Date of Award

Spring 1984

Project Type

Dissertation

Program or Major

American History

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Abstract

This study is a political biography of Amos Kendall (1789-1869), a newspaper editor who became one of the principal advisers to President Andrew Jackson. The study is based on primary sources and documents, as well as the standard secondary literature on the Jacksonian period of American history.

Kendall's career in politics is examined in its entirety, including his activities in Kentucky, his tenure as Postmaster General, and his contributions to the development of the Democratic Party. Emphasis has been placed on Kendall's commitment to republican theories of popular government, particularly as he implemented these theories during the struggle between the Jackson Administration and the Bank of the United States. In addition, his relationships with other political figures of the era, including Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and Francis P. Blair, are also examined.

The author concludes from his research that Kendall was a significant figure in the Jacksonian era of American politics. Kendall's standing and reputation should be reconsidered in subsequent American historical scholarship.

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