From 1829 to 1837 no figure dominated American political culture as did Andrew Jackson. Historians and the public alike remain fascinated by Jackson, his presidency, and his impact on the development of the Democratic Party. He was a complex man whose forceful personality (he was universally known as “Old Hickory”) transformed the nation’s struggle for popular rights into the two-party system we know today. His leadership style reversed decades of congressional supremacy and shifted power from the aristocrats and elites to the common man.
Historian Stephen D. Engle examines Jackson’s enormous influence on the people and the presidency and traces how his political triumph, his bold executive initiatives, and his popular appeal transformed the social and cultural landscape that gave rise to a legacy that has become controversial because of his stance on slavery.
Engle is a professor of history and director of the history symposium series at Florida Atlantic University.
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