complicated legacy

"Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in".
- Andrew Jackson

unnaturalist

"What good man would prefer a country covered with forest and ranged by a few thousand savages for our extensive republic studded with cities and towns and prosperous farms embellished with all the improvements art can devise or industry execute."
- President Andrew Jackson, 1830

people weren't necessarily people

The Indian Removal Bill, including the Five Civilized Tribes, was favored by President Andrew Jackson who made it the law of the land. Whites now had a chance at Indian lands. 

An earlier reference to Jackson here.

Law of Life

Founder of the Democratic Party and seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson [1767-1845] often recounted what he claimed were his mother's last words to him, which he said were the "law of his life."

Andrew, if I should not see you again, I wish you to remember and treasure up some things I have already said to you: In this world you will have to make your own way. To do that you must have friends. You can make friends by being honest and you can keep them by being steadfast.
You must keep in mind that friends worth having will in the long run expect as much from you as they give to you. To forget an obligation or be ungrateful for a kindness is a base crime—not merely a fault or a sin, but an actual crime. Men guilty of it sooner or later must suffer the penalty. In personal conduct be always polite but never obsequious. None will respect you more than you respect yourself. Avoid quarrels as long as you can without yielding to imposition. But sustain your manhood always. Never bring a suit in law for assault and battery or for defamation. The law affords no remedy for such outrages that can satisfy the feelings of a true man.
Never wound the feelings of others. Never brook wanton outrage upon your own feelings. If you ever have to vindicate your feelings or defend your honor, do it calmly. If angry at first, wait till your wrath cools before you proceed.

The definition of  Ethical Will on this blog here.

William James's comment on the significance of appreciation here.