The Age of Jackson and the Art of American Power, 1815-1848

Introduction: The Art of Jacksonian Power

1 Introduction The Art of Jacksonian Power The great object of the institution of civil government is the improvement of the condition of those who are parties to the social compact. John Quincy Adams The government that governs least, governs best. Thomas Jefferson Then we will have peace for then we will be prepared for war. Every man with a gun in his hand, all Europe combined cannot hurt us. And all the world will be anxious to be on friendly terms with us because all the world will see we wish peace with all but are prepared for defense against those who would wantonly infringe our national rights. Andrew Jackson Experience has taught me two lessons: first, that things are seen plainer after the events have occurred; second, that the most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticized. Ulysses S. Grant Introduction 2 Andrew Jackson is among the more immediately recognizable of the presidents, and not just because his portrait is engraved on the twenty dollar bill. His physical appearance was as extraordinary as his deeds. At six feet tall, he loomed over most other men of his era. In his early manhood he was all lean muscle, but diseases and gunshot wounds gradually emaciated him until he was cadaverous skin and bones and rendered his gaunt, horselike face even longer. The thick, unruly dark red mane of his younger decades turned steel gray by his forties and snowy white by the time he entered the White House. Yet he is more than a striking national icon—he inspired an era. It takes quite a leader to personify an age. Andrew Jackson was the titan of the thirty-three years that spanned 1815 to 1848.¹ During this time, his image, character, beliefs, and acts dominated American politics . This was no easy task as he squared off against such powerful political foes as Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, John Calhoun, Daniel Webster, and John Marshall. Although in March 1837, after eight years as president, Jackson returned to his Tennessee plantation, he continued to overshadow American politics. Two of his protégés, Martin Van Buren, “the Magician,” and James Polk, “Young Hickory,” followed him to the White House and carried on his agenda. Jackson dominated his age for many reasons but ultimately because he had mastered the art of power. This art includes getting what he wanted, getting others to do what they would otherwise not do, preventing others from doing what they would otherwise do, and taking from others what they would otherwise keep. Jackson excelled at all of these. Two key events bracketed the age of Jackson—the Battle of New Orleans, fought on January 8, 1815, and the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848. The battle was Jackson’s greatest military victory. The treaty, which won for the United States uncontested title to Texas, New Mexico, and California, was the greatest political victory for Jackson’s disciple James Polk. Each win epitomized Jackson’s version of the art of power—the assertion of overwhelming, brute force. In any conflict, he demanded that all involved either stand with him or against him. He warred mercilessly against his enemies by massing all the available physical and emotional sources of power until they were utterly crushed. To this end, he made no more compromises and took no more prisoners than were necessary. Introduction 3 Jackson’s art of power was not all hard coercion but had a soft, persuasive side as well. A vital portion of his success as a general and politician came from his ability to epitomize how most American men wanted to see themselves—as fearless, principled, and patriotic. He inspired others to emulate and follow him. Even his political foes, who castigated Jackson for repeatedly violating the Constitution and derailing their progressive agenda, could not dispute, and quite likely envied, his natural virility. Hatred can be a source of power, and Jackson was a great hater. Indeed his hatreds were so volcanic that they appear to have exceeded even those of more recent presidents such as Richard Nixon and George W. Bush, who were notorious for projecting their own inner demons onto their opponents. Some of Jackson’s foes returned his hatred. It is unsurprising that Jackson was both the first president to be assaulted and the first to be targeted for assassination. Yet another...