American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

In October 1830, South Carolina voters elected state legislators, who in turn chose James Hamilton Jr., a pro-nullification candidate, as governor. Hamilton aimed to challenge the federal tariff as a precedent for protecting slavery. The state legislature passed resolutions supporting the states’ rights view, asserting that states could judge and respond to constitutional infractions. Meanwhile, President Jackson engaged in a heated conflict with Andrew Donelson over Emily’s return to the White House. Emily, tired of being exiled in Tennessee, wrote to Jackson that she was willing to make concessions to Margaret Eaton. In March 1831, Jackson sent Andrew to bring Emily back to Washington. However, upon Andrew’s arrival in Tennessee, Jackson sent another letter reversing his decision. He stated that unless Andrew and his family could harmonize with Major Eaton and his wife, they were not welcome in Washington. Shocked by this sudden change, Andrew and Emily decided to remain in Nashville.

As Jackson and Andrew quarreled, Jackson welcomed a man named Francis Preston Blair into his inner circle. Blair became the founding editor of the Globe, a new newspaper that was designed to unwaveringly support Jackson and his administration. The Globe critiqued the concept of