Xaviant Haze’s The Suppressed History of American Banking: How Big Banks Fought Jackson, Killed Lincoln, and Caused the Civil War is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. The main argument is that the Rothschild banking family caused the War of 1812 to make money from it, fought Andrew Jackson to preserve the Second … Continue reading Did the Rothschild Family Try To Kill Andrew Jackson?
Thoughts on Andrew Jackson’s Place on the $20 Bill
Note: This post is an adaptation of a Twitter thread I wrote earlier this week. Several years ago, a publisher asked me to write an essay defending Jackson's place on the $20 for a book on debating political reform. Each set of essays took a pro or con position. I was given the intellectual exercise … Continue reading Thoughts on Andrew Jackson’s Place on the $20 Bill
Win a Free Copy of Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party
Want a free signed copy of Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party? You can win in two ways: 1. Like the Jacksonian America Facebook page, and share the post about this contest on your personal timeline. 2. Retweet the Twitter announcement of this contest. I will award one book for Facebook participants and one for … Continue reading Win a Free Copy of Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party
Previewing Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party
Several years ago, I was invited to write a book on Andrew Jackson and the origins of the Democratic party for ABC-CLIO. While I was grateful for the opportunity, the book was marketed as a reference book, with ancillary material included that I thought detracted from the narrative and a price that deterred widespread sales … Continue reading Previewing Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party
The Coming of Democracy Is . . . Coming!
After what has felt like an eternity, The Coming of Democracy: Presidential Campaigning in the Age of Jackson (Johns Hopkins Univ. Press) is in the final stages of production. It is scheduled to come out in July and is available for pre-sale. I want to publicly thank Harry Watson, Robert Owens, John Belohlavek, John Brooke, and … Continue reading The Coming of Democracy Is . . . Coming!
Remembering Hendrik Booraem
Dr. Hendrik Booraem V passed away in October 2017. His obituary outlines a more remarkable publishing record than even I realized. Many people may not recognize his name, but Booraem wrote one of the most underappreciated biographies of Andrew Jackson. Entitled Young Hickory: The Making of Andrew Jackson, Booraem's biography is exhaustive in explaining the world … Continue reading Remembering Hendrik Booraem
Review of Andrew Jackson: Hero Under Fire
As part of his publicity campaign for his new book, Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny, Brian Kilmeade hosted a Fox News Channel (FNC) special, entitled Andrew Jackson: Hero Under Fire. At the risk of piling on my previous review of Kilmeade's book, I wanted to give some … Continue reading Review of Andrew Jackson: Hero Under Fire
Review of Kilmeade and Yaeger’s Jackson Book
Popular history books can be a mixed bag. Oftentimes, they are well written but contain poor history. Finding the sweet spot--a well-written, well-researched book--is not easy, although one can think of journalists (Jon Meacham, Doris Kearns Goodwin) and historians (Bill Brands, Stephen Ambrose) who have been successful to various degrees in this regard. Fox News … Continue reading Review of Kilmeade and Yaeger’s Jackson Book
10 Books That Influenced Andrew Jackson, Southerner
Joe Stoltz, who has a new book out on Jackson and the Battle of New Orleans that you should rightly assume is better than Brian Kilmeade's, inspired me to write about the books that played an integral role in the writing of Andrew Jackson, Southerner. (Yes, I'm four years late to the game.) In alphabetical … Continue reading 10 Books That Influenced Andrew Jackson, Southerner
Help Choose My Next Book Cover!
You can help me choose my next book cover! In the comments, note which of the below eight images you think would make the best cover for The Coming of Democracy: Presidential Campaigning in the Age of Jackson. Use whatever criteria suits you, and add your reasoning in your comment if you want.* … Continue reading Help Choose My Next Book Cover!
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 