This book is a marvelous, so readable, survey of the country during time of Andrew Jackson, from roughly 1815, when Jackson burst on the American scene with his incredible over the British in New Orleans, to 1848, when the last Whig president, Zachary Taylor, was elected.
During this election season, I've been thinking about and reading again about Andrew Jackson, the founder of the Democratic Party. Over the years, starting in 1971, I have read many of the leading books on Jackson. To understand this country fully, I submit that you have to understand Andrew Jackson and his times.
This book reflects the mature historical writing of a seasoned historian, who carefully balances the strengths and weaknesses, the accomplishments and the failures, of our seventh President. A rebalancing is underway in this part of our history where Jackson is seen in greater clarity and appropriate credit is given to John Quincy Adams.
To his everlasting credit, Andrew Jackson was our first non-elitist, common man, president of all of the people. He was a true democrat. The people loved him, not just as a military hero, although for that reason too, but because they knew he was on their side.
The Democratic Party has always been the party of the working people of this country, and it all started with Andrew Jackson.
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