American Lion by Jon Meacham

Jon Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House is a fascinating account of Andrew Jackson, the United States' seventh president, during the years in which he occupied the White House, 1829-1837. A man who inspired strong feelings, both hatred and adoration, admiration and revilement, Jackson came from the humblest of beginnings before eventually occupying the highest office in the land. He gave his name to an age, helped to found the modern Democratic Party, and, Meacham argues, had an immense effect on every great president the United States has had since, both Democrat and Republican (xx, 356-357). Meacham goes on to note some of the many historical precedents attributed to Jackson: from being the first president to come from the common people, the first to utilize a team of private advisors in shaping policy, and the first to insist on a certain degree of deference due to the president as the only official elected by all Americans (xx). Though some biographical details are utilized and context is given to some of the more important Jacksonian stories and scandals, such as his marriage to Rachel Donelson Robards, they are mainly included in order to make events during this eight year period more understandable. Meacham's intent was not to write a full-scale biography.

Though his respect for Jackson is obvious, Meacham's account is nevertheless in no way a hagiography. Not once does he shy away from the more controversial aspects of Jackson's presidency such as the Indian Removal Act and his defiance of the Supreme Court. While he goes into great detail as to Jackson's reasons for his actions, he doesn't

use those reasons to justify the actions or in any way make them seem as though they were the right things to do. While he does not vilify Jackson, Meacham uses these negative events as insight into his complex and complicated character.

One of the more interesting aspects of the book was that it focused not just on Jackson, but of the people he surrounded himself with in the White House. From the more well known, such as Vice-President John C. Calhoun, to the lesser known acting First Lady, Jackson's niece Emily Donelson, the mix of his associates discussed in American Lion help to maintain the delicate balance between politics culture, without diminishing the impact of either. One helpful addition Meacham includes before the prologue that many similar historical accounts do not is a list of the people who appear more prominently in the book, their birth and death years, and their relation either to Jackson or to American politics. This helps to prevent a great deal of unnecessary confusion and by including a list instead of constant reiteration in the text as to who these people are, this helps the narrative to flow much easier. Also, prior to the actual epilogue, many of the more prominent political figures in the Jacksonian Age are treated to their own short epilogues. Thus, no storyline in the book is left hanging.

In writing American Lion, Meacham's aim was not to produce a comprehensive academic biography, but rather to produce a biographical sketch of Jackson's years in power and of the people he surrounded himself with at that time. In doing so, he is able to show the complex nature of the individuals and issues involved and their importance throughout history.

Meacham is more than able to do this thanks to the plethora of sources he utilizes. He credits not just dozens of biographies of Jackson, but of many of the people who knew him best, some of whom he discusses in his book. In fitting with his idea of presenting Jackson's complex nature, many of these works are in praise of personages most critical of Jackson. He also consults many prominent newspapers and their coverage of Jackson, such as The New York Times and the now defunct Nashville Banner. In proving his theory of Jackson's influence on later presidents he pores over their writing, consulting the speeches of presidents Harry Truman and Theodore Roosevelt. He even credits former First Lady Laura Bush in allowing him to tour the private quarters of the White House. However, it is Meacham's use of letters and diaries written during the Jacksonian period that are of the most importance and which add to the overall significance of the book. Meacham gained access to a number of unpublished letters and memorabilia that shed new light on events in Jackson's presidency. In particular, in an unpublished letter to Jackson's niece Emily Donelson, his Secretary of War, John Henry Eaton, contemplated resigning. Because he didn't, this was a contributor to Martin Van Buren's rise to prominence. Had he resigned, Meacham argues, this could have paved the way for John C. Calhoun to become a viable presidential successor to Jackson and thus changed the course of his first term (363-364). Meacham takes the liberty of correcting spelling errors and erratic sentence construction when quoting from these and other sources extensively when he feels that they are distracting. However, he takes great pains to preserve their original intent and meaning.

Andrew Cayton of The New York Times finds the descriptions of Jackson's personality and life in the White House enormously entertaining, yet he feels Meacham

did not reflect enough upon the idea of the populism personified by Jackson and what it means to have a president who believes his pronouncements speak for all people (Andrew Cayton, "The Presidency that Roared", The New York Times, 14 November 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/books/review/Cayton-t.html).

Jon Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House is an immensely entertaining, detailed account of eight of the most influential years in American history. By focusing on Jackson's White House years, Meacham is able to move away from his mystique and legend and concentrate solely on what transpired and why, leading the reader to realize the impact these decisions made on the presidency, politics, and the course of American history.