"He was a man of the frontier, self-made but appreciative of those who gave him their loyalty and support. He was, pure and simple, and American..."
He was controversial in his timeāand even more controversial in our own. Indian fighter, ardent patriot, hero of the War of 1812, the very embodiment of Americaās democratic and frontier spirit, Andrew Jackson was an iconic figure.
Today, Jackson is criticized and reviled ā condemned as a slave-owner, repudiated as the president who dispatched the Indians down the āTrail of Tears,ā dropped with embarrassment by the Democratic Party, and demanded by many to be removed from the twenty-dollar bill.
Who is the real Andrew Jackson? The beloved Old Hickory whom Americans once revered? Or the villain who has become a prime target of the Social Justice Warriors?
Using letters, diaries, newspaper columns, and notes, historian Bradley Birzer provides a fresh and enlightening perspective on Jackson āunvarnished, true to history, revealing why President Donald Trump sees Andrew Jackson as a political role model, and illustrating the strong parallels between the anxieties of Jacksonian America and the anxieties of the "Hillbilly Elegy" voting bloc of today.
In this brilliant new book, Bradley Birzer makes the case that Jackson wasā¦
The epitome of the American frontier republican. Passionately devoted to individual liberty. A staunch proponent of Christian morality. Not only dedicated but also vital to the preservation of the Union. A significant and influential role model to President Donald J. Trump.
In Defense of Andrew Jackson sets the record straight on our seventh president, revealing a radically new but historically accurate perspective on Jackson.
āIām not an Andrew Jackson fan, but Iām definitely a Bradley Birzer fan. His case for Old Hickory is as strong as any Iāve seen and deserves to be reckoned with.ā- THOMAS E. WOODS JR., author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History.
āMost discussion of Andrew Jackson falls into predictable ruts, defaulting automatically to clichĆ©s that reflect more on our own time than his. Whether America is entering another āJacksonianā period depends upon understanding the first one more clearly, and we have Bradley Birzer to thank for taking up a spirited defense of this complicated man and his legacy.ā - STEVEN F. HAYWARD, author of The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution 1980-1989.
āLiberal revisionists have pounded Andrew Jackson down to the point where Democrats are ashamed to admit he founded their party. In Defense of Andrew Jackson sets the record straight on Americaās first populist president.ā - JAMES S. ROBBINS, author of Erasing America: Losing Our Future by Destroying Our Past.
āAs a man and a military hero, Andrew Jackson is as American as they come. But in this timely biography, Bradley Birzer has managed to peel back layers of clichĆ© and reveal our seventh president as a more complex human being than current textbooks allow.ā - GLEAVES WHITNEY, director of Grand Valley State Universityās Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies.