Chapter One
Triumphant: A Davy Crockett Presidency
A man of the people, David “Davy” Crockett began his career in politics in 1821 as a member of the Tennessee General Assembly before becoming a member of the United States House of Representatives in 1827. Crockett became known for fighting for the fair rights for settlers in land dealings and for voting against President Jackson’s Indian Removal Bill, the sole vote from the Tennessee delegation. Crockett would lose the 1831 election to William Fitzgerald. At first this seemed to be a failure, but as Crockett would soon discover, it was really his great chance.
From Charles McCool’s Backwoods President, published in 2007.
Simply known as the Anti-Jackson Party, the National Republican party scouted and invited the Tennessee native to the National Republican Convention in Baltimore, Maryland in December of 1831. Crockett accepted, himself being an enemy of Andrew Jackson. Crockett surprisingly had a large number of supporters who saw him as the best chance of beating the current president. Crockett was a frontiersman who became a politician and was well known for his passion. The other candidate at the convention was Henry Clay, the delegate from Kentucky. Clay had run for the office of the president of the United States in 1824, and had set his sights on the oval office once again.
Crockett supports convinced the convention delegates that the Tennessean had the best chance at beating Jackson due to the “Common Man” spin they could place on the former representative. Clay would be sidelined yet again, the nomination swinging to Crockett. His running mate was Richard Rush of Pennsylvania to create a more balanced ticket.
From Andrew Williams’s Rising Star: The Presidency of Davy Crockett, published in 2018.
The election of 1832 proved to be the first real test of the National Republican Party. The National Republicans campaigned on the continued survival of the Second Bank of the United States and for the implementation of internal improvements. Crockett constantly spoke out about the hypocrisy of the anti-elitism of Jackson. Jackson was a rich land owning slave owner in Tennessee, which Crockett used against him. National Republicans also called to attention Jackson’s shortsighted economic policies, claiming that a panic was inevitable if the national bank was closed. Jacksonian support of wildcat banks was called “irresponsible” and “a liability” without oversight from the Second Bank of the United States. Crockett supporters also clamored for greater unity, which they said that the internal improvements would further connect the nation. The biggest break for the National Republican party came in late August as Andrew Jackson died on August 7th, 1832 due to his multiple health issues, propelling the Speaker of the House Andrew Stevenson to the office, forcing him to serve as acting president. Stevenson was next in the line of succession due to the resignation of the pro tempore Tazewell in July. David Crockett easily trounced the now deceased Jackson’s running mate Martin Van Buren in November. David “Davy” Crockett would take office in March of 1833, becoming the first National Republican president.
From Charles McCools’s Backwoods President, published in 2007.
Andrew Stevenson, Acting President of the United States of America.
The Acting President would have to face the ever growing Nullification Crisis in the Palmetto state. Stevenson, a staunch Jacksonian Democrat, opposed the movement. On January 16th, 1833, Stevenson sent his Force Bill to congress. Calhoun, the former Vice President, opposed the bill and instead offered resolutions contending that the Federal system joined “free and independent States in a bond of union and mutual advantages” which could be preserved by two ways: by member consent or a “government of the sword.” Calhoun thus had the ear of many of the Southerners in Congress. Daniel “Black Dan” Webster, born of New Hampshire, senator of Massachusetts, national embodiment of New England, frequently debated Calhoun. Webster countered the fiery orator’s speeches of a grand past by instead speaking of a grand future where a nationalistic democracy could thrive. As the nation teetered towards conflict, Stevenson was inaugurated as the 8th president of the United States on January 29th, 1833. In the words of Chief Justice John Marshall, “in this time of crisis, our Union could not afford the notion of a pretender in the presidential manor.” In February, two bills were passed; Henry Clay’s Compromise Bill and Stevenson’s Force Bill. Calhoun returned to his native state and convinced South Carolina that Nullification meant war and ruination. The state no longer called for secession and instead nullified the Force Bill. The Crisis had finally come to an end.
From Jennifer McCintosh’s Baptism of Fire: Stevenson & The Nullification Crisis, published in 2014.
Shortly after his election, Crockett was faced with a number of issues that failed to be concluded during the seven month long Stevenson administration, including the Nullification Crisis in South Carolina. Prior to his inauguration, Crockett feared his first act as president would be to wage a war upon South Carolina. Thankfully, the issue was resolved on March 15th, 1833: eleven days after Crockett took residence in the Presidential Mansion. One of the first things Crockett did was to renew the charter for the Second Bank of the United States by the end of April. Crockett however would anger members of his party by vetoing a tariff. Crockett, most likely stemming from his western background, opposed the tariff. But Crockett remained supportive of other measures garnered by his new found party, including the brainchild of Henry Clay, the American System. The new president hoped to build a series of canals to further connect the nation. Crockett announced that the Federal Government would take control of the funding and repairs of the National Road, as well as extending it to Illinois.
The most important issue that Crockett would have to deal with in his term, was with the Native American tribes.
From Andrea Sim’s History of America: 1829-1850, published in 1998.
The Crockett Cabinet
Vice President: Richard Rush
Secretary of State: Henry Clay
Secretary of Treasury: Thomas Ewing
Secretary of War: John Bell
Attorney General: John J. Crittenden
Postmaster General: Francis Granger
Secretary of the Navy: George Badger
A man of the people, David “Davy” Crockett began his career in politics in 1821 as a member of the Tennessee General Assembly before becoming a member of the United States House of Representatives in 1827. Crockett became known for fighting for the fair rights for settlers in land dealings and for voting against President Jackson’s Indian Removal Bill, the sole vote from the Tennessee delegation. Crockett would lose the 1831 election to William Fitzgerald. At first this seemed to be a failure, but as Crockett would soon discover, it was really his great chance.
From Charles McCool’s Backwoods President, published in 2007.
Simply known as the Anti-Jackson Party, the National Republican party scouted and invited the Tennessee native to the National Republican Convention in Baltimore, Maryland in December of 1831. Crockett accepted, himself being an enemy of Andrew Jackson. Crockett surprisingly had a large number of supporters who saw him as the best chance of beating the current president. Crockett was a frontiersman who became a politician and was well known for his passion. The other candidate at the convention was Henry Clay, the delegate from Kentucky. Clay had run for the office of the president of the United States in 1824, and had set his sights on the oval office once again.
Crockett supports convinced the convention delegates that the Tennessean had the best chance at beating Jackson due to the “Common Man” spin they could place on the former representative. Clay would be sidelined yet again, the nomination swinging to Crockett. His running mate was Richard Rush of Pennsylvania to create a more balanced ticket.
From Andrew Williams’s Rising Star: The Presidency of Davy Crockett, published in 2018.
The election of 1832 proved to be the first real test of the National Republican Party. The National Republicans campaigned on the continued survival of the Second Bank of the United States and for the implementation of internal improvements. Crockett constantly spoke out about the hypocrisy of the anti-elitism of Jackson. Jackson was a rich land owning slave owner in Tennessee, which Crockett used against him. National Republicans also called to attention Jackson’s shortsighted economic policies, claiming that a panic was inevitable if the national bank was closed. Jacksonian support of wildcat banks was called “irresponsible” and “a liability” without oversight from the Second Bank of the United States. Crockett supporters also clamored for greater unity, which they said that the internal improvements would further connect the nation. The biggest break for the National Republican party came in late August as Andrew Jackson died on August 7th, 1832 due to his multiple health issues, propelling the Speaker of the House Andrew Stevenson to the office, forcing him to serve as acting president. Stevenson was next in the line of succession due to the resignation of the pro tempore Tazewell in July. David Crockett easily trounced the now deceased Jackson’s running mate Martin Van Buren in November. David “Davy” Crockett would take office in March of 1833, becoming the first National Republican president.
From Charles McCools’s Backwoods President, published in 2007.
Andrew Stevenson, Acting President of the United States of America.
The Acting President would have to face the ever growing Nullification Crisis in the Palmetto state. Stevenson, a staunch Jacksonian Democrat, opposed the movement. On January 16th, 1833, Stevenson sent his Force Bill to congress. Calhoun, the former Vice President, opposed the bill and instead offered resolutions contending that the Federal system joined “free and independent States in a bond of union and mutual advantages” which could be preserved by two ways: by member consent or a “government of the sword.” Calhoun thus had the ear of many of the Southerners in Congress. Daniel “Black Dan” Webster, born of New Hampshire, senator of Massachusetts, national embodiment of New England, frequently debated Calhoun. Webster countered the fiery orator’s speeches of a grand past by instead speaking of a grand future where a nationalistic democracy could thrive. As the nation teetered towards conflict, Stevenson was inaugurated as the 8th president of the United States on January 29th, 1833. In the words of Chief Justice John Marshall, “in this time of crisis, our Union could not afford the notion of a pretender in the presidential manor.” In February, two bills were passed; Henry Clay’s Compromise Bill and Stevenson’s Force Bill. Calhoun returned to his native state and convinced South Carolina that Nullification meant war and ruination. The state no longer called for secession and instead nullified the Force Bill. The Crisis had finally come to an end.
From Jennifer McCintosh’s Baptism of Fire: Stevenson & The Nullification Crisis, published in 2014.
Shortly after his election, Crockett was faced with a number of issues that failed to be concluded during the seven month long Stevenson administration, including the Nullification Crisis in South Carolina. Prior to his inauguration, Crockett feared his first act as president would be to wage a war upon South Carolina. Thankfully, the issue was resolved on March 15th, 1833: eleven days after Crockett took residence in the Presidential Mansion. One of the first things Crockett did was to renew the charter for the Second Bank of the United States by the end of April. Crockett however would anger members of his party by vetoing a tariff. Crockett, most likely stemming from his western background, opposed the tariff. But Crockett remained supportive of other measures garnered by his new found party, including the brainchild of Henry Clay, the American System. The new president hoped to build a series of canals to further connect the nation. Crockett announced that the Federal Government would take control of the funding and repairs of the National Road, as well as extending it to Illinois.
The most important issue that Crockett would have to deal with in his term, was with the Native American tribes.
From Andrea Sim’s History of America: 1829-1850, published in 1998.
The Crockett Cabinet
Vice President: Richard Rush
Secretary of State: Henry Clay
Secretary of Treasury: Thomas Ewing
Secretary of War: John Bell
Attorney General: John J. Crittenden
Postmaster General: Francis Granger
Secretary of the Navy: George Badger
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