Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times
by H.W. Brands
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Book Reviews of Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times
Book Review: Andy Jackson - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Summary: 5 Stars
And unlike open admirers like Remini and Schlesinger, H.W. Brands should be given credit for presenting the man as he was.
Most of us with any sense of American History know that Jackson routed the British in the last major military engagement of the War of 1812 - the Battle of New Orleans, fought actually two weeks after the war ended. Most of us know what a capable and determined President he was, Professor Brands sheds light on the things that we either do not know or know little about.
For example:
Thanks to Andrew Jackson, we have a Bank of America but NOT a Bank of the United States! There was actually a national bank whose power became too all-consuming. Jackson closed that bank, allowing open competition to flourish.
Jackson was extremely popular not just as a war hero, but as a common man - reared on the then-frontier of the Carolinas and Tennessee, rough sown territories where men would settle accounts by duels, where children were often the product of illegitimate relations, and where hate of the Indians and of Blacks flourished. Jackson was a product of the backwoods, shared many of their prejudices, and tended to alienate friends as much as he did foes. For example, Davey Crockett was a valued scout and soldier in Jackson's war against the Creeks - and a friend to boot. That friendship ended when Jackson cruelly chose to force the expulsion of peaceful Cherokees along with the Creeks to the Oklahoma territory. The then Whig Congressman Crockett stood firmly and bravely against President Jackson's "Treaty of Tears" policies - and ended up ousted by Jackson's cronies in the following election. Crockett of course is better known for his subsequent death at the Alamo than for his gallant stand against Jackson's anti-Indian policies in Congress.
Another friend who had unease over Jackson's hate of Indians was Sam Houston, who actually went to live with the Cherokees following the scandal that erupted over his wife's desertion of him when he was governor of Tennessee. But Houston chose political expediency over standing up to Jackson, and kept mum - and in Andy's good graces.
Jackson's hate of Indians came out of his hate of the British, who killed members of his family, indirectly caused his mother's death tending to American prisoners-of-war on a British prison ship (she took ill and died due to exposure and neglect), and his own experience as a teenager when refusing to shine the boots of a British officer was slashed almost to the bone by the officer's sword in the bitter, backwoods fighting in the Carolinas. But fighting armed warriors is one thing; expelling peaceful citizens is quite another, as well as defying the Supreme Court's Chief Justice John Marshall who sought to prevent the Cherokee expulsions. In one of his more infamous statements, Jackson asserted that "John Marshall made the law. Now let him enforce it". Of course a modern day President might have faced impeachment, but not Andrew Jackson.
Jackson also held the Racist views of his time - promising, then going back on his word, the freedom of slaves who fought alongside American soldiers in the Battle of New Orleans. As a Southerner and Slaveowner, Jackson was sympathetic to the States' Rights of the South - but to his everlasting credit, he did put the preservation of the Union first over territorial rights, and was willing, as Professor Brands notes in much of the book, to stand firm and even threaten the South with military force. His main antagonist during the 1832 secession crisis was not only another old friend but his own then-Vice President, John C. Calhoun, who favored secession - and stood down when Jackson threatened to send Winfield Scott and the United States Army down to Charleston.
Jackson's firmness prevented South Carolina from seceding in 1832, and in doing so, kept the rest of the South in line. But his pro-south policies otherwise, including his fervent wish for the annexation of Texas would only mean trouble ahead for the future and weak Presidents such as Pierce and Buchanan.
As one reviewer stated, Professor Brands does not have the narrative gifts of a David McCullough. In fact, his "T.R." bio came up far short to McCullough's biography of Roosevelt's early years - "Mornings on Horseback". But he does give us an excellent biography of Jackson that does give us a full picture of the man - and does include the Racist and mean-spirited warts and all.
Book Review: Old Hickory
Summary: 4 Stars
H.W. Brands's biography of Andrew Jackson is an accessible read that is very appropriate for those who know little about Jackson or are hoping to get better acquainted with him. Jackson's life is presented very ably with attention paid to those people and events that helped shape Andrew Jackson into the man who came to symbolize a new era in American politics, a.k.a. Jacksonian Democracy.
Jackson's early life ran parallel with the struggles engulfing this new nation, a nation he would forcefully represent in his military and political life later on. His early years witnessed many traumatic events with the death of his parents, his siblings and his own scars incurred by the American Revolution. Jackson never attained a formal education, apprenticing in North Carolina and later moving to Tennessee. He worked as a lawyer, judge, landowner, and politician representing Tennessee for a brief period in both the House and Senate.
His marriage to Rachel Donelson sparked some controversy as they married before any formalized separation had occurred between Rachel and her first husband. The marriage between Andrew and Rachel Jackson was one of pure devotion as Brands discussed. Jackson's other love seemed to be serving his state as an officer in the militia, and later as commander of the Southwest District. He played a major role in the battles fought against the Indians in the region as well as his most renowned victory over the British during the War of 1812 at the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815.
Jackson gained a reputation as a fierce Indian fighter as he defeated them at various locations, especially during the time of Tecumseh who attempted to unite various tribes to fight the whites. Jackson broke Indian resistance at the Battle of the Horseshoe as well as his efforts in Florida against the Seminoles where he controversially executed two of the Indian leaders of that struggle. This aspect of Jackson's career and perhaps most notably his views on the natives have stained his reputation, by today's standards, but he was a product of the times he lived in.
Jackson's presidency occupies the last third or so of the book. It marks the climax for the man who came to represent the ordinary person, not the elite of the eastern establishment like those in Virginia and Massachusetts, the only states to have produced the first six presidents. Jackson's presidency was marked by his famed "spoils system" (Jackson addressed it as rotation in office), Jackson's fights against the National Bank headed by Nicholas Biddle, the nullification crisis in South Carolina over the tariff issue led by John Calhoun (for a time his Vice President), and the decision to relocate the Indians west of the Mississippi in what would become referred to as the Trail of Tears.
Jackson demonstrated his hesitation to use the Federal Government on issues like internal improvements referring these responsibilities to the states, yet when the issue of secession was evoked by Southerners like Calhoun, Jackson's forceful stand in protecting the Union was decisive. I felt Brands gave a fairly brief overview of Jackson's Presidency as he tries to cover the major highlights of his Presidency.
Without reciting his entire life's journey, read this book for that, I'm addressing some of the major points in Jackson's life covered in this book. In addition to Jackson's career and achievements, we do get to see a little bit of the times that shaped Jackson and the nature of early Nineteenth Century America. On the controversial topics like slavery and the struggles and forced relocation of Indians, Jackson was a creature of his time, not that I'm trying to excuse everything he did. Some of the major political figures of his day, his dueling episodes in which he killed one man, and many other aspects of Jackson and his times are covered here. I felt some topics were a bit generalized, but overall it is a good, well-written book that should appeal to those interested in Old Hickory. This book also makes it easy to understand why some people loved him and others hated him, but they couldn't deny his influence.
Book Review: Old Hickory: A Study of Combustible Love in Tough Times
Summary: 4 Stars
H.W. Brands takes on an "American original" for the first time since his seminal, single-volume biography of Benjamin Franklin, and does a very good job with his subject. The author presents, in under 600 pages, all the most important facets of "the People's President" and his devotion which not only preserved the Union, but made democracy flourish in an uncertain, turbulent time.
Andrew Jackson was devoted to many things for many reasons, and Brands shows us why, even if at times this man of the people seems a contradiction. The writing is precise and clear, though hardly the flowing prose of McCullough or Ellis (as has been remarked); yet it is the precision, craft and careful presentation employed by Brands that make this largely successful single-volume work shine. And if some may find the prose a little dry in places, the author more than compensates by interweaving a rich background tapestry for readers in every chapter, presenting a clear, historical context for observations about Jackson's character formation, mentality, psychology, military strategy, attitudes, decisions, and political development.
With surprising efficiency and admirable attention to detail, Brands brings the life of Andrew Jackson into intense focus, particularly at crucial moments like his difficult childhood and the gradual loss of his family during the Revolutionary War (Jackson's father died shortly before his namesake son was born); the privations, tribulations, humiliation, injury, loss, and intense insecurity of the seventh president's boyhood cannot be overstated. Andrew Jackson's time in the expanding Western frontier and his rise from a local popular politician to soldier; his persecution of Native Americans in the name of national security; the War of 1812; the road to the presidency and beyond: It's all here, along with important insights into Jackson's personal life, including his abiding love for his wife, his passion for horses, his near inability to govern his passions and almost suicidal emotionalism; the tender foster parent, remorseless warrior, and every other important aspect of the psychology of a man alternately thin-skinned and thick-skinned, devoted unto death by some turns and completely lacking in self-effacement by others.
Some readers may come away appalled by Andrew Jackson, his warts especially unattractive and unappealing in hindsight, but perhaps they will nonetheless appreciate the man who was devoted to serving his country -the infant United States of America- and moreover, was willing to sacrifice everything, from his own wife to the lives of others, to secure the Union he so loved. It is a testament that such a rude, hard-drinking, tobacco-chewing, honor-obsessed madman had the fortitude and character to carry forth his convictions which, Brands shows us, preserved the Union in its darkest hours, in both war and peace: Jackson prevented the dissolution of America almost as much by pure will as political acumen, and a strange love, an abiding devotion that was indeed as tough as hickory.
Whether one comes to respect or despise "Old Hickory," one could do worse for a single-volume treatment of the man's life, and while brisk and more businesslike than "The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin," and not quite as compelling, it's arguably the finest contribution to literature on Jackson in nearly two decades, and more portable than Robert Remini's daunting three-volume definitive biography, which was recently condensed into a single volume. While Remini's one-volume distillation is a good book, Brands' work may be judged as good, if not a cut above.
Book Review: Top-notch biography
Summary: 5 Stars
Back in the 1980s, there was a crime movie called Action Jackson. That movie was forgettable, but Andrew Jackson - who could be called the original Action Jackson - definitely is one of the more memorable presidents.
In a way, H.W. Brands's well-written biography of Jackson is a story of Action Jackson. In this chronicle of Jackson's life, the focus is on the early life of Jackson, the period when he fought the British (in two wars), the Spanish and the Indians, as well as a couple of duels or other gunfights, a period that takes up nearly two-thirds of the book. (By way of comparison, in Robert Remini's definitive three volume biography of Jackson, the same material covers only one book (or roughly a third).)
The remaining part of Brands's book covers the more political portion of Jackson's life; although he had served in various positions from his twenties onward, he never really contributed much on that front until his later life. After the heroics of the Battle of New Orleans, Jackson was put on the national stage and in 1824, he ran for president. Despite winning a plurality of both the popular and electoral vote, he didn't have the majority, throwing the election to the House of Representatives where Henry Clay was able to swing the Presidency to John Quincy Adams. This wound up being a Pyrrhic victory, as the Adams presidency wound up being ineffective and Jackson easily wound up winning in 1828.
There is a lot to admire about Andrew Jackson, including his integrity, courage and dedication to family. There is also a lot in Jackson to frown upon: his possession of slaves (even if he was not especially cruel to them), his often callous treatment of Indians and his violent temper, rarely eased in a life filled with constant physical misery (it is a testament to his strength and willpower that he was able to accomplish so much while perpetually afflicted by disease and injury). So what merits his status as an above-average president who can be honored on the twenty-dollar bill?
For one thing, Jackson was the first "populist" president, the first who really represented the will of the people. Under his tenure, the United States became more of a democracy; in fact, the term Jacksonian Democracy is used to describe this philosophy of the era. A political party - the Whigs - more or less came about as an opposition party to Jackson. Jackson also had a strong leadership style that proved essential during a secession crisis with South Carolina; a lesser president could have made the situation devolve into civil war (in fact, a lesser president - James Buchanan - would). Finally, Jackson is partially defined by the string of weak presidents that followed him; with the possible exception of Polk, there would be no strong executives after Jackson until Lincoln, eight presidents and twenty-four years later.
As expected from Brands, this is a top-notch biography; while Remini's work remains the best on Jackson, this one is excellent as well and may be better for those who don't have time for a three volume set (although with 560 pages of text, this is also not a one-day read). Brands is one of the best history writers around today, and this book once again shows just how good he is.
Book Review: Jackson vs Adams, the people right or wrong?
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an excellent and informative book that I found a worthy companion to Doris Goodwin's TEAM of RIVALS. Upon my first review of Brand's table of contents I noted he devoted only 166 pages to Jackson's Presidency. So I began with the question, was his Presidency of so little consequence? After completing the book I find I am still left with that question largely unanswered. On a year to year basis it appears Jackson fought over the Bank of the United States (he was against) and Tariffs and how his Secretary of states wife was treated in social circles. However, Brand's portrays Jackson as a transitional President and sees his impact on the large themes as his Presidency was a victory for a strong "union" and for "democracy" and a defeat for all those who came before who favored `republican" government. Jackson saw himself as of the people and trusted the people even if they might be wrong. Jackson's main rival (among many) was John Quincy Adams who believed that ordinary Americans weren't fit to govern themselves. (Interesting footnote that Adams beat Jackson in their first race for the white house with Adams losing the popular vote to Jackson but winning the electoral collage vote. Four years later when Jackson beats Adams Jackson's fist order of business was to propose a constitutional amendment doing away with the Electoral College.) Yet, it was Adams who correctly predicted that if Jacksonian Democrats governed the country would lead to a war with Mexico and a Civil War. (I am more interested than ever in reading a biography of JQ Adams now. And do we not today, find it interesting how little faith our founding fathers had in "democracy" It offers an interesting perspective on the Supreme Court of 2000 who also appeared to have so little faith in the people or democracy.) Brands said Jackson understood that the constitution (only 40 years old at the time) was an "experiment" and that the founding fathers knew they had not created a perfect document and fully expected it to grow and change. (I was also interested to learn that Jackson did not see or view the Judiciary as an equal branch of government as he refused to enforce its decisions when they displeased him. Sound familiar?)
The entertaining part of Brand's book is review of the times, how people thought about politics, the founding fathers, war of 1812, along with a telling of Andrew Jackson's very dubious character (his duels, slave trading, executions of soldiers under his command, ill treatment of the Indians, hatred for anything British all make for a compelling story.)
In the end Brands ties Jackson to Lincoln. Jackson, although a Southerner was a strong Union man and Brands suggests it was Jackson who inspired and Lincoln who confirmed that we are "government of the people, by the people, for the people". (It should be noted both were talking about white males only at the time.) Overall I think you will find this a very interesting perspective on politics, history, and the warts and all life of a most unusual President.