American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

On August 16, 1835, Jackson, Emily, and the Donelson children returned to the White House to find Texas in revolt against Mexico. Jackson viewed Texas as a strategic asset and had tried to buy it from Mexico, but Mexico had refused. In December 1835, as American volunteers headed for Texas, Jackson received news from Florida: The Seminole displacement had turned violent and escalated into the Second Seminole War. Under the leadership of a man named Osceola, the Seminole had early victories over the Florida militia, which Jackson blamed on the militia’s incompetence.

In late 1835 and early 1836, Jackson’s administration was finalizing the Cherokee displacement from northern Georgia. On December 29, 1835, the Treaty of New Echota was signed, supposedly setting terms for the Cherokees’ displacement west of the Mississippi. However, this treaty was signed by the “Treaty Party,” a small faction opposing Chief John Ross’s “National Party,” which represented the majority of the Cherokees. The treaty set a displacement deadline for 1838, after Jackson left office. When the time came, most Cherokees had not left their lands, leading to the forced relocation known as the Trail of Tears. An estimated 4,000 out of 16,000 Cherokees died as a result. In his March 1837 farewell address, Jackson claimed that the Cherokees were now safe from harm and under the government’s protection.

As Christmas 1835 approached amid the tumult of political and military crises, Emily sought to create a sanctuary for President Jackson in the White House. Emily organized a Christmas party, sending out invitations on December 19 for a children’s party. Jackson loved the idea, cherishing his family as a source of order in his chaotic life.

As Jackson began his last year in office, he reflected on his achievements and ongoing challenges. In his December 1835 address to Congress, Jackson celebrated the nation’s growth and prosperity while simultaneously casting abolitionists as a looming threat to domestic tranquility. To avoid addressing slavery directly, Congress used the “gag rule” initiated by Congressman Henry Pinckney of South Carolina. This rule allowed the House to “table,” or ignore, abolitionist petitions, effectively silencing debate on slavery. The Senate followed a similar practice without officially voting on it.

In mid-April 1836, Jackson received an urgent plea for assistance from Stephen Austin in Texas. Jackson maintained a facade of neutrality due to existing treaties with Mexico but expressed admiration for the bravery and patriotism of the Americans rebelling against Mexican rule.

In the summer of 1836, Emily was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She and her children left Washington for Tennessee, though her son Jackson stayed. President Jackson, though concerned for Emily, continued to campaign for Van Buren. Andrew Donelson left Emily to help with the campaign, but he wrote to her frequently. When Jackson’s health declined, it delayed Andrew’s return. On December 19, 1836, Emily died at the age of 29, with Andrew arriving two days later, just in time to see her one last time before her burial.

Van Buren’s presidential election was close, but he ultimately won. President-elect Van Buren comforted Andrew Donelson, noting the sympathy Emily’s death had evoked even among the cynical in Washington. Jackson, grieving, turned his focus to removing the Senate’s censure over his 1834 Bank deposits removal. The Senate session in January 1837 saw fierce debates. Clay and Calhoun opposed the motion to expunge the censure, with Clay delivering a scathing speech about the consequences of silencing Senate opposition. The motion to expunge carried, and the record of Jackson’s censure was officially removed amid public outcry and disruptions in the Senate gallery. Jackson’s farewell address reflected his gratitude for the public’s support through difficult decisions and actions. He acknowledged possible errors but believed they had not harmed the country.

Jackson left the White House on March 7, 1837, to enthusiastic crowds as he journeyed south to Louisville. At the Hermitage, Jackson found comfort in being close to his family. He lived with Andrew Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sarah Yorke Jackson, while Andrew Donelson, grieving his wife’s death, resided nearby. Jackson remained active in retirement, advising successors, advocating for Texas annexation, and maintaining political correspondence.

In 1836, Jackson had signed the Deposit Bill, increasing bank deposits and fueling land speculation. To curb this, he had then issued the Specie Circular, requiring gold and silver for land purchases, which led to economic turmoil. The American economy had grown complex and globally influenced, making it challenging to manage, and a financial panic and depression struck soon after Jackson left office. Historians debate whether Jackson’s policies, crop failures, or international forces were to blame.

In the spring of 1845, Jackson’s health declined rapidly. He wrote farewell letters to his close friends, offering them advice. In his final days, Jackson discussed national issues, expressing hopes for Texas’s union and a peaceful resolution of the Oregon territory dispute. He died on June 8, 1845, at the age of 78.

Francis Preston Blair remained influential in Washington after Jackson’s death. He sold the Globe in 1845, and President Polk replaced it with the Washington Union, briefly edited by Andrew Donelson. Politically, Blair became a strong Unionist, opposing slavery and supporting Van Buren in 1848 and Lincoln in 1860. He even offered Robert E. Lee the Union command, but Lee declined due to his loyalty to Virginia. In late 1864, Blair undertook a secret peace mission to the Confederacy, authorized by Lincoln.

Van Buren served one term as President. He made two attempts to regain the presidency but was unsuccessful. During the Civil War, he supported Lincoln’s efforts to preserve the Union.

Amos Kendall served as Van Buren’s postmaster general until 1840, maintaining close ties with Andrew Jackson and publishing a biography of him in 1843. In 1845, Kendall began working with Samuel F. B. Morse on the electromagnetic telegraph. A strong Unionist, he supported Lincoln during the Civil War.

John Henry Eaton briefly served as president of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company before Jackson appointed him as governor of the Florida territory. After a short time in Spain, Eaton ultimately campaigned for Van Buren’s opponent, William Henry Harrison, in 1840. After Eaton’s death in 1856, Margaret Eaton married a third time.

John C. Calhoun’s political career never recovered after the Jackson years, so he focused on defending slavery in the Senate. He briefly served as secretary of state under John Tyler and died in 1850.

Henry Clay remained in the Senate until 1842 and unsuccessfully ran for president again in 1844. Jackson celebrated Polk’s victory over Clay, viewing it as securing the nation’s liberty. Clay himself returned to the Senate, crafting the Compromise of 1850, which delayed the Civil War.

John Quincy Adams served in the House of Representatives for three years after Jackson’s death, advocating for abolitionist rights.

After being considered for Van Buren’s Cabinet and briefly contemplating a run for Congress, Andrew Donelson served as President Tyler’s envoy to Texas. Jackson believed Andrew had secured Texas’s entry into the Union. Andrew’s fortunes dwindled over time. The Hermitage was sold, and Andrew Jackson Jr. moved to Mississippi. During the Civil War, Andrew shifted from Union support to Confederate sympathy, earning distrust from both sides.

In late January 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln contemplated his inaugural address amid the secession crisis. He was inspired by Jackson’s “Proclamation to the People of South Carolina.” Lincoln resonated with Jackson’s assertion that a president’s duty was to maintain the Union and enforce the laws. Lincoln argued that the right of a state to secede was not debatable, a view that Jackson shared. Lincoln believed that the will of the people, guided by constitutional checks, was the true sovereign of a free nation. For both Lincoln and Jackson, preserving the Union was paramount.

Jackson inspired many presidents who followed him. Running a national party, governing with a mandate from the people, relying on a close circle of advisers, mastering contemporary media, and using the veto as a political tool are hallmarks of the modern presidency that began with Jackson. Theodore Roosevelt acknowledged Jackson’s faults but admired his dedication to the Union and his fearless defense of the country. Roosevelt believed that, aside from Washington and Lincoln, no one left a more profound mark on American history than Jackson.

In 1941, before America entered World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt compared his impending challenges to Jackson’s battle to save the Union, emphasizing the need for a courageous spirit. Harry Truman, influenced by Jackson, commissioned a statue of him and placed a bronze replica in the Oval Office. Truman sought to continue Jackson’s legacy of protecting the common man and strengthening America’s global standing.

On January 8, 1853, thousands gathered in Washington’s Lafayette Square for the dedication of a statue of Andrew Jackson, coinciding with the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. The statue, bearing the inscription “Our Federal Union: It Must Be Preserved” (361), symbolizes Jackson’s vigilance and readiness to defend the nation.