American Lion summary

Jackson and Rachel Donelson remarried in 1794, once the confusion surrounding her divorce was settled. The couple was absolutely in love and Jackson went to great lengths to protect her honor, a tendency that sometimes led to violence.

In fact, Jackson was generally a deeply loyal man who’d quickly draw a gun on anyone that said a hurtful thing about his wife or friends. This inclination toward violence came into play in 1803, when Governor John Sevier of Tennessee commented on how Jackson, then a General of the Tennessee militia, had been in a relationship with another man’s wife. The jab resulted in a shootout on a crowded street.

Following his victory in New Orleans, Jackson was enlisted to battle the Seminole Indians and the Spanish in the Florida peninsula, an important new territory for the American government. In the end, he succeeded in taking Florida, but the battles leading up to this victory were absolute bloodbaths.

Jackson even personally took it upon himself to execute two British subjects, a bold move that angered certain members of congress who saw Jackson as a loose cannon. But regardless of what these men thought, Jackson’s military endeavors put him in the political spotlight, which opened new doors.

Coming into the White House, Jackson had a laundry list of things he wanted to accomplish. But these plans would be complicated by the fact that the nation was in a precarious position when his first term began in 1829.

Jackson viewed himself, above all else, as a representative of the people, someone who could advocate for the rights of the common man against special interests. However, the country was facing pressing issues – namely, rising tensions surrounding the rights of states.

So Jackson assumed office amid a raging battle over states’ rights. But that wasn't the only issue he had to deal with. At the time, the nation was still expanding westward, and there was the matter of how infrastructure, like roads and canals, was to be paid for.

When it came to the latter issue, the most pressing question was: Will the federal government pay for the canals and roads that need to be built, or will these costs be passed on to individual states? To this, Jackson had a clear answer.

By challenging the established powers, speaking out against corruption and insisting on using his veto power, Jackson was redefining what it meant to be president of the United States. He was showing people that the president was much more than a figurehead intended to maintain the status quo.

But not everyone was thrilled about the growing power of the president. Especially concerned were the politicians who’d grown accustomed to Congress acting as the main political force in Washington. And such people were constantly attempting to devise ways of limiting Jackson’s power.

Of course, Jackson couldn’t ban his family from the White House for very long. He spent many lonely days and nights in 1830 while the Donelsons were in Tennessee. He knew he needed a plan to unify his administration and eradicate this distracting feud and yet still remain loyal to his friend.

In the end, it was Martin Van Buren who had the answer: he suggested to Jackson that he wipe the slate clean by bringing in a whole new cabinet. Both Van Buren and Eaton agreed to step down so that Jackson could let other members go and assemble a new administration that would actually function.

While issues like tariffs and states’ rights would always plague Jackson, his popularity with voters remained steady. As a result, he won a second term in office in 1832.

But just how committed was Jackson to the voting public?

Jackson’s battle against the Bank of the United States was a bold move and it provoked a bold response. As a result of his actions, his opponents pushed for the Senate to issue a formal censure of Jackson, charging him with overstepping his powers as president.

People like Senator Henry Clay thought that Jackson’s work to strengthen the office of the president was destroying the founders’ vision of American democracy. A vote was taken, and censure – essentially a reprimand which would remain on the Senate record books – was approved: twenty-six for; twenty against.

Although he was the first US president to have assassination attempts made on him, Andrew Jackson remained wildly popular throughout his time in office. And, while he may have revolutionized the role of the president during his two terms, he was positive he hadn’t done anything unconstitutional or deserving of Senate censure.

So, to ensure his legacy was left unblemished, at least in the Senate records, he formally challenged the censure. In his response to the reprimand, entitled “Protest,” Jackson reiterated that he acted solely in the interest of the people and their liberty. Though Henry Clay and Jackson’s former vice president, John Calhoun, opposed lifting the censure, another Senate vote was taken in 1837 and it was removed.

Andrew Jackson wasn’t without his flaws. But he left a lasting impression on American politics, even if his vision was too limited to advocate human rights for Native Americans or slaves.

There’s no question that he changed politics forever. Indeed, Jackson’s biggest detractor, Henry Clay, was so upset by Jackson’s empowerment of the presidency that he established a new political party. It was called the Whig Party, named after those in Britain who stood against the monarchy.