Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845 (Volume 3) [Paperback]

Robert V. Remini (Author)

Book Description

Series: Andrew Jackson | Publication Date: March 5, 1998

Available in paperback for the first time, these three volumes represent the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson. Volume One covers the role Jackson played in America's territorial expansion, bringing to life a complex character who has often been seen simply as a rough-hewn country general. Volume Two traces Jackson's senatorial career, his presidential campaigns, and his first administration as President. The third volume covers Jackson's reelection to the presidency and the weighty issues with which he was faced: the nullification crisis, the tragic removal of the Indians beyond the Mississippi River, the mounting violence throughout the country over slavery, and the tortuous efforts to win the annexation of Texas.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (March 5, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801859131
• ISBN-13: 978-0801859137
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #914,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( J ) > Jackson, Andrew

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The final volume in a standard of American history., April 20, 2002

By 

greg taylor (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845 (Volume 3) (Paperback)

If you have read my reviews of the first two volumes in this biography you already know my opinion of Remini and of his subject. Suffice it to say that if you are serious about learning about American history these volumes are for you. Not only are they an excellent introduction to many of the political and social issues of the era but they also allow the reader to wrestle with our national proclivity toward uncritical hero worship. Our past leaders were every bit as complex, as flawed and as human as our current crop .... What follows is a small portion of what I have learned from Remini's hard and honest labors.
Jackson's accomplishments were extraordinary by any standards and some of them are quite ironic. He very much believed in states rights yet he probably did more to strengthen and expand the executive part of the federal government than any President until Franklin Roosevelt. Consider the following (all discussed in Remini's volume):
1. He was the first President to use the pocket veto. He was the first to use the veto power for nonconstitutional reasons. We are so used to our Presidents using the veto because of policy disagreements with legislation that we forget how much of a shift this was in the balance of power as envisioned by the original generation.
2. He reformed every department of the federal government and greatly expanded the bureaucracy as a result. He eliminated much of the graft that was rampant at the time and (at least, gave the impression of) greatly democratizing the civil service by making it more of a meritocracy. All this inevitably led to more people working for the government. A lot more people.
3. Jackson changed the relationship of the various Cabinet members to the President. He was the first to fire a Cabinet member because of a disagreement over policy. Up until then Cabinet officers and ambassadors, because their appointments had to be approved by the Senate, were regarded as being accountable more to Congress than to the President.
This is only a partial list of the ways that Jackson's Presidency changed the stature of the Executive branch of the government.
Jackson's ideology (as I see it) comes from him trying to work out the tensions between his state's rights philosophy with his military experience, which taught him the necessity of a clear uncontested chain of command with his love of and trust in the people. I will comment on only one portion of that dynamic. Like so many of our leaders, the tensions in Jackson's ideology led him into conspiracy theories. He believed in and trusted the American people to always make the right decisions (the ones he would have made) and almost always credited any electoral reverses to cabals acting to befuddle and delude the populace.
As a result, he became one of ablest early advocates of putting a good spin on the issues. Early on in his first term he helped to establish a newspaper that served as the official organ of the administration. Altogether, Jackson was a fascinating and maddening character.
I find myself greatly in the debt of Remini. Jackson has always repulsed me by his blatant racism and his paternalism. Remini has humanized Jackson quite a bit for me. I am more appreciative of Jackson's great accomplishments and I have learned quite a bit of the politics of the time. I will be reading Remini's book on Van Buren next along with Seller's biography of Polk. One of the ways that I evaluate the work of a historian is by how much they increase my interest in further reading on their subject and on the period in question. By this standard, Remini belongs to my first rank of American historians.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting!, July 11, 2000

By 

Suellen G. Blackford - See all my reviews

This review is from: Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845 (Volume 3) (Paperback)

In this the third and final volume of Robert Remini's Andrew Jackson The Course Of American Democracy, the author shows the human side of this great man. The trials and tribulations of the presidency, the concern for his beloved country and his tumultuous personal life. Jackson devoted his life to preserving the union. He had the foresight to recognize the importance of annexing Texas (and even predicted future conflicts with Russia). He truly was a man in tune with the country. He was concerned about the welfare of the country literally to the very end of his life. He felt so strongly about his democratic principles that somehow, against all odds, he managed to live long enough to see James K. Polk ascend to the Presidency. With Polk at the helm, Jackson could rest easy knowing that the nation was in safe hands. It's interesting how Andrew Jackson used the press and understood its power. He was a tough old man, yet always forgiving of his worthless son who, through numerous bad decisions, managed to bankrupt Jackson in his declining years. Thanks to the generosity of his many friends, the old general was taken care of and died peacefully at his beloved Hermitage.

I have a new appreciation for this great historical figure thanks to these three magnificent volumes (one really should read all three books to get the full story of Jackson's colorful life). Historians have not always been kind but I believe the events of his life should be judged in the context of time in which he lived. Interested people should read these books to gain a better understanding of his involvement in such issues as slavery and the Indian removal leading to the shameful "Trail of Tears"

I plan on reading more books written by Robert Remini because they are extremely interesting, informative and well researched. I want to thank him for a wonderful ride through a very important period in history!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jackson Part 3, April 9, 2003

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mrliteral - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845 (Volume 3) (Paperback)

The final volume in Robert Remini's definitive biography of Andrew Jackson follows the life of the seventh president from the beginning of his second term through the end of his life. In it, we see many of the things that made Jackson one of our most important presidents despite his significant flaws.

Prior to Jackson's presidency, the executive office was much weaker. The designers of the Constitution, with their fears of strong central figures, had intended Congress to be the most powerful of the supposedly co-equal branches. Jackson, however, viewed himself as the sole representative of the people - the only person elected by a nation, not a region - and through various measures such as an expansion of the use of the veto, was able to shift the balance of power. Although the following presidents would be weaker, the presidency as an office had been redefined.

As the book begins, Jackson's second term was beginning and he needed to deal with South Carolina and the Nullification Crisis. Essentially successful with this problem, he also dealt with other issues, including his war with the Bank of the United States and bad relations with France. By many measures, his presidency was a success, but there were a number of negatives as well, in particular his treatment of Indians and his disregard of slavery issues. His appointment of Taney to Chief Justice would eventually lead to the Dred Scott decision. Remini finds more positives than negatives with Jackson, but he doesn't disregard the black marks.

Probably only Washington was as universally adored in his time as Jackson was, and unlike Washington, Jackson was a true man of the people, a populist who courteously met with rich and poor alike. Even after his retirement, his popularity guaranteed his continued political clout, and few Democrats defied his wishes while he was alive.

The three volumes in this biography are around 1300 pages (plus notes and indexes), but Remini is such a good writer that this is far from a burdensome read. There may be shorter biographies of Jackson, but there aren't better. Remini knows this era well (he also has written excellent biographies of Clay and Webster) and he brings it to life.