History That Doesn't Suck - 28: Ushering in the Age of Jackson

Episode Date: November 26, 2018

“May God Almighty forgive her murderers as I know she forgave them. I never can.” This is the story of a democratizing America. John Quincy Adams barely has his presidency off the ground and Andrew Jackson’s “common man” crew is already starting his presidential campaign. This election gets ugly fast as each side tells lies so vicious it’s possible they cause or contribute to Rachel Jackson’s death! After Andrew’s rambunctious inauguration, the now widower president stands up for the honor of Mrs. Margaret “Peggy” Eaton in the “Petticoat Affair,” and lets South Carolinians sounding off about states’ rights over some tariffs know that “disunion ... is treason.” Too bad Old Hickory can’t completely quell that secession spirit … Finally, we end on a hard note as the Jackson Administration’s support of Indian removal results in the “trail of tears.” We’ll get the full story, but for a short description, I can’t do better than historian Jon Meacham. I’ll let him say it: “Not all great presidents were always good.” ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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What did it take to survive an ancient siege? Why was the cult of Dionysus behind so many slave revolts in ancient Rome? What's the tragic history and mythology behind Japan's most haunted ancient forest? We're Jen and Jenny from Ancient History Fangirl. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content, and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for

a 7-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. Rachel Jackson is fatigued. The woman's traveled the 12 miles from her plantation home, the Hermitage, out to Nashville to do something she has zero interest in. Buy clothes for her new role as the first lady of the United States. That's right. John Quincy's on his way out of the White House. It's late 1828 and Rachel's husband, General Andrew Jackson, has made the New Englander not the first, but second president to only get

one term. What can I say? Like father, like son. Hey, John Quincy. If you didn't get that joke, please go back and listen to episode 18. Also, no disrespect to the Adamses. But in truth, this election was no laughing matter. It was hideous, fought in the most dire of proverbial gutters, with the most egregious, inventive, flat-out fabricated, lies reported as fact imaginable. And some of these malicious lies took aim right at Mrs. Jackson. Andrew's done his best to shield his sweetheart from these dirty verbal barbs. He's always been protective of her, but she's also had a rough year. This summer, the death of their teenage adopted Indian son,

Lincoya Jackson, devastated Rachel. And in the past few months, the heavy-set, dark-featured 61-year-old hasn't had the easiest time catching her breath either. Further, those heart palpitations are concerning. So the last thing she needs is the added stress of political campaign slander but as i was saying rachel or aunt rachel as the kind woman is affectionately known to many a tennessean is fatigued she's nearly walked her poor feet off going from store to store, trying to acquire the right fancy first lady wardrobe that so isn't her. And at this point, she needs to catch her breath.

But not to worry. She has kin here. The heavy breathing, wheezing Rachel stops at the office of one of her relatives, who's a newspaper editor by trade, so she can rest up. This is when trouble strikes. Rachel's eye catches a glance of a leaflet on her relative's desk and she starts reading. Huh, campaign stuff. Wait, it's countering Team John Quincy's slander. Slander against her. She sucked into reading it. Rachel's horrified as she sees exactly what John Quincy's supporters have said of her. Convicted adulteress, bigamist, and not to leave out the biblical references, they even compared her to the wicked Old Testament queen of Israel described in 1 Kings, Jezebel. The accusations of godlessness and sexual sin cut the kindly, devout Christian

woman to the bone. Can you imagine being her? Sitting here, reading, realizing in one moment that countless people across the entire United States are misrepresenting you as morally bankrupt and inept in the most vile ways possible for the era. I can only imagine how her stomach must be twisting and knots and turning upside down. I'll bet her face turns flush as anger and helplessness wash over the ailing, aging, and overweight woman. Oh God, and those heart palpitations. Breathe. Come on, Rachel, focus on your breath breathe the distraught woman collapses in a ball in a corner sobbing so hard she shakes and that's how her friends find her they get her in a carriage and back home to the hermitage where she becomes withdrawn and claims she'll never forget the cruel lies,

nor move to Washington, D.C. And she's right. Within days, she has a heart attack. Overwhelming pain shoots from her left arm through her chest. Andrew immediately carries her to bed and gets a doctor, who proceeds to bleed her. Rachel pulls through for three days, but in the end, her ill health and the stress brought on by slander appears to be a lethal cocktail. Rachel dies on December 22, 1828. Completely devastated, Andrew clings to his wife's corpse. Friends ultimately have to wrest the deceased Rachel from his grip in order to prepare her for burial. Seldom indeed has the busy tongue of slander and detraction been more gratuitously and basely employed. She felt indeed the injustice of the warfare. Her compassionate art was wrung with sorrow, Reverend William Hume declares in his oration to the thousands of mourners at her

funeral. Yeah, everyone on Team Jackson blames the slander of John Quincy's supporters for inducing her fatal heart attack. A light rain falls outside. Rachel lays in her coffin, dressed in the white satin gown she intended to wear to Andrew's inaugural ball. Instead, she'll wear it in her eternal rest. She's now taken outside and interred in the soft, wet earth of the Hermitage's garden. May God Almighty forgive her murderers, as I know she forgave them. I never can. Andrew swears during the services, referring to John Quincy and his supporters.

It's true. He never will. Today, we enter the age of Jackson. And yes, we'll start with John Quincy's one-term presidency. But really, the main focus of his administration is the buildup to the nasty, harsh, cruel presidential election of 1828. So we'll go there. We'll see the ugliness that makes you rethink if elections in your lifetime really are that bad after all. Then we'll inaugurate Andrew, a tale in and of itself, and hear the tale of the DC socialite politics

behind the petticoat affair. This will get nasty too. Think House of Cards meets Sex and the City. I think you'll dig it. We'll then talk secession and tariffs, but sadly, we'll end on a somber note. The Jackson administration's Indian removal, or The Trail of Tears. This is a hard chapter of American history. No two ways about it, but it's important. It's another jam-packed hour. So to get this started, let's head back three years to the beginning of John Quincy's presidency in 1825. You know how that's done.

Rewind. To get this Democratic Party started, and yes, pun intended, let's start by meeting the America of 1825. The nation's growing up. It now has a population of 11 million, one-third of whom live west of the Appalachian Mountains. I know, or Appalachian. To put that another way, the population west of this mountain range is roughly equal to or larger than the entire U.S. population of George Washington's day. America is growing more democratic, too. In case you're foggy on episode 15, I'll remind you that many a founding father feared unbridled democracy.

That's why they set up a republic. But the growing United States, which now includes 24 states as well as organized, unorganized, and disputed territories, is slowly upping its democratic vibe. In fact, all but three states no longer require men to own property to vote, meaning the electorate has expanded to include almost all white men and, in some states, free black men too. And the leader of this expanding, increasingly democratic nation is John Quincy Adams. Now the messiness of the 1824 election, which I'm sure you remember from the last episode, hasn't changed the fact that our New Englander president is, one, brilliant, and two, his father's son, which is to say he's assertive. Yes, the somewhat rotund,

mutton-chopped, sporting Harvard man has an ambitious nation-building agenda. He envisions interstate road projects, public universities, a strong national bank, even a unified lighthouse system, and, get this, a national observatory. Sounds great, but Johnny Q can't hide that these improvements come with the bitter pills of higher taxes and big government regulations. Most of his ideas will die on the legislative floor as legislators quietly mock their IQ-off-the-charts-yet-somewhat-tone-deaf president. But the real story of John Quincy's administration is simply the next presidential election. Within months of Johnny Q taking the oath of office, Andrew Jackson's crew is in rematch mode, by which I

don't mean the midterm election of 1826. They're already looking at the presidential election of 1828. What can I say? Americans love prepping for elections early, almost as much as they love prepping for Christmas early. I mean, seriously, Costco, I love your oversized ornaments, but can't we get through October before you roll them out? Let's leave the Halloween Christmas mashup to Tim Burton and Disney, okay? At any rate, let's set the stage for this mud-slinging, years-long throwdown between our polar opposite candidates. While both have a law background, Johnny Q is a well-read, Harvard-educated intellectual. As for Andrew, he has merely a few years of formal schooling

and really only reads the Bible, three chapters a day to be precise. John Quincy has the gift of gab. He's a diplomat, a man of words and the quill. Andrew's more action, a man of the sword, a U.S. Army general, the savior of New Orleans, whose nicknames acquired during the War of 1812 include Old Hickory and simply The Hero. In fact, the guy's been in more than his fair share of brawls and duels. At this point in his life, Andrew's got two bullets buried in his body. One in his chest from the 1806 duel in which he killed Charles Dickinson, the other in his left shoulder from his 1813 shootout with the Benton brothers that I told you about at the start of episode 26. So in short, we have a New Englander versus a Southerner, an elite versus a backwoods commoner,

an erudite scholar versus a farmer, a diplomat versus a warrior. A guy who's thick in the middle and balding versus a tall, lanky guy who couldn't put Rogaine to use even if it did exist. And naturally, they've attracted very different people. Those on Team John Quincy consider themselves the respectable crowd looking to preserve the legitimate republic from a mobbish, wild type of democracy. But those on Team Andrews see themselves as the true standard bearers of democracy, of a government by the people, for the people, not a government by and for wealthy aristocrats. And given these different visions, both sides are convinced that if the other wins, it will spell doom for the United States. Okay, I think you get the picture. Let this melee of an election begin. It's only October 6th, 1825, so a whole seven

months into John Quincy's lame duck presidency, when Tennessee State Senator William E. Kennedy introduces a resolution to nominate Andrew Jackson for president. For the 1828 election! It passes with a single dissenting vote. And how does Andrew respond? I mean, this is the 1820s. People aren't supposed to overtly seek office. They're supposed to virtuously sit back and let others nominate and campaign. As our current president, John Quincy, puts it, quote, if my country wants my services, she must ask for them, close quote. Yeah, and he's going to put on some pretense of this old game, sure, but he's actually playing by his own rules. He immediately resigns from his current position as one of Tennessee's U.S. senators. Now you might think,

that's stupid. I've seen plenty of seated politicians hold office and run for president, but Andrew's playing a brilliant game. See, we're roughly a century away from the 17th amendment, which means U.S. senators are not elected by voting citizens. They're still chosen by state legislatures. Seeing as it's the Tennessee legislature that's nominated him then, the hero rides the 40 miles from his plantation home, the Hermitage, out to Murfreesboro so he can deliver his U.S. Senate resignation letter to that august body in person. He shows up on October 14th. The letter gushes with patriotic appeal as it explains his rationale for resigning. One, the quote, inconsiderable fatigue, close quote, of traveling between home and Washington,

and two, a desire not to cast senatorial votes that might be construed as helping his presidential campaign. He also shows some love for two constitutional amendments under consideration, one of which calls for electoral college votes to be bound by the popular vote. Yep, there's Andrew looking to bump a Republican system for something more straight-up Democratic. But as old Hickory frees up his schedule to run for president, I need to introduce you to a new figure. Martin Van Buren. He's an important one, so let's bond with him for a minute.

A Dutch-speaking New Yorker and son of a tavern keeper, Martin leaves the family hospitality business to practice law. But he finds his true calling in politics, where he proves to be a party organizing genius. I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that, in his home state, he formed a political alliance known as the Albany Regency that enabled him to play puppeteer with a few offices and land himself in the Senate. And now, the short, balding, and rotund 40-something widower is angling to bring his craft to bear on ejecting John Quincy from the White House and putting Andrew Jackson in it. To put a finer point on it, Martin loves political parties. He believes that having people loyal to the ideals and leaders of the party

rather than sectional factions will ensure democracy. He tells a Republican newspaper editor that, quote, if the old party loyalties are suppressed, prejudice between free and slave-holding states will inevitably take their place. Close quote. A lot of people who saw the out-of-control nastiness of the Missouri debacle we discussed in episode 27 agree with Martin. In other words, he thinks that keeping Americans focused on philosophical divides rather than sectional ones, ahem, slavery, will preserve the union. As Martin starts to work his party-making magic, Vice President John C. Calhoun gets on board. Yeah, how effed up is this? The VP is switching sides. He's going to bail on John Quincy to become Andrew's VP running mate, which he sees as the best play for him eventually becoming president

himself. I know, this dude would do really well on the reality TV show Survivor. John Quincy soon finds that Martin's pro-Jackson poll in Congress is going to block his every move. For instance, when the former diplomat and Secretary of State President tells the Senate he'd like to send representatives to a conference of American countries in Panama, they turn it into a big debate over the executive office's constitutional authority. I mean, some of them are also afraid of U.S. reps meeting and working with former slaves that might represent countries like Haiti, but just obstructing John Quincy is a huge part of the play.

Ultimately, the U.S. is not represented at this 1826 meetup. The embattled president also doesn't score points in his handling of the conflict between western Georgia settlers and the Cherokee Nation residing within the state's borders. Right off the bat, you should know that John Quincy is not pro-Indian, but he is pro- assimilation, meaning he wants to find a way for Indians to live peaceably on their land as neighbors to white settlers. Most Americans, how can I put this, strongly disagree. Frankly, they want to see them removed and driven from their homelands to territories west of the Mississippi. Instead, John Quincy signs a series of treaties in 1826 and 1827 that do cede all Indian lands to Georgia. True, but they also

allow tribe members to stay until they voluntarily leave. John Quincy hopes that Georgia will comply with the treaty's terms, but once again, he's outdone, this time by local militias forcibly, quote-unquote, accompanying Indians off their lands. The only thing he has any luck on are some of those internal improvements. The National Road is moving along, and Congress supports the further development of other roads, canals, and railroads here and there, but often in conjunction with private investment. Man, this is nowhere near the scale John Quincy had hoped for. I guess what I'm saying here is, it's really good that New York moved ahead with its recently opened Erie Canal on its own, because Congress likely wouldn't have

taken that project on. But perhaps more than any of the above, the Panama Conference, Indian conflicts, and infrastructure developments, John Quincy's lack of power during his own administration shows up with a tariff. Here's how this goes down. Our political guru, Senator Martin Van Buren, proposes a tariff. Now, I wouldn't say this with 100% certainty, but it's possible he put this out there just to screw with John Quincy. Martin knows that Johnny Q's industrializing home turf, New England, would like a protectionist tariff, but few, if any other regions of the country would benefit from one. So Martin throws out this ridiculously high tariff, possibly not even expecting it would pass. But it does. This free trade choking legislation is so bad, it's known as the, quote, tariff of abominations,

close quote. The South will not forgive Johnny Q when they head to the polls. But before we let the vote happen, we need to get to the dirt, the nasty of the campaigns. Far beyond the halls of Congress, newspapers supporting the two candidates are taking some serious liberties with the truth. I mean, TMZ and the news in a social media feed got nothing on this. Okay, maybe they're on par. Anyway, check this out. Let's start with the attacks by Team Adams on Andrew Jackson. On a personal level, they go after his education.

In one pamphlet, they claim that Andrew can barely spell and that, quote, he is destitute of historical, political, or statistical knowledge. He is wholly unqualified by education, habit, and temper for the station of president. Close quote. Okay, a little bit of a stretch considering that Andrew is a lawyer by training and, despite his lacking formal education, was employed as a teacher at one point. But that's nothing. Let's cut a layer deeper. Now keep in mind, we are in 19th century America, where being of African descent to any known degree would bring his presidential ambitions to a grinding halt, and even more so than is still the case today, questioning a woman's sexual purity is an effective tool for shaming. Got that? Okay. A Team Johnny Q newspaper says,

quote, General Jackson's mother was a common prostitute married to a mulatto man with whom she had several children, of which number General Jackson is one. Close quote. Yeah. So to be clear, they just called Andrew's dead patriot mom, I mean, she did die nursing sick American soldiers during the revolution, a hooker. And they claimed Andrew is part black. Now let me be really damn clear. I mean, no offense to sex workers, and I hurt on the inside even having to point out that it was once a grave insult in the United States to claim someone had any African heritage. But sadly, in 1820s America, these are the harshest, most demeaning things the newspapers can say about the Jacksons. So they do. It's all flat out lies, and yet, they do. But the attacks on Andrew don't

end there. Remember how we opened this episode? Right, his wife, Rachel, is sexually shamed as well. See, Rachel is a divorcee. Andrew is her second husband. And since the timing of her divorce and their marriage was sufficiently off legally that they ultimately held a second wedding ceremony, the newspapers are now having a field day. For instance, one asks its readers, quote, ought a convicted adulteress and her paramour husband to be placed in the highest I think that after today's opening and my explanation of the attacks on Andrew's mother, you probably get how devastating these attacks are for the period. So I'll leave it there. But before you go thinking Team Andrew Jackson has no blood on its hands,

let's talk about their attacks. They claim that the straight-laced, dare I say boring John Quincy Adams, the son of the founding father John Adams, who may have been the most devout Christian among the A-lister founding fathers, uses tax dollars to set up a gambling operation in the White House. I'm serious. What he really did is he bought, with his own damn money, a chess set and a pool table. But once again, I'm giving you the light stuff first. Team Jackson isn't above hitting below the belt. Jackson's supporters claim that, while a diplomat in Russia, John Quincy I'm sorry, I need to assure you once more, I'm not making this sh** up, pimped out an American girl to Tsar Alexander I. Yeah, so this is as completely made up as the prostitute stuff about

Andrew's mom. Oh, and they claim John Quincy and his beyond proper wife, the daughter of a British minister, Louisa, to put this delicately, knocked boots before marriage. I do want to point out that neither John Quincy nor Andrew initiated these attacks. Like super PACs today, these newspapers are basically acting independently but on behalf of their preferred candidate. Still, most of us want to see the candidates in vicious elections publicly call out a super PAC if it crosses certain lines, right? Well, I can tell you that at least once, Andrew does this. After the hit piece on Louisa Adams, Andrew tells the editor of the United States Telegraph, Duff Green, quote, I never war against females, and it is only the base and cowardly that do, close quote.

Respect, Andrew. Respect. In the end, the election goes in Andrew's favor. What can I say? Old Hickory had better organization in Congress and in communities. As one of John Q's supporters put it, quote, organization is the secret of victory. By want of it, we have been overthrown. Close quote.

I mean, Team Jackson gave out swag like Hickory Canes and Hickory Brooms. They even had slogans. I don't know if they were as catchy as, yes, we can, or make America great again. But as you can see, and I'm serious, Andrew Jackson has just kicked off some political campaigning methods that we still use in the 21st century. And that's how the hero crushes John Quincy in this vicious, bloody-knuckled presidential election. 178 electoral votes to 83. Although he's devastated at the death of his beloved wife, and he will never forgive Team John Quincy for her death, Andrew now heads to the

White House. So let's join him. nerds, personal finance experts in credit cards, banking, investing, and more. We answer your real world money questions and break down the latest personal finance news. The nerds will give you the clarity you need by cutting through the clutter and misinformation in today's world of personal finance. We don't promote get rich quick schemes or hype unrealistic side hustles. Instead, we offer practical knowledge that you can apply in your everyday life. You'll learn about strategies to help you build your wealth, invest wisely, shop for financial products, and plan for major life events. And you'll walk away with the confidence you need to ensure that your money is always

working as hard as you are. So turn to the Nerds to answer your real-world money questions and get insights that can help you make the smartest financial decisions for your life. Listen to NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. It's March 4th, 1829. A crowd of nearly 20,000 people watch on the lawns outside of the Capitol with hopes of catching a glimpse of their gray-haired president-elect and his entourage of revolutionary and War of 1812 Veterans. Washington, D.C. social columnist Margaret

Bayard Smith describes the onlookers as, quote, not a ragged mob, but well-dressed and well-behaved, respectable and worthy citizens, close quote. I can only wonder how many are actually able to see the now widower Andrew, likely hacking and coughing, as he deliberately walks into the Senate chambers to witness his austere, brilliant VP, John C. Calhoun, take the oath for a second time. Now, they have a lot in common on paper, but John and Andrew are a truly odd couple. John hasn't agreed with Andrew since his it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission stunt in Florida back in episode 27. The brilliant legalist also leans a little to state's rights for Andrew's liking. And, like I said earlier, John really wants a turn at the head of government.

I see a power struggle coming on. But today, these southern gentlemen keep it under wraps and head to the East Portico of the Capitol building for Andrew's oath of office. As the popular Andrew steps out onto the calmed porch, the crowd breaks into an ear-splitting roar. Once the cheering dies down, the general-turned-president gives his inaugural address. He keeps things vague, deftly avoiding angering any faction while promising, quote, reform, which will require particularly the correction of abuses, close quote. The faithful Christian man ends his address with a prayer, pleading that God

will continue to make our beloved country the object of his divine care and gracious benediction. At the end of this speech, Andrew takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Marshall, kisses the Bible, then rides a white horse to the White House to host a small reception for his well-wishers. But the plan goes awry quickly. As the crowd moves with the newly sworn-in president to the White House, mob mentality sets in. Think Boston after the Red Sox win a World Series. I mean, this year was more chill, but we all remember that flipped car in 2013, right? But unlike Boston, where city officials kind of know what to expect, D.C.'s caught off guard.

Columnist Margaret reports, quote, No arrangements had been made, and no police officers placed on duty, and the whole house was inundated by the rabble mob. Close quote. So much for those respectable citizens, I guess. The White House is soon filled to capacity with men, women, and children literally climbing on furniture and tearing down curtains to lay their eyes on the president. The servants try calming the crowd with punch and liquor. But when's the last time you saw a crowd quiet down under the influence of alcohol?

A witness says, quote, orange punch by barrels full was made. But as the waiters opened the door to bring it out, a rush would be made. The glass is broken, the pails of liquor upset, and the most painful confusion prevailed. Close quote. Woo! This reception is starting to look like a 1990s MTV spring break. Like the Pied Piper, the servants lure the crowd out to the lawns by moving the punch bowls outside while a few of Andrew's close friends hustle him out the back door and return the exhausted man to his hotel.

The monumental day is marred by the several thousands of dollars of damage done to the White House and the huge mess left for the servants to clean up. While his staff picks up the red solo cups littered across the White House lawn. Okay, okay, there aren't any plastic cups, but I bet the maids washing glasses sure wish there were. Andrew gets down to business assembling his staff and cabinet. Jacksonian New York Senator William Marcy says, They see nothing wrong in the rule that to the victor belong the spoils of the enemy. And the Jacksonian victors, which are coalescing into the Democratic Party,

intend to take all the spoils they can, hiring loyal party men to fill government posts. Andrew explains this new approach to government appointments with a little more nuance. He sees the value of rotation in offices, where government employees turn over every few years to get rid of and prevent corruption. The new leader merely wants to win the struggle between the virtue of the people and executive patronage, close quote. But Andrew's soft sell of his rotation and offices system doesn't stick and people dub his grand idea, the spoil system, from here on out. True to its name, almost all new hires during Andrew's tenure are card-carrying Jacksonian Democrats.

Since old Hickory hires party men, or people whom he feels he owes a debt, he winds up with an underwhelming cabinet. Anti-Jackson Senator Daniel Webster makes fun of the assembled group, saying, quote, the cabinet is not strong enough to carry on a mere party administration. Close quote. Even loyal Jacksonian Levi Woodbury is disappointed. Quote, on the selection, it is not befitting me to speak. We must hope for the best, even if we hope against hope. Close quote. The only real exception to Andrew's sad posse is his Secretary of State, the capable party leader, Martin Van Buren. In general, Andrew has little to no relationship

with his new cabinet advisors. He relies on a close circle of friends in Washington, which one newspaper editor coins the quote-unquote kitchen cabinet, whom he asks for advice on presidential decisions. This crowd includes Andrew's nephew and protege, Andrew Jackson Donaldson, whom he makes his personal secretary. The grieving widower even asks Donaldson, who, despite my preference to keep things personal, I'll call Donaldson, so we don't confuse him with THE Andrew in this episode, to bring his young and beautiful wife to Washington to act as White House hostess in deceased Rachel's place.

The president and his cabinets, official and kitchen, are just settling into Washington when a long-brewing scandal involving the newly appointed Secretary of War, John Eaton, and his wife explodes. John is a close friend of the Jacksons. He even wrote the epitaph on Rachel's gravestone. However, John's new wife, Mrs. Margaret O'Neill Timberlake Eaton, whom gossipers call Peggy behind her back, but I'll call her by her preferred name, Margaret, has a reputation. The brazen and outspoken woman comes from humble beginnings. She's the daughter of a boarding house and tavern keeper, and the snobbish society of Washington wants nothing to do with her. They never have, really. The omniscient social columnist Margaret seriously this lady seems to know everyone quips that the innkeeper's daughter

quote has never been admitted to society close quote and the fact that Margaret's new husband is in the hero's cabinet isn't going to change that looks like it's the stubborn as hell old hickory versus the ironclad customs

of Washington DC socialites this is going to be a battle royale let me fill you in Old Hickory versus the ironclad customs of Washington, D.C. socialites. This is going to be a battle royale. Let me fill you in. The Washington social scene, in which ladies pay calls and return calls, is a complicated social game with written and, more importantly, unwritten rules. Think Pride and Prejudice or Downton Abbey. Anyway, Mrs. Margaret Eaton tries to join the game by paying a call to the VP John Calhoun's uptight, blue-blooded socialite from South Carolina wife, Floride. The dark-haired elitist deigns to spend a few minutes chatting with the outspoken Scots-Irish Margaret.

But there's no way the wealthy, educated, refined daughter of a planter, now wife of the Vice President of the United States, is going to rub shoulders with the ill-reputed daughter of a tavern keeper again. She refuses to return Margaret's call, and the snobby politician's wives in D.C. follow the example of Second Lady Floride, giving Margaret the cold shoulder at every opportunity. Andrew is outraged. He tells the shunned Margaret that, I would rather have live vermin on my back than the tongue of one of these Washington women on my reputation. Damn, this battle is on. Old Hickory, who is particularly sensitive to women being

shamed in the political world, as we know, lets it be known that anyone who is socially opposed to Margaret is politically and personally opposed to him. With that, the strong-willed and somewhat myopic president turns what could have been a small social scandal that would have died on its own into a political issue that overshadows his entire agenda. Secretary of State Martin Van Buren quickly lines up on Margaret and Andrew's side. Smart move. And uses this brouhaha to push the already distant VP John right out of the president's inner circle. In other words, to make another survivor reference, John's getting blindsided.

Martin throws parties to which he invites all the cabinet members and their wives, including the persona non grata, Margaret. Most cabinet wives refuse to attend these soirees in order to avoid the ill-reputed woman. This puts three of these guys, Treasury Secretary Samuel Ingham, Navy Secretary John Branch, and Attorney General John Berrien in a tight spot. They have two choices. One, keep their political standing with their boss, the freaking president, or two, keep their social standing in the harsh Washington DC community. They choose the latter and basically line up against Andrew Ann Martin in this social turned political drama. But even with their jobs on the

line, there's no way these cabinet members or their wives are going to befriend Margaret. After all, it's not just that she's mouthy or lowborn. There are multiple rumors flying around, including one that she got pregnant by John Eaton back in 1821 while married to another man and had an abortion. Given the context of sexual shaming we've already covered, you can see how jacked up this gossip is, right? When Margaret catches wind of this nasty story, she's livid. She hunts down Dr. Ezra Eli, who's been spreading the rumor, and confronts him. The slandered woman lays into him, quote,

You have turned aside from your high calling to clap this slander on my back. I do not intend to leave these premises, sir, until I drag the whole of this thing out of you. Every brick here in this house shall crumble into dust before Margaret Eaton will leave until she gets the whole of the thing out of you. Close quote. After the angry as a hornet Margaret hears Ezra's weak sauce excuses, she enlists her husband to track down evidence to refute the reputation ruining rumor. The gallant Andrew jumps in too and helps John find witnesses to debunk the sordid tale. On September 10th, 1829, Andrew and John present their case for Margaret to the entire presidential cabinet with a strong vibe of stop spreading lies or else. Andrew breathes a sigh of relief, but too soon.

He may have won this battle, but the war is not over. See, Andrew's cherished niece and White House hostess, Emily, is also shunning Margaret. But Emily claims that her exclusion has nothing to do with the now-disproved sordid rumor and everything to do with the upstart Margaret's annoying claims to social intimacy with the elite White House hostess. In June 1830, yeah, we're over a year into this mess, folks. The president goes home to Tennessee with his personal secretary, Donaldson, and his wife, Emily. While there, Andrew invites Emily not to return to Washington unless she can play nice with Margaret. He boldly averts, my duty is that my household should bestow equal comity to all.

The nation expects me to control my household to this rule, and I will govern my household or I will have none. Even in the face of her uncle's powerful rage, the Tennessee socialite Emily chooses to stay behind while her husband, Donaldson, goes back to Washington with Andrew as his personal secretary. Another battle won. After two small victories in this petticoat affair, as some people are now calling it, the general has every intention of winning this war. He and his loyal allies, John Eaton and Martin Van Buren, cook up a plan to put this whole scandal to bed once and for all.

In April 1831, after two years of infighting and rumor mongering, Martin suggests that he and John resign posts. What? Hang on, just hear me out. The savvy Secretary of State argues that if he and John leave the cabinet peacefully, with sweet new gigs somewhere else in the administration, of course, Andrew can force his other, less loyal secretaries to resign and finally have some peace and quiet. The aging Andrew readily agrees to this plan of attack. So on April 7th, 1831, John submits his letter of resignation in which he claims that he has decided to, quote, avail myself of the first favorable moment after your administration should be in successful operation to retire. It occurs to me that the

time is now at hand. Close quote. Martin's letter, which comes in four days later, has the same tome. They don't even hint at the petticoat affair or mention Margaret's name. With these letters in hand, the formidable president invites secretaries Ingham, Berrien, and Branch to resign. Yesterday. Andrew explains that because of the resignations of John and Martin, a cabinet, quote, reorganization was necessary to guard against misrepresentation, close quote. All three guys who had been on the outs with Andrew for over a year now because of Margaret Eaton get the president's not so subtle hint and quietly resign their posts within a few weeks. Boom! Andrew wins this war and strengthens his presidential powers. He is definitely showing Washington DC who is in charge.

After shutting down rumors, firing family members, and strategically getting his cabinet to resign, Andrew has one more loose end to tie up in the petticoat affair. VP John Calhoun. Since Andrew is willing to ditch his cabinet and his own niece, he'll have no problem figuring out how to jettison the number two guy in the nation. And John gives him the perfect opportunity with a crisis that's been brewing in South Carolina this whole time. See, Southerners are pissed off about that tariff of abominations enacted before Andrew took office back in 1828. South Carolinians think that the tariff protects northern manufacturers at the expense of southern planters and want to veto or nullify the policy. Crazy that a tariff could be controversial, right? On the other side of the debate sits Andrew,

who won't tolerate the idea of nullification for any law. The aging veteran thinks that if the Palmetto State tries to nullify the tariff, which is really a piece of foreign policy that clearly belongs in the federal government sphere, it would totally undermine the authority and legitimacy of the United States. And dyed-in-the-wool American Andrew, who's seen two wars to preserve his nation, won't allow that. Andrew's VP John lines up on South Carolina's side. He actually wrote an essay that argued for vetoing, or nullifying, harmful federal laws in an essay called The Exposition and Protest. It was anonymous. John tries to keep his pro-nullification cards close to his chest, but Andrew still knows how diametrically opposed he and his number two are on this issue.

In 1830, events coalesce to give Andrew and John a chance to go toe-to-toe in this states' rights versus unionist argument when both men attend the birthday celebration honoring the founding father, Thomas Jefferson, on April 13th. In the ballroom of the Indian Queen Hotel, one politician after another offers a toast. And the toasts aren't Tommy Jay, the man, the myth, the legend, like you might expect at a party honoring the larger-than-life writer of the Declaration of Independence. Instead, South Carolina sympathizers and Jacksonian unionists use this party to grandstand for their own platforms. A politician hijacked an event for personal or party gain? How shocking. Andrew comes armed with his own toast to defend his position, and when his turn comes, the commander-in-chief stands.

His voice may have quieted with age, but it still pierces the room. Our union, it must be preserved. With those six words, Andrew cuts right to the heart of the issue. John has to try to deliver a toast that will speak justice forcefully for his own cause. Good luck. The austere VP raises his glass and says, The Union, next to our liberty most dear. He could have stopped there, but the verbose man rambles on. May we all remember that it can only be preserved by respecting the rights of the states and distributing equally the benefits and burden of the Union. This lengthier speech is the clear loser to Andrew's pithy toast.

But lest anyone fail to grasp how serious the president is about preserving the union, Andrew sends a South Carolina congressman home with this message a few days later. Quote, Close quote. Okay, point taken, sir. But Andrew isn't unreasonable. He asks Congress to lower the tariffs in May 1830. This pacifies most Southerners apart from South Carolina's extremists. In 1832, these guys call a convention to nullify both the 1828 tariff and a lower one that appears that same year.

Well, Andrew didn't crush the British at New Orleans to get beat by a few extreme politicians. Arguing that disunion is treason, he asks Congress for a force bill so he can send troops to South Carolina to enforce federal laws if needed. Andrew signs both the lower compromise tariff and force bill into law on March 2nd, 1833, but thankfully, no troops are sent. The extremists at the South Carolina Nullifying Convention never acknowledge being wrong, but they do drop this secession talk. For now. The only immediate casualty of this throwdown is John Calhoun's presidential ambitions. Between his political disagreements with Andrew, the petticoat affair mess, and nullification crisis fallout, the brilliant

lawyer has painted himself into a corner. In a total Hail Mary pass to save his career, he goes after his biggest rival for the president's favor, Martin Van Buren. On January 25th, 1832, acting as president of the Senate, John casts the deciding vote against the recently resigned Secretary of State Martin Van Buren as British envoy. John thinks he's defeated his powerful rival. It will kill him, sir. Kill him dead, he gloats to a friend. He's wrong. Andrew, pissed about the obviously vengeful move, seethes that the VP is politically damned and quickly names his loyal friend Martin as his running mate in the upcoming 1832 election. John officially loses his place in the president's sphere. What can I say?

The hero of New Orleans seems to win every fight that comes his way. Now that we've talked about the scandals of the election of 1828, the rancorous petticoat affair, and the fallout from the South Carolina nullification crisis, it's time to address the most controversial issue of Andrew's presidency, Indian removal. To get the full story, we need to go back a few years. And you know how we do that. Say it with me now. Rewind. At the beginning of Andrew's presidency, there are about 60,000 Cherokees,

Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminoles living in the states of Georgia and Alabama. The Indian nations have their own schools, farms, newspapers, governments, the Cherokee Nation formed a constitution on July 26, 1827, and treaties with the federal government that recognize their sovereignty. Nonetheless, the air is thick with tension. White settlers and southern state government officers want the Indian nations out of the way. And it's not just their valuable land, though that is the main reason. The way states' rights-oriented people see it, if the feds have control over one group of non-white people,

that tramples a state's prerogative to control other groups of non-white people, that tramples a state's prerogative to control other groups of non-white people. Or as Georgia Governor George Troup puts it, the federal government's, quote, jurisdiction claimed over one portion of our population may very soon be asserted over another, close quote. In case you didn't follow that, let me put it more bluntly. Southern leaders fear that if the feds control and defend the Indians, it's only a matter of time before the feds will take control of their slaves. So, the Indians have to go. Now, where does President Jackson come down on the matter?

Let me remind you of what I said when introducing Andrew back in episode 26. He's a man of contradictions. Old Hickory has two adopted Indian sons. One, Theodore, about whom we know almost nothing. And two, Lincoya, whom Andrew tried to send to West Point before the youth died in 1828. But when it comes to Indian removal, he sides with Georgia and Alabama, which we can hear in his address to Congress on December 7, 1829. Quote, I informed the Indians inhabiting parts of Georgia and Alabama that their attempt to establish an independent government would not

be countenanced by the executive of the United States and advise them to emigrate beyond the Mississippi. Close quote. He goes on to explain to Congress that Indians must submit to the state policies where they live. Well, Georgia takes this speech as carte blanche and passes a new Cherokee code. The code annexes Indian land, declares Cherokee law null and void, and blocks Indians from using the courts to fight for their rights. Georgia Governor George Troop defends these policies, asserting that, quote,

Georgia is sovereign in her own soil, close quote. Cherokee leaders realize that without the backing of state or federal leaders, their only hope of fighting the unjust laws and seizure of their land is in the courts. The Cherokee Nation sues the state of Georgia over the Cherokee Code, but it takes time for courts to hand down decisions on lawsuits. And time is not on the tribe's side, because Andrew and Congress are ready to move forward with their Indian removal plan.

The president writes to a chief of the Creek Indians on March 23rd, 1829, and explains the situation as he sees it. Now, I'll explain this further, but you need to know that when he says father in the following quotation, Andrew is referring to himself. Got it? Okay, now to his letter. Friends and brothers, listen. Where you are now, you and my white children are too near each other to live in harmony and peace. Beyond the great river Mississippi, your father has provided a country large enough for all of you, and he advises you to remove to it. There your white brothers will not trouble you. They will have no claim on the land, and you can live upon it, you and all your children, as long as the grass grows or the water runs, in peace plenty. Okay, so this letter is insightful to our understanding of the contradictory Andrew. Clearly, he sees

himself as the father of all inhabitants of America. And truly, being the Revolutionary War orphan that he is, his country is his family. And as president, Andrew thinks of himself as a father. He thinks that removal to federal lands west of the Mississippi will benefit Indians. They won't have to deal with white encroachment, and they'll get to live on a piece of land designated just for their tribe. Of course, what Andrew's not saying is that removal also benefits white Americans, who will gain complete control of the land without the interference of indigenous peoples. Most Americans agree with Andrew's whole

we're removing you from your ancestral home for your own good, line of thinking. Thomas McKinney, the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, who's known for being pretty fair-minded and honest with the Indians, gets members of New York City Church congregations to create a, quote, board for the immigration, preservation, and improvement of the aborigines of America, close quote. Sounds like they really want to help Native tribes, but did you hear that first part? Let me say it again. Emigration. In other words, to understand this point in American history, it's important to realize even champions of Indian preservation believe removal is the best way forward. So with most Americans behind relocating Indians and the Cherokee suit tied up in appellate courts, a few congressmen,

with Andrew's blessing, are free to introduce the Indian Removal Act in the spring of 1830. As the debate over this bill gets underway, the minority of congressmen who disagree with removal make their voices heard. They practically shout their dissent from the rooftops. New Jersey Senator Theodore Frelinghuysen argues against the policy passionately. He says, and I quote, argument can shake the political maxim that where the Indian always has been, he enjoys an absolute right still to be in the free exercise of his own modes of thought, government, and conduct. Do the obligations of justice change with the color of the skin? Is it one of the prerogatives of the white man that he may disregard the dictates of moral principles

when an Indian shall be concerned? No. Close quote. But sadly, enough congressmen and their constituents answer yes to Theodore's question that the Indian Removal Act passes the House and Senate, and Andrews signs it into law on May 28, 1830. Basically, the law forces tribes to cede all their land claims east of the Mississippi in exchange for holdings in Arkansas territory west of the river. It promises attractive land for each tribe and nullifies any treaty the Cherokees or other Indian tribes have with the federal government. Removal of Indian tribes begins in earnest, almost immediately. Giving us another glimpse into his mind, Andrew compares Indian removal to American

settlers heading west. In his annual message to Congress on December 6, 1830, he says that Americans, quote, by the thousands yearly leave the land of their birth to seek new homes in distant regions. Does humanity weep at these painful separations? Far from it. Close quote. Of course, old Hickory fails to see that these painful separations are voluntary and full of the hope of a better life that comes with self-determination. The president, like most Americans, is blind to the harrowing scenes that Indian relocation creates. In October 1831, around 4,000 Choctaws set out on the 550-mile journey from their homes to their newly appointed lands in Arkansas. Alex de Tocqueville, a 25-year-old Frenchman currently studying in the U.S., watches as a part of the group boards a riverboat that

will take them west. He writes that, quote, the whole spectacle had an air of ruin and destruction. It spoke of final farewells and of no turning back. Close quote. But most of the party isn't lucky enough to take riverboats. They walk. By the time the Choctaws reach Louisiana, one farmer watches as men, women, and children march across his land, quote, under the pressure of hunger, without any covering for their feet, legs, or body except a cotton underdress, close quote. The temperatures drop below freezing, and sleet covers the ground. One Choctaw leader estimates that one out of every five of his people die before they reach Arkansas. Another chief describes the harrowing journey as a, quote, trail of tears and death. Close quote. And since that statement rings true for every tribe's forced march, we refer to this as the Trail of Tears.

The Cherokees' only hope of turning the tide on Indian removal is the Supreme Court. John Marshall, that strong-minded Federalist judge from episode 27, is still serving as the chief justice. But when the Cherokee suit, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, finally shows up on his desk in 1831, he waffles. His somewhat confusing decision says that Cherokees must abide by Georgia's law since they aren't actually a sovereign nation, but are, as John puts it, a, quote, domestic dependent nation, close quote. In the end, this ruling leaves the Cherokees to put up with Georgia's unjust laws on their own and try to delay removal as long as possible. But when four white missionaries imprisoned for living with and helping the Cherokees sue Georgia

for their freedom the following year, the Supreme Court backs the missionaries in the case Worcester v. Georgia. They also call out Georgia's Cherokee Code. In his decision, John announces that he thinks Georgia's Cherokee policies are, quote, repugnant to the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States, close quote. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story feels that the courts have finally done their part to support the Indian nations. He tells his wife, quote, the court can wash their hands clean of the iniquity of oppressing the Indians and disregarding their rights, close quote. But he's not naive enough to believe that one court case in their favor will save the Cherokees from the agenda of removal. He says,

quote, the court has done its duty. Now let the nation do theirs, close quote. Unfortunately, the president, Andrew, has every intention of ignoring the court's recent ruling and allowing the removal plan to continue to roll forward. He tells his close friend John Coffey, the guy who helped him out in the brawl back in episode 26, that, quote, the decision of the Supreme Court has fell stillborn and they find that it cannot coerce Georgia to yield to its mandate. Close quote. Newspaper man Horace Greeley spices this statement up a bit and rephrases Andrew's words, saying, quote, John Marshall has made his decision.

Now let him enforce it. Thus, Andrew Jackson has used his presidential power, in defiance of the Supreme Court no less, to back a terrible policy, the Indian Removal Act. It's a bleak moment in our history, and no words adequately describe this deliberate uprooting of Indian tribes. But I think historian John Meacham sums it up as well as anyone can. To quote him, Greg Jackson. Research and writing, Greg Jackson and C.L. Salazar. Production and sound design, Josh Beatty of J.B. Audio Design.

Musical score, composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill. For a bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit historythatdoesntsuck.com. Join me in two weeks, where I'd like to tell you a story. HTDS is supported by premium membership fans. You can join by clicking the link in the episode description. My gratitude to you kind souls providing additional funding to help us keep going, and a special thanks to our members, whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Andy Thompson, Anthony Pizzulo, Art Lane, Beth Christiansen, Bob Drazovich, Brian Goodson, And a special thanks to our members whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Thank you. and Zach Jackson.