American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House Jon Meacham Andrew Jackson rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will for the cause of democracy. Jackson’s election in 1828 ushered in a new and lasting era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. He gave voice to the hopes and fears of a restless, changing nation. To tell the saga of Jackson’s presidency, acclaimed author Jon Meacham goes inside the Jackson White House. Drawing on newly discovered family letters and papers, he details the human drama - the family, the women, and the inner circle of advisers -that shaped Jackson’s private world through years of storm and victory. One of our most significant yet dimly recalled presidents, Jackson was a battle-hardened warrior, the founder of the Democratic Party, and the architect of the presidency as we know it. His story is one of violence, sex, courage, and tragedy. Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, articulating a vision of change that challenged entrenched interests to heed the popular will–or face his formidable wrath. in American Lion Jon Meacham has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency - and America itself.