The legacy of America’s seventh president is inextricably tied to the fate of American Indians.
Trail of Tears by Robert-Lindneux, 1942
It’s almost impossible to talk or write about Andrew Jackson’s presidency without someone asking questions about the Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears, especially here in Southeast Tennessee, where the Trail of Tears began. The shadow of “Indian Removal” and its subsequent impact on the Cherokee and other native nations hangs over Jackson’s legacy like a death shroud. Continue reading
This amendment was introduced by James Madison to ensure that the Bill of Rights was not seen as an exhaustive list of the rights of the people. It acknowledges that there are other fundamental rights that exist even though they are not specifically mentioned in the Constitution. The Ninth Amendment serves as a constitutional safety net intended to make clear that individuals have other fundamental rights, in addition to those enumerated in the Constitution. 
I have a confession before I launch into today’s history story. I’m a Tennessean who had three great-great-grandfathers who fought alongside General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans; a Tennessean who grew up with stories of the general as the hero of the War of 1812. I am still a Tennessean, but one who has lived for the last 46 years in Chattanooga — the origin of the Trail of Tears — and who now understands more clearly the multi-faceted Jackson, who defies a simple analysis as a man and as a president.
While digging through a folder of items belonging to my grandmother during her high school years, I came across several copies of Weekly News Review, a periodical full of news items and current events apparently geared toward young students… 
The state’s literacy rates have been on the decline since the 2014-15 school year, with a six-point fall between the 2018-19 and 2020-21 school years. Micah Clark, director of the 
James Monroe had enjoyed his eight years in the White House and, while well liked without perhaps the reverence citizens had exhibited for George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, his administration had expanded the nation’s footprint with Florida and its international role with the Monroe Doctrine. His strong sense of nationalism was appropriate for a time when the republic was evolving and growing, and his devotion to the precedents of the past fueled his decision to only serve two terms. After all, he had run unopposed in 1820, and there were those who encouraged him to “stay the course,” but Washington’s words made that decision for him. 
If you mention James Monroe’s presidency and foreign diplomacy, most students of history immediately think “Monroe Doctrine,” a uniquely crafted document that would be applied time and again — across the decades — as a cornerstone of international policy. How did the Monroe Doctrine come into existence? 
Most young folks today think that everything that happened before they were born is ancient history, and therefore, totally irrelevant. Hopefully, as they grow in age and maturity they will shed this truncated worldview and grasp the fact that the past has a large influence on the future. I have noted, over the years, that if our view of the past is faulty, then our vision for the future will be also, Most historians today give our young people a faulty view of the past because it is one they were taught themselves. 
The War of 1812 had highlighted the need for easy movement between regions and unity’s impact on military security. James Monroe inherited that concern. As the nation expanded and additional territorial lands met the requirements for statehood and applied for admission to the Union, the need for internal improvements was obvious. Relatively primitive roads on the frontier, aided only by water transport, made the movement of goods and military assets difficult. 
Several days ago, I was handed a pile of old schoolwork and curriculum found in paperwork and memorabilia from my grandmother. Sifting through the stack, I soon pulled out several booklets labeled “Minnesota State Board Questions Certified.” Yellowed with age and somewhat dog-eared, they appear to be workbooks with which students could prepare for their yearly school exams.
In a trend that began with the pandemic, data shows ongoing school enrollment issues, and thousands of public schools nationwide are at risk of closing. According to the Department of Education , in 2023, 1.8 million fewer students enrolled in public schools nationwide compared to 2019.
As we enter a presidential campaign season, many of us are probably hoping for an era of good feelings, or at least civil discourse, which seemed to have been abundant during James Monroe’s administration. It may be difficult today to imagine that Monroe, always depicted as an unsmiling, stoic individual, was actually extremely popular among voters and the general public. The fact that he was truly interested in the people of his relatively young nation and the regions in which they lived connected him with his constituents.