Review of Jon Meacham's American Lion
America's 7th President Redefined the Role of the President
Jan 28, 2009
Modern conversations about Andrew Jackson go something like this:
"Here's a trivia question for you. Who was the seventh president?"
"...Hamilton?"
"Hint: He's on the 20 dollar bill."
"Oh, hang on," pulling out wallet, "Jackson. Huh. I forgot about him."
However, anyone who reads American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House will never forget about Jackson again. Readers do not just learn about Jackson's war heroics and his White House power plays. Meacham brings readers vignettes of a romantic Jackson in a frontier marriage, an excited, grandfatherly Jackson holding a baby, a bitter Jackson, tired of the self-created dramas of the women in his circle.
Andrew Jackson as a War Hero
Meacham does not bring Andrew Jackson to modern times; rather, he brings modern readers to Jackson's time. Readers see a teenage Jackson standing up to a British officer in during the American Revolution. Readers witness Jackson becoming "Old Hickory" as he stands by his men in the cold wilderness. Where Jackson goes, readers go, and we see that it is Jackson "who escorted parties of settlers through forests..who enforced justice ...who rallied volunteer troops and rode to the enemy."
The book does a curious bit of psychological analysis, suggesting that Jackson's loyalty to his troops was rooted not only from his sense of duty, but from a sense of abandonment by his own family, lost to war and disease.
Andrew Jackson as a Family Man
One delightful side of Andrew Jackson is his passionate devotion to his family, although frustrating social slights ultimately prove to be a divisive force with the younger generation. Jackson has a deeply committed relationship with his wife, who he married in a frontier wedding before her divorce was official. Theirs is a loyal relationship, and Jackson is shown mourning the loss of his wife at the same time as he is celebrating his presidency.
The thoroughness of the book allows reader to learn about Jackson through first source documents, and Meacham kindly corrects spelling and slightly modifies grammar to make the writing style of the time more readable. Lonely Rachel Jackson writes ask her husband not to "let the love of Country, fame and honor make you forget that you have me."
Andrew Jackson as President
Jackson's rise to the highest office is as fascinating as his time in office. John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren make frequent appearances as adversaries, friends, and advisors, and through the bitter diary of Adams we see Jackson's popularity and political power grow. There are first-hand accounts showing the tensions and debate of the Indian Removal act, and the eloquence of the arguments to keep the Union in one country. Jackson cleans house multiple times, and is the first president to use the veto power with the modern implications of bending congress to presidential will. John Quincy Adams says of Jackson's tactics, "The overseer ascendancy is complete."
Historian Jon Meacham brings Jackson's story to life with an enthusiasm that bounces between a PBS miniseries and an E! biography, and even people who are not interested in presidential history will enjoy the style and adventures of Andrew Jackson.
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House was written by Jon Meacham. It was published by Random House in November, 2008. It is available as a hardcover book (512 pages, ISBN: 1400063256) and as an Amazon Kindle e-book.
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