A Jackson Man: Amos Kendall and the Rise of American DemocracyLSU Press, 2004 - 332 pages A rare, fascinating personality emerges in Donald B. Cole's biography of Amos Kendall (1789-1869), the reputed intellectual engine behind Andrew Jackson's administration and an influential figure in the transformation of young America from an agrarian republic to a capitalist democracy. After helping Jackson with the election of 1828, Kendall became the president's chief advisor - speech writer, postmaster general, and author of the famous veto of the bill to recharter the Bank of the United States. Born on a small Massachusetts farm and educated at Dartmouth, Kendall moved to Kentucky as a young man to seek his fortune and eventually became one of the very few nationally prominent antebellum politicians who successfully combined northern origins and southern experience. Kendall's role in democratizing American politics is shown in a compelling narrative of his evolution from a republican idealist to a democratic individualist who contributed greatly to the rise of the Democratic party. communications revolution: he was deeply involved in the expansion of the post office and of the telegraph, and as a philanthropist he founded the school for the deaf that became Gallaudet College. Unforgettable in appearance and manner - a gaunt, whitehaired, reclusive hypochondriac - he inspired mystery as well as awe in admirers and enemies. In his ascent from a struggling jack-of-all-trades to a wealthy Washingtonian, he exemplified the American self-made man. The first biography of Kendall, this superbly written and researched volume unfolds the progression of American democracy and the culture that created it. |
Contents
Introduction I | 1 |
Part One NEW ENGLAND | 7 |
Dunstable | 9 |
New Worlds | 27 |
Part Two KENTUCKY 3 Down the Ohio | 33 |
A Yankee in Kentucky | 42 |
Political Editor | 55 |
The Relief War | 67 |
Party Battles | 132 |
The Kitchen Cabinet | 144 |
The Bank Veto | 157 |
Removing the Deposits | 177 |
Postmaster General | 193 |
Van Buren | 214 |
Private Life | 233 |
Telegraph Consolidation | 262 |
Other editions - View all
A Jackson Man: Amos Kendall and the Rise of American Democracy Donald B. Cole No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
Adams Alfred Vail American Amos Kendall Andrew Jackson Anti-Relief Argus Autobiography Bank Veto Barry Biddle Blair-Lee Papers Boston Buren Papers cabinet Calhoun Company Congress congressional County Dartmouth democracy Democratic Desha Duane Duff Green Dunstable Eaton editor election Filson Historical Society Francis Francis O. J. Smith Frankfort friends Gallaudet Globe Green Hampshire Henry Clay Historical Society History House Ibid Isaac Hill Jackson Papers Jacksonians James Jane Kendall Johnson Joseph Desha Journal July June Kendall Papers Kendall to Blair Kendall to Jackson Kendall to Jane Kendall to John Kendall to Morse Kendall's Kentucky later letter Lewis Lexington Martin Van Buren McLane Morse Papers Morse's National newspaper Niles O'Rielly party political Polk Post Office postmaster president Press quotation Relief removal republican Samuel F. B. Morse Senate Sept sess Smith Taney telegraph tion vote Washington Whig William Woodbury wrote York