Short Stuff: Andrew Jackson's Inauguration

Summary

Stuff You Should Know: Short Stuff Special – Andrew Jackson's Inauguration

Episode Release Date: June 11, 2025
Hosts: Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant
Guest: Jerry (sitting in for Dave Rues)

In this special episode of Stuff You Should Know, hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant delve into the vibrant and tumultuous inaugural celebration of Andrew Jackson in 1829. Joined by Jerry filling in for Dave Rues, the trio navigates through historical accounts, contrasting perspectives, and the enduring legacy of one of America's most populist presidents.

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1. Introduction to Andrew Jackson’s Inauguration

The episode kicks off with Chuck Bryant expressing his aversion to politics, particularly the polarized nature of American discourse. Despite his personal feelings, he's eager to explore the political history surrounding Andrew Jackson's first inauguration.

"I have come to really detest politics, in particular, the American brand of zero sum outrage, politics that the entire nation's enmeshed in."
— Chuck Bryant [00:59]

2. Andrew Jackson: The Populist President

Dave Rues provides a foundational understanding of Andrew Jackson, highlighting his appeal to the "little people" and his status as possibly the first truly populist president in American history.

"Andrew Jackson was a very populist president, some say the very first one. And people loved him. They were like, he's for the little people."
— Dave Rues [01:06]

Jackson's decision to emulate George Washington by holding his inauguration at the White House was intended to make the presidency more accessible to everyday Americans. This move was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the public.

3. The 1829 Inauguration: Celebrations and Legends

Chuck Bryant introduces the legendary accounts of Andrew Jackson's inauguration, which suggest an unprecedented level of public celebration.

"There's just basically a legend of Andrew Jackson's inauguration in 1829 that they basically tore the roof off the White House. They partied so hard there."
— Chuck Bryant [01:45]

According to popular lore, an estimated 20,000 people flocked to Washington, D.C., celebrating Jackson's victory and participation in the government, marking a significant shift away from elite-dominated politics.

4. Contrasting Historical Accounts

However, the narrative isn’t solely one of unbridled celebration. Historians like Daniel Feller from the University of Tennessee caution against taking these exuberant accounts at face value.

"There are historians that say, hold your water there. It may not have been as wild as everyone thinks."
— Dave Rues [02:34]

Feller points out that much of the chaotic description stems from Margaret Bayard Smith's letters. Smith, who was not a supporter of Jackson, arrived late to the festivities and thus provided a biased and possibly exaggerated account of the events.

"She was tardy to the party. And also did not like Andrew Jackson and his politics. So probably had a pretty heavy slant on the chaos she described."
— Chuck Bryant [03:34]

Smith's portrayal includes vivid scenes of disorder, such as "muddy boots," "turning over tables," and "punch bowls," which have contributed to the enduring legend of a wild inaugural party.

5. Historiographical Analysis

Delving deeper, the hosts discuss other historical perspectives that either support or refute Smith's account. Daniel Webster, a contemporary and supporter of Jackson, offered a more measured description, noting the peaceful enthusiasm of the attendees.

"A lot of people have come 500 miles to see General Jackson. They really seem to think the country is rescued from some dreadful danger."
— Dave Rues [08:01]

Additionally, the Tennessee Historical Society's research revealed that while there was indeed significant turnout, the extent of the chaos may have been overstated. Senator James Hamilton of South Carolina described the festivities as a "regular Saturnalia," acknowledging some raucous behavior but minimizing the overall damage.

"He called it a regular Saturnalia, but he also said that most of the damage was minimal."
— Chuck Bryant [12:35]

This juxtaposition of accounts highlights the complexities in historical narratives, where personal biases and limited perspectives can shape the portrayal of events.

6. Modern Interpretations and Reflections

Chuck and Dave reflect on the nature of historical storytelling, acknowledging that while some elements of the inaugural celebration were likely exaggerated, the event remains a fascinating example of early American populism and political maneuvering.

"It was like a Black Friday sale, essentially, is what Margaret Smith was describing."
— Chuck Bryant [09:38]

They also touch upon the role of contemporary media in propagating these stories, much like how modern narratives can be influenced by media biases.

7. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Chuck Bryant emphasizing the blend of truth and embellishment in historical accounts, leaving listeners with a nuanced understanding of Andrew Jackson's inauguration.

"It is a fun story, and we love fun history stories."
— Chuck Bryant [12:37]

Stuff You Should Know successfully navigates the intricate tapestry of historical narratives, providing listeners with both engaging storytelling and critical analysis. Whether the inaugural party was as wild as some legends suggest or a more subdued affair, the discussion underscores the enduring impact of Andrew Jackson's presidency on American political culture.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Andrew Jackson was a very populist president, some say the very first one."
  — Dave Rues [01:06]

• "There's just basically a legend of Andrew Jackson's inauguration in 1829 that they basically tore the roof off the White House."
  — Chuck Bryant [01:45]

• "She was tardy to the party. And also did not like Andrew Jackson and his politics."
  — Chuck Bryant [03:34]

• "A lot of people have come 500 miles to see General Jackson."
  — Dave Rues [08:01]

• "He called it a regular Saturnalia, but he also said that most of the damage was minimal."
  — Chuck Bryant [12:35]

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For those intrigued by the interplay of history and legend, this episode offers a comprehensive exploration of one of America's early political spectacles, blending engaging dialogue with insightful analysis.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Josh Clark]

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[Chuck Bryant]

Hey, and welcome to the Short Stuff. I'm Josh and there's Chuck. And Jerry's sitting in for Dave. And this is Short Stuff and Chuck. I have come to really detest politics, in particular, the American brand of zero sum outrage, politics that the entire nation's enmeshed in. Yeah, I try not to think about it.

[Dave Rues]

Same.

[Chuck Bryant]

Avoid politics as much as possible.

[Dave Rues]

Same.

[Chuck Bryant]

So let's get started about this political history story.

[Dave Rues]

We're talking about Andrew Jackson and his first inauguration, or his inauguration, rather. They used to hold these in March, and his was held on March 4, 1829. And what happened there at the Capitol was he gave a speech and did his thing. And what you should know about Andrew Jackson is he was a very populous president, some say the very first one. And people loved him. They were like, he's for the little people. And like, we want to go meet this guy on Inauguration Day. So he said, that's a great idea. George Washington held these levies at the White House, which is basically come and meet the first family on Inauguration day. And I'm going to do the same. Big mistake.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. There's just basically a legend of Andrew Jackson's inauguration in 1829 that they basically tore the roof off the White House. They partied so hard there.

[Dave Rues]

Yeah.

[Chuck Bryant]

And he didn't. But that was the thing you mentioned. He was a populist president. All of a sudden because of him being a populist and the people who supported him, average everyday people who typically weren't into politics at all, Suddenly overran Washington, D.C. in a very celebratory mood. Because Andrew Jackson had beaten the Washington establishment, the elites, John Quincy Adams, and now the people were truly represented in the American government as far as they were concerned.

[Dave Rues]

Yeah. But here's the thing. There are historians that say, hold your water there. It may not have been as wild as everyone thinks. There's a guy named Daniel Feller who was a history professor at UT Tennessee Kovals. I'LL even say that as a Georgia fan. And he was the editor of the papers of Andrew Jackson, so he knows a thing or two. And he's like, you know what they talk about people wrecking the place, people coming there with muddy boots and turning over tables and punch bowls. He said, take that with a grain of salt. Because a lot of this stuff comes from the account of this woman named Margaret Baird Smith who showed up late to the party after this stuff had evidently happened.

[Chuck Bryant]

She was tardy to the party.

[Dave Rues]

Tardy to the party. And also did not like Andrew Jackson and his politics. So probably had a pretty heavy slant on the chaos she described.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. And this was. I mean, she was a good example of how the opposition to Andrew Jackson felt. Like they felt like they owned DC And Andrew Jackson and his supporters didn't really belong there.

[Dave Rues]

Right.

[Chuck Bryant]

And yet, because Andrew Jackson had won the presidency and these like, average, everyday people felt represented, finally they. They showed up. The question is, like, nobody's saying, like, that didn't happen. It's the degree to which it happened. And Margaret Bayard Smith's letters to her daughter in particular are essentially like one of a very few number of firsthand accounts. And she really did not like this and pretty much, I guess, blew it out of proportion is a really good way to put it.

[Dave Rues]

Yeah. She writes about the majesty of the people disappearing and a mob of people, you know, fighting and scrambling and. What a pity.

[Chuck Bryant]

What a pity. Yeah. She said it twice.

[Dave Rues]

Yeah.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah. And is this a How Stuff Works article?

[Dave Rues]

This is a Dave Rues shorty special.

[Chuck Bryant]

I should have known because Dave mentions, like, you can almost hear Margaret clutching her pearls in this letter. So you said she was tardy to the party. She showed up a little bit after three. And the reason she didn't go straight from the inauguration to the party is because she heard that there were these large crowds. The estimate that has been bandied about all these years later is that there were 20,000 people who showed up at the White House.

[Dave Rues]

That's incredible.

[Chuck Bryant]

To party. So I say we take a break and we come back and talk about what they say happened at this 20,000 person strong party at the White House.

[Dave Rues]

Let's do it. Learning things. When Chuck and Josh stuff. You should know.

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[Dave Rues]

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[Dave Rues]

Learning stuff is fun with Josh and Chuck.

[Chuck Bryant]

So we said Chuck before we broke that. There's about 20,000 people estimated to have been at the White House for Andrew Jackson's inauguration levy that even Margaret Bayard said or Bayard Smith said that that was probably an exaggerated number. Yeah, she did say that there were some crazy things going on though.

[Dave Rues]

Yeah, bloody noses, several thousand dollars worth of worth of glassware broken. But here's the thing again. Some historians think she might have been exaggerating because she was just Maybe a pearl clutcher and didn't like Jackson. There was a senator from Massachusetts named Daniel Webster who was not a fan of Jackson as well. But he wrote all about this day and he didn't mention like all this chaos going on. He said, you know, people have come 500 miles to see General Jackson. They really seem to think the country is rescued from some dreadful danger. And he also said a lot of people were also there to like aspiring political politicos, I guess, trying to maybe get a job or get some influence. So he wrote pretty good depth about this and he never mentioned like, you know, a party where people were getting in fights and muddy boots and turning over tables.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, it was like he didn't mention that it was, it turned into the infield at the Kentucky Derby. Right, yeah, that is really significant because he was there. And to not mention like that people were just going berserk, partying at the White House and trashing the place. I think that to me says volumes about it that either was, did it happened a little bit, but was so insignificant that Webster didn't even think it was worth mentioning or that the whole thing was basically made up.

[Dave Rues]

Yeah, I mean, I get the feeling it wasn't completely made up. I bet it got a little wild. And there are also people that say, like, you know, it sounds like there were probably people that maybe stood on tables and chairs to get a better look and, and like maybe a table breaks when you're doing that. But she made it sound like they just trashed the place, right?

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, exactly. And that not only did they trash the place, they were. It wasn't just that there were 20,000 people or however many people were there, that they were just rowdy. She was basically trying to portray them as again, people who didn't belong in Washington, let alone the White House. And look, you can't even, you can't take these supporters of Andrew Jackson anywhere. Look at what they did. They rushed people carrying out the punch bowls to get punch and free cake and yeah, they elbowed each other. It was like a Black Friday sale, essentially, is what Margaret Smith was describing. And again, just painting people in a very unflattering light. The problem is that was a letter to her daughter. Right. So if her daughter was misled or maybe she was even trying to entertain her daughter, who knows, it would be one thing. Historians would probably still have found those letters and be talking about it, but the reason why it became such a well known thing is that the press picked that up too. And exactly like happens today. That exaggeration was run with to outrage people who were opponents of Andrew Jackson, because that completely satisfied their opinion of those people.

[Dave Rues]

Yeah. Here's a bit from the New York Spectator that was pretty colorful. Here was the corpulent epicure grunting and sweating for breath, the dandy wishing he had no toes, the tight laced miss fearing her person might receive some permanently deforming impulse, the miser hunting for his pocketbook, the courtier looking for his watch, and the office seeker in an agony to reach the president.

[Chuck Bryant]

Right.

[Dave Rues]

What does that even mean?

[Chuck Bryant]

I don't know. The part about the dandy wishing he had no toes. I looked high and low for what that meant.

[Dave Rues]

Maybe because they were getting stepped on so much.

[Chuck Bryant]

Maybe.

[Dave Rues]

I don't know. That's the only thing I could think of that made any sense.

[Chuck Bryant]

The one I came up with is that maybe it was in fashion to have small feet.

[Dave Rues]

Maybe. I know that the Dandy has no Toes is a pretty great record title.

[Chuck Bryant]

Yeah, for sure. One of the best. So I guess in 1978, the Tennessee Historical Society, they roll up their sleeves and they're like, let's get to the bottom of this. And from their research, they actually said they considered it sheer bedlam. But they turned up another account from a senator named James Hamilton of South Carolina, who was a supporter of Jackson's. And even he said that this was a. He called it a regular Saturnalia, but he also said that most of the damage was minimal. So somewhere in between there and Margaret Bayard Smith's account, it was probably the truth. And I think it was Daniel Webster who's probably the most reliable.

[Dave Rues]

Yeah, I agree. But who knows? It's a fun story.

[Chuck Bryant]

It is a fun story, and we love fun history stories. And I guess Chuck Short Stuff is out.

[Dave Rues]

Correct.

[Zoe Saldana]

Stuff youf Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts, my heart radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite show.