Part 2

Uncommon Common Men

Andrew Jackson, burst out of the frontier to create the presidency of the “common man” and to radically redefine the relationship between the chief executive and the people. We explore the ways in which Jackson pushed the envelope of the presidency and how he put the office squarely in competition with both the Congress and the Supreme Court for ultimate governing authority. His legacy was mixed, and the next eight presidents governed in Jackson’s long shadow, ultimately with catastrophic results for a nation marching toward civil war. This part ends with the remarkable presidency of Abraham Lincoln, who once again reshaped the presidency in a fierce and majestic effort to restore the Union.