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Caleb Williams

Prof. Riddle

U.S. History to 1865

13 October 2020

Andrew Jackson in the White House American Lion Book Report

Andrew Jackson is one of the most controversial presidents ever, even years after he

has died. Jon Meacham’s book “Andrew Jackson in the White House American Lion” explores

the type of man he was and what he accomplished. His book also supports my research

question of challenging preconceived ideas we have about Andrew Jackson in the 21st century.

Jon Meacham highlights his goal in this book saying that “This book is not a history of the Age of

Jackson but a portrait of the man and his complex relationships with the intimate circle that

surrounded him as he transformed the presidency” (xvii). Looking at Jackson through this lens

we are able to see Andrew Jackson as more than just a historical icon but as a man who had

motivations, feelings, and hardships.

Jon Meacham dedicates the first third of the book to establish the events that molded

Jackson and the type of man he was. Jackson being orphaned during the Revolutionary War

made him value the family unit more and his defiance to British authorities made him confident

and stubborn. This focus on Jackson’s backstory gives him a progression throughout the book

with him learning from his experiences and molding him into the man that he died as. One of
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the most important events in Jackson’s upbringing was meeting Racheal Donelson, Jackson’s

love interest who was unfortunately married to another man. Jackson ran off with her and got

married even when it wasn’t socially acceptable. Throughout his political life Racheal would

face large amounts of criticism and Jackson defended her often dueling anyone who would talk

poorly of her to his face. This loyalty to Racheal shows his value of the family unit that has been

previously established and his disregard of social norms.

Starting with the War of 1812 we start to see the man Jon Meacham has described

begin making large impacts on the United States. At the Battle of New Orleans, Jackson led his

men in a decisive victory killing over 300 British soldiers while only losing thirteen Americans.

This put his leadership on full display for the whole nation giving him a chance to run for

president in 1824 losing to John Quincy Adams due to Henry Clay’s support. Although this

enraged Jackson, he was able to win in the election of 1828, the first election decided by the

common people. Jon Meacham then describes the issues that plagued President Jackson’s

presidency and how he solved them. This included the war on the Bank of the United States,

Indian Removal Act, the potential of Civil War, the issue of the Church against the state,

Jackson’s fight against corruption, and the new power he gave to the President. Jon Meacham

goes in depth with each of these issues in the final 250 pages of the book giving an in-depth

analysis for why Jackson defended the side that he did.

Jon Meacham does an amazing job of not just telling a story about Andrew Jackson but

about establishing the world he lived in and the many people in it. Jon Meacham does in depth

analyses of dozens of people such as Martin Van Buren (Jackson’s second Vice President), John

Quincy Adams (the president before Jackson), and Henry Clay (a former Secretary of State and a
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large political opponent). Jon Meacham describes these character’s goals, mentality, and how

they fit into Jackson’s story and the world they live in. This makes the period of time Jon

Meacham focuses on feel more like a story than a history textbook while still providing the

same amount of information. The only negative aspect of the book is that Jon Meacham is often

repeating ideas. This can be grueling because the book is 483 pages and reading the same

explanation multiple times only serves as wasted time. This negative aspect doesn’t ruin the

book but it would make it almost impossible to read in a classroom setting due to the absurd

length.

This book supports my research question of challenging the preconceived ideas that our

society has about Andrew Jackson by showing that he was “the most contradictory of men”

(xix). For every positive issue he fought for he would contradict himself by almost fighting

against himself (like fighting for lower class white Americans rights but not African American

rights).The negative conception that many people have today with Andrew Jackson is justified

because of the Indian Removal Act and the power given to the president (which is a large factor

in the political turmoil we have today). I think it’s also crucial that we look at some of the good

things he did like preventing a Civil War, inspiring Lincoln, and separating the Church and State

to reduce corruption.

Word Count: 786

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Works Cited

Meacham, Jon. American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. Random House Trade

Paperbacks, 2009.