This morning’s random object was a little piece of American history in toy form: a bust of Andrew Jackson.
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While I put pencil to paper, we talked about Jackson as the seventh president, a frontier orphan, and a fiery populist who expanded the power of the veto, fought centralized banking, and left behind the controversial legacy of the Trail of Tears.
Jackson wasn’t a founding father, he was a kid during the Revolution. But his military victories in the War of 1812, especially at New Orleans, made him a national hero. That popularity helped him launch the modern Democratic Party, one he claimed would defend the “common man” against elites. At the same time, his support for slavery and removal of Native tribes cemented a legacy that’s still deeply divided.
Oddly enough, no one can say exactly why Jackson landed on the $20 bill in 1928. Nearly a century after his presidency, he replaced Grover Cleveland, and the records don’t explain why. Whether admired or condemned, Andrew Jackson is still staring back at us from our wallets, reminding us that American history is complicated, messy, and very much alive in the symbols we carry every day.
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Also, if you, or a teacher friend, are interested in a 20-30 minute lesson plan about Andrew Jackson, feel free to download and share this one:
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