Praise for Jackson’s Way
‘A compelling account of Jackson’s Indian-fighting days . . . as well a grand sweep of the conquest of the trans-Appalachian West, a more complex, bloody, and intrigue-filled episode than is generally appreciated. . . . Mr. Buchanan writes with style and insight. . . . This is history at its best.’
-The Wall Street Journal
‘An excellent study . . . of an area and a time period too long neglected by historians . . . provides valuable new information, particularly on the Indians.’
-Robert Remini, author of Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars
‘John Buchanan has written a book that explodes with action and drama on virtually every page. Yet the complex story of the birth of the American West never loses its focus-Andrew Jackson’s improbable rise to fame and power. This is an American saga, brilliantly told by a master of historical narrative.’
-Thomas Fleming, author of Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America
From John Buchanan, the highly acclaimed author of The Road to Guilford Courthouse, comes a compulsively readable account that begins in 1780 amidst the maelstrom of revolution and continues throughout the three tumultuous decades that would decide the future course of this nation. Jackson’s Way artfully reconstructs the era and the region that made Andrew Jackson’s reputation as ‘Old Hickory, ‘ a man who was so beloved that men voted for him fifteen years after his death. Buchanan resurrects the remarkable man behind the legend, bringing to life the thrilling details of frontier warfare and of Jackson’s exploits as an Indian fighter-and reassessing the vilification that has since been heaped on him because of his Indian policy. Culminating with Jackson’s defeat of the British at New Orleans-the stunning victory that made him a national hero-this gripping narrative shows us how a people’s obsession with land and opportunity and their charismatic leader’s quest for an empire produced what would become the United States of America that we know today.
Table of Content
Illustrations and Maps.
Preface.
Prologue.
Beginnings.
Vanguard of Empire.
The Frontier.
The Cumberland Salient.
Under Siege.
‘I Am a Native of This Nation and of Rank in It’.
The Rise of Andrew Jackson.
Buchanan’s Station and Nickajack.
‘When You Have Read This Letter over Three Times, Then Burn It’.
Major General Andrew Jackson.
Conspiracy and Blood.
Old Hickory.
Massacre.
‘Time Is Not to Be Lost’.
Mutiny.
They ‘Whipped Captain Jackson, and Run Him to the Coosa River’.
Horseshoe Bend.
‘We Have Conquered’.
‘I Act without the Orders of Government’.
‘To Arms!’
‘I Will Smash Them, so Help Me God!’
Beauty and Booty.
Epilogue.
Notes.
Selected Bibliography.
Index.
About the author
JOHN BUCHANAN, formerly an archivist at Cornell University and chief registrar of The Metropolitan Museum of Art where he was in charge of worldwide art movements, is the author of The Road to Guilford Courthouse (Wiley). He lives with his wife in New York City.
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