Yeoman's in the Fork Blog

Much has been written about President Andrew Jackson. His role in American politics during his lifetime is one that is certainly unique and could scarcely be duplicated by any other president. During Jackson’s presidency he dealt with the expansion of the American West, the problem of Indian land occupation, possible secession, slavery, the National Bank, not to mention an assassination attempt and a crisis in his cabinet that led to the purging of them all. Andrew Jackson was always the last man standing. Whether it is politics or pistols at twenty paces, Jackson gives an air of a man’s man. His story is one that symbolizes the American dream. Orphaned at a young age, Jackson turned to law and politics to gain prominence with the movers and shakers of his time. His ability to lead men allowed him to make an even bigger name for himself in the field of battle. Famously leading an army during the War of 1812 in New Orleans and fighting alongside Sam Houston and David Crockett during the Creek War, Jackson was a fearless warrior. Jackson did the dirty work of the Monroe administration during the First Seminole War when he seized the state of Florida. He would later be criticized for this during his presidency. His boldness in opposing the National Bank caused him to be censored in the Senate, an action that hurt Jackson deeply. Jackson vetoed an act that would re-charter the Bank, thus causing the censure by the Senate. About three years later, his friend Thomas Hart Benton would lead the charge to have the Senate censure removed. The removal of the censure caused the chamber to erupt in celebration. But Henry Clay, Jackson’s lifelong arch enemy, lamented: "The Senate is no longer a place for any decent man." During the Nullification Crisis, Jackson went head to head with John Calhoun. Calhoun argued that any state had the right to nullify legislation it did not support. This was directly directed at the tariff legislation of 1828 that was viewed to benefit the North at the expense of the South. Of course, this crisis was a prelude to the argument for secession and it was the political maneuvering of President Jackson that likely saved the Union and, as history turned out, delayed a Civil War by almost three decades.

It is interesting to note that on January 30, 1835, a deranged out of work painter from England burst through a crowd in Washington at the Capitol Building and aimed a pistol at Jackson. The pistol misfired. Lawrence pulled out a second pistol which also misfired. It has been theorized that the humid weather caused or at least was partly the cause of the misfiring. Lawrence was restrained by David Crockett and a few others present. There is a legend that Jackson beat him with a cane, although this is likely the result of exaggeration. Lawrence was deemed insane after making outlandish statements and was never punished for the attempt on Jackson’s life. This was the first assassination attempt on a US President.

Jackson was also partly responsible for the Donkey being the symbol of the Democratic Party. During the election of 1828, Jackson’s opponents called him a “jackass.” Jackson took to the name and used the symbol for a short while. The symbol later came to be used again when cartoonist Thomas Nast began to utilize it.

Seeing himself as the direct representative of the American people, Jackson revolutionized the way American politics were conducted and the way in which the American President was viewed. His legacy as a protector of democracy and the liberty of the individual is contradicted by his stance on Indian removal and slavery. Make no mistake that Andrew Jackson was a man full of flaws. While these flaws have been omitted from this brief mention of his life, Andrew Jackson was, as most men, very complex and often hypocritical. He failed, as did his predecessors, to address the institution of slavery and demonstrated the zeitgeist of bigotry that existed toward Native Americans at the time. Even the family life of Andrew Jackson suffered from Jackson's occasional selfishness and pride. Yet, Andrew Jackson as an American and as an American President or just simply a leader of men, will live eternal as a crucial element of the survival and development of our nation.

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