Images and More: Passed Presidents - # 7

Andrew Jackson was one of the presidents I visited on that first, glorious road trip right after retirement. He died on this date, one hundred sixty nine years ago. As are three of his predecessors in the Oval Office, Jackson is buried at his plantation home. The Hermitage is located just outside of Nashville. One can find two presidents in the Tennessee capital. The other happens to be the next one to be presented...just as he was the next one seen on that trip in 2005. Tune in again on June 15^th.

Old Hickory was our first bad-ass president...maybe our only real one. He quit school at age thirteen to fight in the Revolution. He fought at least thirteen duels. He was the object of the first presidential assassination attempt. It was said he had so many bullets in him, he rattled. He certainly was the first president that did not come from privilege or a comfortable background. When he ran for office, he cultivated that log cabin, man-of-the-people image...our first ‘Joe Six-pack’ president. And when he was elected, he essentially solidified the spoils system that many future presidents worked hard to eliminate.

The Hermitage, Nashville, TN (14 June 2005)

Following his momentous victory over the British in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, Jackson became wildly popular with the people. After briefly serving in Congress and as the military governor of the Florida Territory, he ran for president in 1824. The election had to be decided by the House of Representatives since none of the four candidates won a majority of the Electoral College votes. While Jackson had the most popular votes among the four, the House elected John Quincy Adams after House Speaker and candidate Henry Clay threw his support to him. When Adams appointed Clay his Secretary of State, this ‘corrupt bargain’ infuriated Jackson and his supporters enough to foil most of President Adams’ agenda and resulted in Jackson’s election in 1828...and again in 1832.

Uncle Alfred’s Grave (14 June 2005)

Generations of Jackson descendants are buried in the

family cemetery. None are found closer to the president’s

grave than Uncle Alfred. The former slave lived 98 years and

worked at the Hermitage for 56 years after Jackson died.

Jackson believed in slavery but he also supported the preservation of the Union. Vice President Calhoun and the State of South Carolina tried to officially void a tariff law and expanded the idea that a state could nullify any federal law it didn’t like. Jackson threatened to send troops into the state and made it clear that no state can nullify federal law.. This period was called the Nullification Crisis. It reminds me of a memorable quote from Ken Burns’ great Civil War documentary. Someone said South Carolina was too small to be a country and too big to be an insane asylum.

Curiously, although he adopted two Native American children, he was no friend of indigenous Americans. He led armies against various tribes before he was president and signed The Indian Removal Act in 1830...no ambiguity in that law’s title. Thousands of Creek and Cherokee died on the ‘Trail of Tears’ as they were forced to migrate to Oklahoma to make way for white settlers.

Graves of Andrew and Rachel Jackson, Nashville, TN (14 June 2005)

The Jacksons provide another interesting and sad First Lady story. Andrew met his wife, Rachel when he first moved to Nashville...long before he was anybody, so to speak. She was separated from a jealous, abusive husband at the time. When they thought the divorce was final, they married. When it turned out the divorce was not final, there was some scandal and they married again in 1794. Political opponents threw charges of bigamy and adultery at them for the rest of his career. Defending her honor was the cause of many of Jackson’s duels. Some might find that more endearing than bad-ass...except for the part about maybe killing someone or getting killed yourself. I’m glad we don’t do that anymore.

Then, after dealing with this nonsense again in the 1828 election, he won a huge victory...only to have Rachel suddenly die before he traveled to Washington to be sworn in. For eight years, two nieces served as the hostess in the White House. Jackson never forgave his rivals for the stress they put on his wife.