Despite what some may think, I'm not a Jackson apologist. But I do think it's important to correct mistaken impressions of Old Hickory perpetuated both inside and outside of academia. Michael Brendan Dougherty's piece in The Week is a good example of the latter. Dougherty takes the standard approach to Jackson's life: a rags-to-riches story ("Jackson grew … Continue reading Was Andrew Jackson America’s Worst Great President?
Andrew Jackson in Space
My friend and fellow Tennessee historian, Gordon Belt, Tweeted out a link to a new comic book yesterday. The title? Andrew Jackson in Space. A Twitter exchange with the writer, Brian Visaggio, resulted in the following interview. 1. What is your background in the comics world? I’m best known at this point for doing an ongoing science … Continue reading Andrew Jackson in Space
Andrew Jackson’s Mammoth Cheese
Americans in the Early Republic did some strange things. One of those was sending presidents blocks of cheese. Not 16-oz. blocks like you find in grocery stores today, but ones that weighed hundreds of pounds. For example, in 1801, a group of Cheshire, Massachusetts, women gave Thomas Jefferson a 1,200-lb. block of cheese "as 'a … Continue reading Andrew Jackson’s Mammoth Cheese
New Film on the Battle of New Orleans
Would it be unprofessional for me to squee? Because I sure feel like it. According to this report, Andrew Jackson might finally return to the silver screen. With a planned budget of $60 million to $65 million, the independently financed "Andrew Jackson and the Battle for New Orleans" is being targeted for a possible 2016 … Continue reading New Film on the Battle of New Orleans
January 8th at Andrew Jackson’s Home
Yesterday was a great day at The Hermitage. Erin Adams deserves special praise for pulling off a huge event, but all of the Hermitage staff did a great job in handling the logistics of the crowds and the cold temperatures. Gene Smith kicked off the day with his talk on the free black and slave … Continue reading January 8th at Andrew Jackson’s Home
Commemorating the Bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans
The bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans is one of the only historical anniversaries that I've really been excited about in my lifetime. While the Civil War sesquicentennial has received a lot of publicity, the War of 1812 bicentennial has languished in the background. That's unfortunate, but at least in Nashville and New Orleans, … Continue reading Commemorating the Bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans
The Immortal Andrew Jackson and the Battle of New Orleans
I wrote this piece on the Battle of New Orleans for We're History, a new digital publication co-edited by Heather Cox Richardson and David Chappell. If you're familiar with the battle, then you might not learn much new, but if you need a brief primer on why 8 January 1815 was important, then this is for you.
Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democrats to be Published in Spring 2015
This week, I submitted the index for Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democrats, which will be published in March 2015. I was asked to write this book by the series editor, Randall Miller, while I was completing Andrew Jackson, Southerner. It was an easy transition from one book to the next, since most … Continue reading Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democrats to be Published in Spring 2015
The 100 Most Influential Americans
A friend recently posted The Atlantic's 2006 list of the 100 most influential Americans. Not surprisingly, 5 of the top 10 Americans were presidents, with several more in the top 20, including Andrew Jackson (#18). Lists like this are intended to generate conversation, and there were certainly some questionable placements, Ben Franklin at #6 being one … Continue reading The 100 Most Influential Americans
In Memoriam: Donald B. Cole
Earlier this week, in the course of contacting historians about a new project, I learned that Donald B. Cole passed away last year. Unlike the death of Robert Remini, which garnered significant attention in the profession and the mainstream media, Don's death passed largely unnoticed by the profession. That is unfortunate, because Don's scholarship was … Continue reading In Memoriam: Donald B. Cole
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 