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The Presidency of Andrew Jackson
In 1829 Andrew Jackson arrived in Washington in a carriage. Eight years and two turbulent presidential terms later, he left on a train. Those years, among the most prosperous in American history, saw America transformed not only by growth in transportation but by the expansion of the market economy and the formation of the mass political party. Jackson's ambivalence--and that of his followers--toward the new politics and the new economy is the story of this book.
Historians have often depicted the Old Hero (or Old Hickory) as bigger than life--so prominent that his name was wed to an era.Donald Cole presents a different Jackson, one not always sure of himself and more controlled by than in control of the political and economic forces of his age. He portrays Jackson as a leader who yearned for the agrarian past but was also entranced by the future of a growing market economy. The dominant theme of Jackson's presidency, Cole argues, was his inconsistent and unsuccessful battle to resist market revolution.
Elected by a broad coalition of interest groups, Jackson battled constantly not only his opponents but also his supporters. He spent most of his first term rearranging his administration and contending with Congress. His accomplishments were mostly negative--relocating the Indians, vetoing road bills and the Bank bill, and opposing nullification. The greatest achievement of his administration, the rise of the mass political party, was more the work of advisers than of Jackson himself.
He did, however, make a lasting imprint, Cole contends. Through his strength, passions, and especially his anxiety, Jackson symbolized the ambivalence of his fellow Americans at a decisive moment--a time when the country was struggling with the conflict between the ideals of the Revolution and the realities of nineteenth-century capitalism.
Historians have often depicted the Old Hero (or Old Hickory) as bigger than life--so prominent that his name was wed to an era.Donald Cole presents a different Jackson, one not always sure of himself and more controlled by than in control of the political and economic forces of his age. He portrays Jackson as a leader who yearned for the agrarian past but was also entranced by the future of a growing market economy. The dominant theme of Jackson's presidency, Cole argues, was his inconsistent and unsuccessful battle to resist market revolution.
Elected by a broad coalition of interest groups, Jackson battled constantly not only his opponents but also his supporters. He spent most of his first term rearranging his administration and contending with Congress. His accomplishments were mostly negative--relocating the Indians, vetoing road bills and the Bank bill, and opposing nullification. The greatest achievement of his administration, the rise of the mass political party, was more the work of advisers than of Jackson himself.
He did, however, make a lasting imprint, Cole contends. Through his strength, passions, and especially his anxiety, Jackson symbolized the ambivalence of his fellow Americans at a decisive moment--a time when the country was struggling with the conflict between the ideals of the Revolution and the realities of nineteenth-century capitalism.
- GenresHistory
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 1993
About the author
Donald B. Cole
13 books5 followersDonald B. Cole was professor emeritus at Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, and the author of a number of books on early American history.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 18, 2021
As president, Andrew Jackson is best known for the strength of his convictions - on the Bank of the United States, on Indian removal and in his opposition to nullification. But in this book, Cole portrays Jackson as much more of an ambivalent, inconsistent and often indecisive leader who was not as powerful or authoritarian as is commonly believed. In fact, Cole concludes provocatively, "at times, Jackson's presidency seems almost irrelevant."
As with all of the books in the American Presidency series, this is not a biography of the man but a deep dive into his administration. Cole sets the scene very well, in describing the changing social and economic state of the country at the time Jackson took office, not only with the rise of democracy and greater rights for the common man, but with the transformation of the country from a largely agrarian society to a capitalistic market economy. Jackson is seen as a champion of the former and an opponent of the latter, but it's not quite as simple as that.
Cole points out that Jackson articulated no real agenda upon becoming president, aside from promising government reform and paying off the national debt. He was opposed to the Bank, for example, but "could not decide what he wanted" in its place. Cole traces how Jackson's strong stands developed and evolved over time, and how the end result was often not him getting his way, but working out compromises.
My main issue with the book is that it engaged in too much bothsidesism. Cole can often offer a sharp critique of a Jackson policy or tactic, then will offer an "on the other hand" alternative interpretation. Sometimes he lays out the competing arguments side by side, so you can decide for yourself which you agree with, but other times they're further apart and can read as though Cole is simply contradicting himself:
- The Panic of 1837 "resulted more from international economic forces than from specific policies of the Jackson administration," Cole writes. But Jackson's rhetoric spooked bankers and businessmen "and thus helped bring on the panic." Which was it?
- In negotiating commercial treaties, Jackson "deserves great credit for regaining an export market that (John Quincy) Adams had lost," Cole writes. But later, he says "considerable groundwork had been laid by John Quincy Adams, and impersonal market forces had much to do with the growth." So who deserves the credit then?
- Jackson's "indecisive diplomacy" relating to his desire to obtain Texas made his inability to close the deal "one of Jackson's greatest failures," Cole writes. And yet, he later gives Jackson credit for his "moderation" on the Texas question and for adhering to "established American policies of neutrality and nonintervention." So does Jackson deserve credit for his moderation or criticism for his indecisiveness?
- Cole recounts how Jackson deftly defused the standoff between Georgia and the Cherokee in order to help isolate South Carolina in the Nullification Crisis, and help prevent Georgia from gravitating to South Carolina's side. Yet later, he disputes that Jackson deserves much credit for resolving the crisis, since "the nullifiers gave up... because no southern state came to their aid." So, did Jackson help cause that to happen or not?
Despite these various contradictory observations, the book is strong in delving deeply into the issues of the time and not telling the story of Jackson's presidency in simplistic shorthand. In the end, Cole concludes that the biggest accomplishment and most lasting impact of the Jackson presidency is not any particular policy or the advancement of the cause of democracy, but the creation of the modern two-party political system. Cole traces the evolution of various disagreements and divisions of the time that were once based on sectional interests, but evolved under Jackson to being based around party identity.
So Jackson's presidency may have been "almost irrelevant" in terms of enduring policy, but in the very last words of the book, Cole concludes that "his presidency has made a lasting imprint" nonetheless - one final contradiction in a book with many of them, but which still succeeds in portraying the Jackson presidency as more complex and nuanced than the typical caricature of the Bank-busting, Indian-hating, tyrannical President Jackson might have you believe.
As with all of the books in the American Presidency series, this is not a biography of the man but a deep dive into his administration. Cole sets the scene very well, in describing the changing social and economic state of the country at the time Jackson took office, not only with the rise of democracy and greater rights for the common man, but with the transformation of the country from a largely agrarian society to a capitalistic market economy. Jackson is seen as a champion of the former and an opponent of the latter, but it's not quite as simple as that.
Cole points out that Jackson articulated no real agenda upon becoming president, aside from promising government reform and paying off the national debt. He was opposed to the Bank, for example, but "could not decide what he wanted" in its place. Cole traces how Jackson's strong stands developed and evolved over time, and how the end result was often not him getting his way, but working out compromises.
My main issue with the book is that it engaged in too much bothsidesism. Cole can often offer a sharp critique of a Jackson policy or tactic, then will offer an "on the other hand" alternative interpretation. Sometimes he lays out the competing arguments side by side, so you can decide for yourself which you agree with, but other times they're further apart and can read as though Cole is simply contradicting himself:
- The Panic of 1837 "resulted more from international economic forces than from specific policies of the Jackson administration," Cole writes. But Jackson's rhetoric spooked bankers and businessmen "and thus helped bring on the panic." Which was it?
- In negotiating commercial treaties, Jackson "deserves great credit for regaining an export market that (John Quincy) Adams had lost," Cole writes. But later, he says "considerable groundwork had been laid by John Quincy Adams, and impersonal market forces had much to do with the growth." So who deserves the credit then?
- Jackson's "indecisive diplomacy" relating to his desire to obtain Texas made his inability to close the deal "one of Jackson's greatest failures," Cole writes. And yet, he later gives Jackson credit for his "moderation" on the Texas question and for adhering to "established American policies of neutrality and nonintervention." So does Jackson deserve credit for his moderation or criticism for his indecisiveness?
- Cole recounts how Jackson deftly defused the standoff between Georgia and the Cherokee in order to help isolate South Carolina in the Nullification Crisis, and help prevent Georgia from gravitating to South Carolina's side. Yet later, he disputes that Jackson deserves much credit for resolving the crisis, since "the nullifiers gave up... because no southern state came to their aid." So, did Jackson help cause that to happen or not?
Despite these various contradictory observations, the book is strong in delving deeply into the issues of the time and not telling the story of Jackson's presidency in simplistic shorthand. In the end, Cole concludes that the biggest accomplishment and most lasting impact of the Jackson presidency is not any particular policy or the advancement of the cause of democracy, but the creation of the modern two-party political system. Cole traces the evolution of various disagreements and divisions of the time that were once based on sectional interests, but evolved under Jackson to being based around party identity.
So Jackson's presidency may have been "almost irrelevant" in terms of enduring policy, but in the very last words of the book, Cole concludes that "his presidency has made a lasting imprint" nonetheless - one final contradiction in a book with many of them, but which still succeeds in portraying the Jackson presidency as more complex and nuanced than the typical caricature of the Bank-busting, Indian-hating, tyrannical President Jackson might have you believe.
August 5, 2012
Reads as a thorough investigation of the events of Jackson's presidency. Cole manages to include some very welcome analysis of the complex changes in cabinet and congress while outlining the rise of the American Political Party system. He keeps in focus the many changes that influenced America in this time, as it transforms from an agrarian base to an industrial base. He also accounts for some of the different interpretations of Jackson while keeping a strong focus on how the participants must have viewed themselves in light of the new American Republic (rather than reading backwards on trends).
I rather appreciated this in-depth look at this strong presidential personality... and how successful Jackson was at dealing with the multitude of changes happening in this tumultuous time period... This book definitely makes me want to read more about the other presidents.
I rather appreciated this in-depth look at this strong presidential personality... and how successful Jackson was at dealing with the multitude of changes happening in this tumultuous time period... This book definitely makes me want to read more about the other presidents.
January 6, 2012
A competent and interesting synthesis of scholarship on Jackson's presidency.
June 19, 2019
An informative and steadily objective outline of Jackson’s presidency.
April 24, 2015
The presidency of Andrew Jackson marks a significant change in American presidential politics. With the exception of John Quincy Adams, and a weak one at that, all previous presidents had been members of the unofficial American aristocracy that existed at the time of independence. Traditionally, they followed the principle of the office seeking the man and campaigning for the position was generally not done. There was little in the way of populist movements and political parties in the modern sense did not exist. That changed with the rise of Jackson to the presidency and expanded during his two terms in office.
Jackson was the first president who was popularly elected to office, and the prelude to the election was the first true campaign for the position. He was also the first person from the west to be elected to the presidency and a military hero many times over. His reputation as a general places him nearly on a par with George Washington.
Being the first “outsider” president, his election created a great deal of anxiety among the established powers in the east. Cole quite properly begins with a thorough discussion of this situation, as it created a good deal of tension that lasted for several years. There was also an enormous amount of economic expansion going on in the country, which began to exacerbate the regional tensions developing between the northern and southern regions of the country. A great deal of the book is spent examining these regional tendencies and with the perspective of hindsight, we can clearly see the gathering storm that finally led to war. This area is very well done, as the author properly describes all of the growing tensions, not just the problem of slavery.
Cole also does an excellent job describing the personality of Andrew Jackson, sometimes compromising and other times very much “Old Hickory”, as he refused to bend. His threat to use federal troops in the south was a genuine one, sparking a lot of animosity, yet accomplishing what he wanted to do. He surprised everyone with his reluctance to become involved in the Texan attempt to gain independence from Mexico. Most expected the “Old Hero” to be much more aggressive in expanding the nations’ borders. In the book, we also see the rise of Martin Van Buren, called the little magician for his political ability. He truly was the first modern political power broker, the type of person necessary for effective presidential leadership.
With the economic and physical expansion of the country beginning to proceed at an incredible pace, the
Jackson years were those where the nation began taking on the characteristics of a modern nation. Cole does an excellent job of describing this transition, as well as the man who was at the helm when it was taking place. Andrew Jackson was one of the most complex men to hold the office, as well as one of the roughest. From the book, you learn about these different aspects of his personality as well as how the country was affected by them.
This review also appears on Amazon
Jackson was the first president who was popularly elected to office, and the prelude to the election was the first true campaign for the position. He was also the first person from the west to be elected to the presidency and a military hero many times over. His reputation as a general places him nearly on a par with George Washington.
Being the first “outsider” president, his election created a great deal of anxiety among the established powers in the east. Cole quite properly begins with a thorough discussion of this situation, as it created a good deal of tension that lasted for several years. There was also an enormous amount of economic expansion going on in the country, which began to exacerbate the regional tensions developing between the northern and southern regions of the country. A great deal of the book is spent examining these regional tendencies and with the perspective of hindsight, we can clearly see the gathering storm that finally led to war. This area is very well done, as the author properly describes all of the growing tensions, not just the problem of slavery.
Cole also does an excellent job describing the personality of Andrew Jackson, sometimes compromising and other times very much “Old Hickory”, as he refused to bend. His threat to use federal troops in the south was a genuine one, sparking a lot of animosity, yet accomplishing what he wanted to do. He surprised everyone with his reluctance to become involved in the Texan attempt to gain independence from Mexico. Most expected the “Old Hero” to be much more aggressive in expanding the nations’ borders. In the book, we also see the rise of Martin Van Buren, called the little magician for his political ability. He truly was the first modern political power broker, the type of person necessary for effective presidential leadership.
With the economic and physical expansion of the country beginning to proceed at an incredible pace, the
Jackson years were those where the nation began taking on the characteristics of a modern nation. Cole does an excellent job of describing this transition, as well as the man who was at the helm when it was taking place. Andrew Jackson was one of the most complex men to hold the office, as well as one of the roughest. From the book, you learn about these different aspects of his personality as well as how the country was affected by them.
This review also appears on Amazon
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews