American Lion by Jon Meacham
Review of the Biography on Andrew Jackson in the White House
Jan 7, 2009
This biography of Jackson is unique compared to others because of the author's access to previously unknown and unpublished resources. Letters written by Jackson's niece and nephew, Emily and Andrew Donelson, who were also Jackson's White House hostess and private secretary respectively, and Jackson's adopted son, Andrew Jackson Jr., reveal the familial and political anxieties of the time.
Margaret Eaton
A person who stirred those anxieties was Margaret Eaton, the wife of Jackson's friend and Secretary of War, John Eaton. Mrs. Eaton's forward demeanor and past rumors of inappropriate relations with Mr. Eaton prior to their marriage divided Jackson's cabinet. Jackson thought his opponents were trying to destroy him and his administration through the Eatons the same way they defamed his deceased wife, Rachel.
The Donelsons were caught in the middle. Emily Donelson, with the support of her husband Andrew, was offended by Margaret Eaton and very much wanted to ensure that they advanced in genteel Washington society. Their uncle, the President, took the Eatons' side and was frustrated by Emily and Andrew's defiance of his wishes to recognize Margaret socially. The letters Meacham utilizes show the anguish in the family as Jackson eventually banished the Donelsons temporarily to Tennessee. Jackson missed them terribly- he was a strong family man, Meacham contends, because he was orphaned as a boy.
Nullification
Meacham insists that Jackson deserves to be mentioned with the other great Presidents such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and the Roosevelts. But he admits the negative aspects of his character and politics have clouded that greatness. According to him, that's what makes Jackson more identifiable to the American people than other Presidents -- he was flawed like them. Meacham is right when he states that Jackson was the most contradictory of men (although he might want to consider Jefferson for that title too).
Take nullification for instance, the issue Meacham seems to spend the most time on. In confronting the attempt by John C. Calhoun and South Carolina to nullify the "Tariff of Abominations," Jackson was ready to use force to sustain the superiority of the federal government. However, he allowed South Carolina and other southern states to refuse delivery of abolitionist pamphlets in the federal mails. Add to the fact that he thought he was protecting indians by forcibly removing them to the west in the Trail of Tears death march, Jackson was indeed a contradictory man.
Executive Branch
Despite the contradictions, Meacham clearly demonstrates that Jackson had a great impact on American history. With his strategic use of the veto and his pleas to the people, he shifted the power of the government from the legislative to the executive branch. Future Presidents, like Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, were deeply influenced by Jackson. Even Lincoln, who worshipped Jackson's enemy Henry Clay, followed Jackson's example in facing another southern rebellion. Also the coalition that formed around Jackson, the Democratic Party, still exists today as the party championing the common people against the power of the wealthy.
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House provides an upclose and personal view of the Jackson White House and a comprehensive discussion of Jacksonian politics. Although other books of the period may go more in depth on some of the issues, the overall blend of the familial and political aspects makes it an enjoyable read.
Published by Random House, 2008, ISBN: 978-1-4000-6325-3
