Panic in the Senate: The Fight Over the Second Bank of the United States and the American Presidency

Maine Historical Society - Programs Podcast

Recorded July 7, 2021 - Author and history teacher Michael Trapani discusses how Andrew Jackson changed the nature of the United States presidency through his war against the Second Bank of the United States, and how his Whig opponents in the Senate tried to stem the tide of change. Jackson's novel use of his removal and veto power, coupled with anointing himself the direct representative of the people, shocked opponents who believed the president had stretched the power of the office beyond the limits set by the nation's founders. Trapani also discusses contributions to the debate from the two Maine senators often overlooked by history: Ether Shepley and Peleg Sprague - the former one of Jackson's staunchest defenders, and the latter one of his most forceful enemies. Purchase the book from the MHS Store.