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VOA慢速英语2013 Andrew Jackson and the Election of 1828 - The Making of a Nation No. 44

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Andrew Jackson and the Election of 1828 - The Making of a Nation No. 44

From VOA Learning English, welcome to The Making of a Nation, our weekly program of American history for people learning English. I’m Steve Ember.

This week in our series, we talk about the election of 1828. It was bitter and full of angry words and accusations1.

The old Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson had split into two opposing groups. President John Quincy Adams led one of the groups. It called itself the National Republican Party.

Andrew Jackson, a military hero and politician, led the other group. It called itself the Democratic Party.

Each party had its own newspapers. In Washington, the Daily National Journal supported President Adams. The United States Telegraph supported General Jackson.

The Telegraph published accusations by Democrats2 in Congress against the administration.

The Journal, in turn, published a pamphlet that said Jackson had fought a man, chased him away like a dog and then stolen his wife.

Jackson denied these claims. Historians still do not know how much of this story is true. But the story had a great effect on Jackson for the rest of his life.

Jackson met the young woman, Rachel, at her mother's home near Nashville, Tennessee. Rachel and her husband, Lewis Robards, were living there at the time. They were having marriage problems. Robards argued with his wife about Jackson. He said she and Jackson seemed too close.

Robards reportedly wanted to fight Jackson with his fists. Jackson said he would face Robards not in a fistfight but in a gunfight, if Robards wished to fight like a gentleman. Robards rejected the invitation to a duel3, and nothing more happened between the two men.

Robards and his wife settled their differences. But a short time later, they had another dispute, and Rachel left. Court records said she left with a man — Andrew Jackson.

Rachel's family said she told Robards she wanted a divorce. They said he threatened her, telling her he would carry her away by force.

So Rachel’s family said she decided4 to flee. She decided to go with some traders to Natchez, in the dangerous Mississippi territory.

By now, Rachel meant a great deal to Andrew Jackson. He had fallen in love with her. When the traders asked him to go with them to Natchez to protect them, he agreed. The group left for the territory early in 1791.

For his part, Lewis Robards began preparations for a divorce. He allowed Rachel’s family to believe that he and Rachel were no longer married. But, in fact, he did not complete the necessary legal action to make the divorce final.

Jackson returned from Natchez after several months. His opponents later claimed that he had married Rachel while in Natchez. They said she was still another man’s wife at the time. Opponents said the couple’s relationship was both immoral5 and illegal. They said Jackson was an adulterer for having a relationship with a married woman. And they said Rachel was a bigamist for having two husbands.

But Jackson said he believed Rachel and her first husband, Lewis Robards, were divorced. He said he returned to Nashville to ask Rachel’s mother for permission to marry her daughter and that she agreed.

Andrew and Rachel Jackson remained in Tennessee. The next two years were busy for Jackson. As a young lawyer, he worked hard and traveled far.

Then, in December 1793, Jackson said he discovered court papers showing that Lewis Robards had only recently divorced Rachel. Jackson said he was shocked. As soon as possible, he and Rachel were married again — legally this time.

Almost 10 years passed. Jackson became a judge and got involved in Tennessee politics. But the circumstances of his marriage remained an issue that led to arguments. For instance, a man once accused Jackson of cheating on a horse racing6 bet. Then the man called his wife a bigamist. Jackson killed the man in a duel.

Later, in the 1828 presidential election, Jackson’s opponents made Rachel’s honor a campaign issue. Jackson could not duel everyone who questioned his wife’s honor. So he asked a special committee of citizens to investigate his marriage and make a public report. Many people on the committee were his friends or supporters.

The committee found that the Jacksons were not at fault for getting married before Rachel and her first husband were legally divorced.

The pro-Jackson newspaper in Washington published the committee's report. Pro-Jackson papers also began to print vicious stories about President Adams and his wife.

Anti-Jackson newspapers did not publish the committee’s report. They continued to denounce the Jacksons’ marriage.

Historian Daniel Feller at the University of Tennessee is an expert on Andrew Jackson. He says the charges about Jackson’s marriage made a good story for people to talk about. But he says other accusations were more serious. These were about Jackson’s career.

“The attacks that really hit home were about Jackson’s unauthorized, and perhaps directly-against-orders, conquest of Florida in 1819. His sometimes savage7 disciplinary measures against his own troops. His declaring martial8 law in New Orleans and maintaining martial law in New Orleans and arresting people in New Orleans well after the War of 1812 was actually over.” 

All during the bitter election campaign, neither Jackson nor his opponent, President Adams, said anything about one very important issue: slavery. Adams did not want to lose what little support he had in the South and West by denouncing slavery. Jackson did not want to lose the support of some Republicans in the North by openly defending it.

Adams's silence did not mean that he approved of slavery. Southerners were sure that he opposed it. And Jackson did not have to tell the South what he thought about slavery. He was a slave owner, and he had bought and sold slaves all his life.

There was another important difference between the two men and their political parties. President Adams and the Republicans represented the interests of those who owned property.

Many of the president's supporters felt that wealthy, property-owning citizens should control the government.

Jackson and the Democrats represented the interests of the common people. They did not feel that the rich had more right to govern than the poor.

The presidential election of 1828 was held on different days in the different states between October 31 and November 5. Voters in the northern states supported John Quincy Adams. Andrew Jackson won the South. Historian Daniel Feller says Southerners did not seem bothered by opponents’ fears that Jackson was mentally unstable9 and believed he should have unlimited10 power.

“They were much more compelled by the image of this great man of the people — exactly why they thought that is not clear — but, this great man of the people and also this great man on horseback, the Hero of New Orleans.”

Even President Adams recognized that Jackson was extremely well-liked.

“John Quincy Adams wrote in his diary years before the election that in a popularity contest, in a political contest, no man could stand against the Hero of New Orleans.”

When the electoral votes were counted, Andrew Jackson received 178. President Adams received only 83.

Rachel Jackson was proud of her husband. But she was not happy about the life she would have to lead as first lady. And her health seemed to be suffering. “For Mr. Jackson's sake," she said, "I am glad. For my own part, I never wished it."

Nevertheless, the couple prepared to move to Washington. There was little time for Rachel to rest.

Then, just a few days before the Jacksons were to move, two doctors were called to the Jackson home. They found Rachel in great pain. She seemed to be having a heart attack.

After a day or so, she appeared to be better. She was able to sit up and talk with friends. But her mind was still troubled about the years ahead in Washington. "I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God," she said, "than to dwell in that palace in Washington."

In December of 1828, a few nights before Christmas, Rachel was sitting in a chair. Her husband had already gone to sleep. Suddenly, Rachel cried out and fell to the floor. The servants screamed. Jackson ran to the room, picked Rachel up and carried her to the bed. But he could see that life had already left her.

Witnesses said Jackson continued to sit next to her, holding his head in his hands.

Rachel was buried two days later. Ten thousand people went to the funeral. The Reverend William Hume spoke11 of Rachel Jackson's life. He talked of her kindness and humility12. And he told how she had been upset about the personal accusations against her during the election campaign.

Jackson believed those accusations were a cause of Rachel's death. His anger is expressed on the stone above Rachel’s grave. One line of the inscription13 says, “A being so gentle and so virtuous14, slander15 might wound but could not dishonor.”

At that time, Andrew Jackson was 61 years old. He was a tall, thin man. His long face was wrinkled. Most portraits of him show a great mass of messy hair pushed back from his high forehead.  

Jackson's health had never really been good. He carried in his body two bullets from duels16 fought years before. But he was a tough man with a spirit strong enough to keep moving, even when he was grieving.

He left for Washington, DC in January 1829. A huge crowd was gathering17 there to greet him. They would create one of the wildest inaugural18 celebrations in American history.

And that will be our story next week.

I’m Steve Ember, inviting19 you to join next time for The Making of a Nation — American history from VOA Learning English.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 accusations 3e7158a2ffc2cb3d02e77822c38c959b     
n.指责( accusation的名词复数 );指控;控告;(被告发、控告的)罪名
参考例句:
  • There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
  • He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。
2 democrats 655beefefdcaf76097d489a3ff245f76     
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
  • The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 duel 2rmxa     
n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争
参考例句:
  • The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。
  • Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。
4 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
5 immoral waCx8     
adj.不道德的,淫荡的,荒淫的,有伤风化的
参考例句:
  • She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
  • It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。
6 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
7 savage ECxzR     
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人
参考例句:
  • The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
  • He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。
8 martial bBbx7     
adj.战争的,军事的,尚武的,威武的
参考例句:
  • The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
  • The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。
9 unstable Ijgwa     
adj.不稳定的,易变的
参考例句:
  • This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实,装不了这么多书。
  • The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。
10 unlimited MKbzB     
adj.无限的,不受控制的,无条件的
参考例句:
  • They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
  • There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。
11 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
12 humility 8d6zX     
n.谦逊,谦恭
参考例句:
  • Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
  • His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和,甚至有点谦卑。
13 inscription l4ZyO     
n.(尤指石块上的)刻印文字,铭文,碑文
参考例句:
  • The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损,无法辨认了。
  • He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。
14 virtuous upCyI     
adj.有品德的,善良的,贞洁的,有效力的
参考例句:
  • She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性,人人都尊敬她。
  • My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。
15 slander 7ESzF     
n./v.诽谤,污蔑
参考例句:
  • The article is a slander on ordinary working people.那篇文章是对普通劳动大众的诋毁。
  • He threatened to go public with the slander.他威胁要把丑闻宣扬出去。
16 duels d9f6d6f914b8350bf9042db786af18eb     
n.两男子的决斗( duel的名词复数 );竞争,斗争
参考例句:
  • That's where I usually fight my duels. 我经常在那儿进行决斗。” 来自英语晨读30分(初三)
  • Hyde Park also became a favourite place for duels. 海德公园也成了决斗的好地方。 来自辞典例句
17 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
18 inaugural 7cRzQ     
adj.就职的;n.就职典礼
参考例句:
  • We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
  • Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。
19 inviting CqIzNp     
adj.诱人的,引人注目的
参考例句:
  • An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
  • The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人,使人感到亲切温馨。

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