A Jackson Man: Amos Kendall and the Rise of American Democracy

by Donald B. Cole

Overview

"Well researched... and well written, this work gives us Kendall, warts and all. We see the avarice, the ambition, and the contradictions of his subject.... This is biography at its best." — Journal of American History
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. 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 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. The first biography of Kendall, this superbly written and researched volume charts the progression of American democracy and the culture that created it.
"Donald B. Cole's splendid book is carefully researched, detailed yet boldly interpretive, and gracefully written." — Civil War History
"[T]his biography is both enjoyable and an indispensable read for those interested in understanding the development of Jacksonian democracy." — Journal of the Early Republic

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807136478
Publisher:	Louisiana State University Press
Publication date:	03/01/2010
Series:	Southern Biography Series
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Professor of history emeritus at Phillips Exeter Academy, Donald B. Cole is the author of The Presidency of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren and the American Political System, among other books. He lives in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Editorial Reviews

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 win 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. His innovative campaign techniques and direct appeals to ordinary voters helped attract Americans to the polls; yet Kendall, like many of his contemporaries, also had a limited egalitarian vision that excluded the participation of women, African Americans, and Native Americans. In that sense, Cole demonstrates, Kendall was a man of his time, in an era of unprecedented transformations in politics, economics, and technology.

Unforgettable in appearance and manner — a gaunt, white-haired, reclusive hypochondriac — Kendall inspired mystery as well as awe in admirers and enemies. He exemplified the American self-made man in his rise from a struggling jack-of-all-trades to a wealthy Washingtonian. His story also offers a fresh look at important elements of the antebellum communications revolution: he was deeply involved in the expansion of the post office and in the rise of the telegraph, and as a philanthropist he founded the school for the deaf that became Gallaudet College. The first biography of Kendall, this superbly written and researched volume unfolds the rise of American democracy and the culture that created it.

From the Publisher