witness the disgrace in confering the highest literary honors upon a barbarian who could not write a sentence of grammar and hardly could spell his own name". Dramatic. Always! On May 6 th 1833 the president was on a steamboat excursion to Fredericksburg, Virginia, when a disturbed former navy officer Robert Randolph leaped to assault the president. He bloodied his face, but was then stopped. It was the first physical assault on an american president. And shocked the nation. The spectacle of assassinations belonged more to ancient Rome and old corrupt kingdoms of Europe, than the new democracy of America. On January 30 1835, in the 58th year of the Republic, there was a second attempt. An unemployed house painter, Richard Lawrence, armed with two guns, standing less than 10 feet from Jackson raised the first gun and fired. The cap exploded, but the powder did not light. Lawrence dropped the gun and produced a second, which also failed to fire (the odds of two guns failing to fire during the attack was later determined to be 1 in 125.000). Now the president pursued the assailant with his cane and a nearby navy officer knocked Lawrence to the ground. Jacksons men accused the presidents opponents of being behind the attack. And Jackson himself believed Senator Poindexter was behind it. Obviously the senator professed his innocence. Still, people were shocked to learn that "normal" party hostilities could lead to such allogations. --- From the days of Helen of Troy, "trivial things" have led to wars, revolutions, and reformations - And so was his years! Many days filled, not with large ideas about policy and destiny, but with affections and animosities. For the learned of the eastern elites this were hard to swallow. Still is, actually. E.g. In the article "Intellectual leadership - Platos dream, Poppers nighmare" C.A. Pasternak (grandson of Boris Pasternak) suggest that the world sets up "statecraft academies", where potential, high calibre leaders can improve their skills. And it is from such a pool the public should elect their leaders. Charisma, TV ratings and other indices of popularity should play second fiddle to intellectual rigour. Maybe we could then avoid the need for the occasional earthquakes to keep the tree of liberty fresh, according to Pasternak. Brussels, "where overpaid bureaucrats dream up yet more ludicrous directives that will eventually render the European economy less competitive than that of Burkino Faso", the thing to concern us now, according to Pasternak. Still, Jackson obviously didnt come from such a "statecraft academy". Yet, he kept the system fresh. And his faults would be corrected later on ...!? According to the book: The moral of the great events of those days is this, that the people can discern right, and will make their way to a knowledge of right. Or as Jackson would have put it: "The people, sir - the people will set things to rights." American Lion. - Andrew Jackson in the White House Jon Meacham Random House publications 2008 Dec. 29th 2009 - Simon Simon Laub www.simonlaub.net