Presidents in Retirement: Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was another two term president who decided to follow George Washington's precedent and not seek a third term. That didn't mean that he stayed out of politics however. He threw his support behind the nomination of his Vice-President Martin Van Buren to be chosen as the Democratic candidate for President in 1836 and was pleased when Van Buren was victorious in the election, one in which the Whigs tried a longshot strategy of running different regional candidates instead of one standard bearer.
After Van Buren's election and inauguration, Jackson was pleased to leave Washington DC for his native Tennessee and his home in Nashville, known as the Hermitage. When he arrived home, that was his immediate priority, putting the plantation back in order. It had been poorly managed in his absence by his adopted son, Andrew Jackson Jr. Although he suffered from ill health, Jackson continued to be an influential force in both national and state politics. He was a firm supporter of the union of the states and he rejected any talk of secession. He said, "I will die with the Union." When the worst part of the Panic of 1837 hit, many blamed for causing the economic hardship that followed. As a result, Jackson's popularity suffered early on in his retirement. This didn't phase Jackson. He continued to denounce what he called the "perfidy and treachery" of banks and he urged his successor, Martin Van Buren, to continue to follow his policies.
The solution that Jackson proposed to the panic was the creation of an Independent Treasury system, which was designed to hold the money balances of the government in the form of gold or silver. He wanted the government to be restricted from printing paper money so as to prevent further inflation. A bill to create an independent treasury was put before Congress, but a coalition of conservative Democrats and Whigs opposed the bill. It was not passed until 1840, towards the end of Van Buren's presidency. During the delay, no effective remedy was put in place to combat the depression that the nation was suffering. As a result, Van Buren grew very unpopular. Recognizing the ineffectiveness of its 1836 strategy, a unified Whig Party nominated popular war hero William Henry Harrison as its candidate in the 1840 presidential election. The Whigs ran a very effective campaign which depicted Van Buren as an aristocrat who did not care for the concerns of ordinary Americans, while glorifying Harrison's military record and portraying him as a man of the people. Jackson campaigned heavily for Van Buren in Tennessee, but in the end Van Buren lost the election, saddled with the fallout from Jackson's failed economic strategy. The Whigs captured majorities in both houses of Congress. Jackson consoled his former Vice-President, writing to Van Buren: "The democracy of the United States has been shamefully beaten, but I trust, not conquered."
Harrison died only a month into his term, and was replaced by John Tyler. Jackson was encouraged because he knew that Tyler was an independent and not be bound by party lines. Tyler quickly incurred the wrath of the Whig Party in 1841 when he vetoed two Whig-sponsored bills to establish a new national bank, bringing great satisfaction to Jackson and other Democrats.
Jackson strongly supported the annexation of Texas, something he had been unable to accomplish during his own presidency. Jackson warned that the British would use Texas as a base to re-conquer the United States unless annexation occurred. He also claimed that Texas was part of the Louisiana Purchase and therefore rightfully belonged to the United States. At the request of Senator Robert J. Walker of Mississippi, Jackson wrote several letters to Texas President Sam Houston, urging him to wait for the Senate to approve annexation and trying to convince him how much being a part of the United States would benefit Texas. Initially, Jackson again supported Van Buren for president in 1844, but when Van Buren wrote a letter opposing annexation, which became public, this put an end to any support that Van Buren might previously have enjoyed in the South. Jackson then threw his support behind James K. Polk for the nomination. At the 1844 Democratic National Convention, Polk emerged as the party's nominee after Van Buren failed to win the required two-thirds majority of delegates. Still possessing sufficient political influence, Jackson convinced Tyler to abandon his plans of running for re-election as an independent by promising, as Tyler requested, to welcome the president and his allies back into the Democratic Party and by instructing Democrats to stop their criticism of Tyler. the president. With Jackson's support, Polk won the 1844 presidential election, narrowly defeating the Whig nominee, Henry Clay. A bill for the annexation of Texas was finally signed by Tyler on March 1, 1845.
Early in 1845, Jackson had posed for a new technology, when he was photographed. He did not think much of this new invention, saying that the photograph made him look like a monkey.
When Polk left Tennessee for the White House in 1845, he had hoped to see Jackson again. Polk would not get a chance to see his mentor. Andrew Jackson died at his plantation on June 8, 1845, at the age of 78, from chronic tuberculosis, dropsy, and heart failure. According to a newspaper account from the Boon Lick Times, Jackson "fainted whilst being removed from his chair to the bed, but he subsequently revived." The paper then reported that "Gen. Jackson died at the Hermitage at 6 o'clock P.M. on Sunday the 8th instant. When the messenger finally came, the old soldier, patriot and Christian was looking out for his approach. He is gone, but his memory lives, and will continue to live."
In his will, Jackson left his entire estate to his adopted son, Andrew Jackson Jr., except for specifically enumerated items that were left to various friends and other family members. His buried on the grounds of the Hermitage.
After Van Buren's election and inauguration, Jackson was pleased to leave Washington DC for his native Tennessee and his home in Nashville, known as the Hermitage. When he arrived home, that was his immediate priority, putting the plantation back in order. It had been poorly managed in his absence by his adopted son, Andrew Jackson Jr. Although he suffered from ill health, Jackson continued to be an influential force in both national and state politics. He was a firm supporter of the union of the states and he rejected any talk of secession. He said, "I will die with the Union." When the worst part of the Panic of 1837 hit, many blamed for causing the economic hardship that followed. As a result, Jackson's popularity suffered early on in his retirement. This didn't phase Jackson. He continued to denounce what he called the "perfidy and treachery" of banks and he urged his successor, Martin Van Buren, to continue to follow his policies.
The solution that Jackson proposed to the panic was the creation of an Independent Treasury system, which was designed to hold the money balances of the government in the form of gold or silver. He wanted the government to be restricted from printing paper money so as to prevent further inflation. A bill to create an independent treasury was put before Congress, but a coalition of conservative Democrats and Whigs opposed the bill. It was not passed until 1840, towards the end of Van Buren's presidency. During the delay, no effective remedy was put in place to combat the depression that the nation was suffering. As a result, Van Buren grew very unpopular. Recognizing the ineffectiveness of its 1836 strategy, a unified Whig Party nominated popular war hero William Henry Harrison as its candidate in the 1840 presidential election. The Whigs ran a very effective campaign which depicted Van Buren as an aristocrat who did not care for the concerns of ordinary Americans, while glorifying Harrison's military record and portraying him as a man of the people. Jackson campaigned heavily for Van Buren in Tennessee, but in the end Van Buren lost the election, saddled with the fallout from Jackson's failed economic strategy. The Whigs captured majorities in both houses of Congress. Jackson consoled his former Vice-President, writing to Van Buren: "The democracy of the United States has been shamefully beaten, but I trust, not conquered."
Harrison died only a month into his term, and was replaced by John Tyler. Jackson was encouraged because he knew that Tyler was an independent and not be bound by party lines. Tyler quickly incurred the wrath of the Whig Party in 1841 when he vetoed two Whig-sponsored bills to establish a new national bank, bringing great satisfaction to Jackson and other Democrats.
Jackson strongly supported the annexation of Texas, something he had been unable to accomplish during his own presidency. Jackson warned that the British would use Texas as a base to re-conquer the United States unless annexation occurred. He also claimed that Texas was part of the Louisiana Purchase and therefore rightfully belonged to the United States. At the request of Senator Robert J. Walker of Mississippi, Jackson wrote several letters to Texas President Sam Houston, urging him to wait for the Senate to approve annexation and trying to convince him how much being a part of the United States would benefit Texas. Initially, Jackson again supported Van Buren for president in 1844, but when Van Buren wrote a letter opposing annexation, which became public, this put an end to any support that Van Buren might previously have enjoyed in the South. Jackson then threw his support behind James K. Polk for the nomination. At the 1844 Democratic National Convention, Polk emerged as the party's nominee after Van Buren failed to win the required two-thirds majority of delegates. Still possessing sufficient political influence, Jackson convinced Tyler to abandon his plans of running for re-election as an independent by promising, as Tyler requested, to welcome the president and his allies back into the Democratic Party and by instructing Democrats to stop their criticism of Tyler. the president. With Jackson's support, Polk won the 1844 presidential election, narrowly defeating the Whig nominee, Henry Clay. A bill for the annexation of Texas was finally signed by Tyler on March 1, 1845.
Early in 1845, Jackson had posed for a new technology, when he was photographed. He did not think much of this new invention, saying that the photograph made him look like a monkey.
When Polk left Tennessee for the White House in 1845, he had hoped to see Jackson again. Polk would not get a chance to see his mentor. Andrew Jackson died at his plantation on June 8, 1845, at the age of 78, from chronic tuberculosis, dropsy, and heart failure. According to a newspaper account from the Boon Lick Times, Jackson "fainted whilst being removed from his chair to the bed, but he subsequently revived." The paper then reported that "Gen. Jackson died at the Hermitage at 6 o'clock P.M. on Sunday the 8th instant. When the messenger finally came, the old soldier, patriot and Christian was looking out for his approach. He is gone, but his memory lives, and will continue to live."
In his will, Jackson left his entire estate to his adopted son, Andrew Jackson Jr., except for specifically enumerated items that were left to various friends and other family members. His buried on the grounds of the Hermitage.