Andrew Jackson: Symbol for an Age

Cary, North Carolina, U.S.A.: Oxford Univ Press, 1955. Trade Paperback. Very Good. 5" x 8. 274 Pages Indexed. About 6 pages have underling and on chapter heading has a atwo-line inked note. Beyond that is a tight book with no other marks or stamps. Every age creates heroes to suit its needs. For young, pioneering America of the early 19th century, Andrew Jackson filled that need. This book shows how Jackson captured the imagination of his contemporaries and how the ideals of the period were fused in him. It is, therefore, a study of Jackson's time rather than simply a study of the man. Concerned with defining the term Jacksonian, the author selects meaningful episodes from Jackson's career and traces the transmutation of these episodes into symbol and myth. The image of Jackson as a victorious general, as a rough-hewn frontiersman, as a man of iron will, as Providence's child, served to make him a legendary figure and a hero for an age. The author not only demonstrates the importance that Jackson had for his contemporaries, but also sheds light on the psychology of myth and hero-making in general. By so doing, he succeeds in separating some fact from fiction hitherto accepted as fact. This dynamic, often unique, approach makes for a fascinating account of early America and of the man who dramatized its destiny.