Old Hickory's War [Hardcover]

David Stephen Heidler (Author), Jeanne T. Heidler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996

In the years following the War of 1812, Battle of New Orleans hero General Andrew Jackson became a power unto himself. Having earlier gained national acclaim and a military promotion upon successfully leading the West Tennessee militia in the Creek War of 1813-1814, Jackson furthered his fame in the First Seminole War in 1818, which led to his invasion of Spanish West Florida without presidential or congressional authorization and to the execution of two British subjects. In Old Hickory's War, David and Jeanne Heidler present an iconoclastic interpretation of the political, military, and ethnic complexities of Jackson's involvement in those two historic episodes. Their exciting narrative shows how the general's unpredictable behavior and determination to achieve his goals, combined with a timid administration headed by James Monroe, brought the United States to the brink of an international crisis in 1818 and sparked the longest congressional debate of the period.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The authors use the defeat of the Creek and Seminole Indians and the U.S. acquisition of Spanish Florida between 1814 and 1819 as a case study in the origins of Manifest Destiny. The central figure here is General Andrew Jackson, whose personal ambition and imperial vision raised local hostilities to the level of national issues. The Heidlers tell a complex, ugly story of battles and betrayals, cross-purposes and misunderstanding, and they merit praise for their clear narrative of this unfamiliar episode in U.S. history. Their comprehensive research shows that, even at this early stage, neither Indians nor Europeans belonged in America's future-neither for Andrew Jackson nor for the young, not-too-scrupulous republic he represented and in many ways epitomized. The Heidlers teach history; David wrote Pulling the Temple Down. Photos.

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler, a professor of history at the United States Air Force Academy, are coauthors of The War of 1812 and Manifest Destiny and coeditors of Encyclopedia of the American Civil War. They live in Colorado Springs. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1 edition (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811701131
• ISBN-13: 978-0811701136
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #327,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( J ) > Jackson, Andrew

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, October 26, 2003

By 

Michael E. Fitzgerald (Kingwood, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Old Hickory's War (Hardcover)

This easily readable, complete account of the origins of the Southeast United States pulls no punches. It is fascinating. I am an unabashed Andrew Jackson admirer. But how he ever got away with what he did confuses me. Aaron Burr was charged with treason and tried four times for only thinking about what Jackson executed with impunity. Timing, as they say, is everything.

Frontier justice, combined with an officially unsanctioned invasion of indisputably Spanish sovereign territory, is accomplished without so much as a truly serious international whimper. Jackson simply ignored and crushed ALL domestic opposition. This event has all the improbable content of the most outrageous novel: land based buccaneering, genocide, invasion, forced removal, betrayal and, most of all, proof that in the early stages of this part of what was going to become a major cornerstone of the future United States, that certain political sections of early America's hierarchy believed that might made right. Absolutely no democratic ideals here. I have never read anywhere what this book made me feel but I truly believe this was Jackson's first formal execution of his and other's concept of Manifest Destiny.

The authors are excellent. The subject matter is riveting. The local history is fascinating. Jackson is an American original. With all the good he did for his country he had to know that to execute this plan he needed safe harbor in the highest levels of the US government. Thank God he was on our side.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, June 5, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Old Hickory's War (Hardcover)

This easily readable, complete account of the origins of the Southeast United States pulls no punches. It is fascinating.

I am an unabashed Andrew Jackson admirer. But how he ever got away with what he did confuses me. Aaron Burr was charged with treason and tried four times for only thinking about what Jackson executed with impunity. Timing, as they say, is everything.

Frontier justice, combined with an officially unsanctioned invasion of undisputably Spainish soverign territory, is accomplished without so much as a truely serious international whimper. Jackson simply ignored and crushed ALL domestic opposition. This event has all the improbable content of the most outrageous novel: land based buccaneering, genocide, invasion, forced removal, betrayal and, most of all, proof that in the early stages of this part of what was going to become a major cornorstone of the future United States, that certain political sections of early America's hierarchy believed that might made right. Absolutly no democratic ideals here.

I have never read anywhere what this book made me feel but I truely believe this was Jackson's first formal execution of his and other's concept of Manefest Destiny.

The authors are excellent. The subject matter is riviting. The local history is fascinating. Jackson is an American original. With all the good he did for his country he had to know that to execute this plan he needed safe harbor in the highest levels of the US government. Thank God he was on our side.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great--the only comprehensive book on the 1st Seminole War., January 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Old Hickory's War (Hardcover)

An often forgotten episode in American history was the United State's pursuit to gain Florida. Troubles on the border allowed Andrew Jackson to come in at remove the Creek and Seminole people. He invaded a foreign territory and executed citizens of a third county while there. His actions were unauthorized (but with the blessings of the President), but he still got away with it.

This is one of the few books that covers the First Seminole War. The authors have done their research and used sources that have been ignored in the past. Many factors went into this conflict, and they are all examined. All the political aspects in Washington City, as well as ramifications from the Fort Jackson Treaty of 1815 that disinherited the Creeks.

The overall impression is that Jackson knew what he wanted and would not let anything get in his way. He pulled off an obviously illegal operation, and got away with it all.