Biddle, Jackson, and a Nation in Turmoil: The Infamous Bank War

by Cordelia Frances Biddle

The first half of the 19th century was an era of upheaval. The United States nearly lost the War of 1812. Partisanship became endemic during violent clashes regarding States’ Rights and the abolition of slavery. The battle between Andrew Jackson and Nicholas Biddle over the Second Bank of the United States epitomized a nation in Biddle, the erudite aristocrat versus Jackson, the plain-spoken warrior. The conflict altered America’s political arena.

In 1832, President Andrew Jackson vowed to kill the Central Bank, setting in motion the infamous Bank War that almost bankrupted the nation. Under Biddle’s guidance, the Second Bank of the United States had become the most stable financial institution in the world. Biddle fought Jackson with tenacity and vigor; so did members of Congress not under the sway of “Old Hickory.” Jackson accused Biddle of treason; Biddle declared that the president promoted anarchy. The fight riveted the nation.

The United States is experiencing a reappearance of deep schisms within our population. They hearken back to the earliest debates about the federal government’s role regarding fiduciary responsibility and social welfare. The ideological descendants of Nicholas Biddle and Andrew Jackson are as polarized today as they were during the nineteenth century.

With this book, author Cordelia Frances Biddle documents the epic fight between Nicholas Biddle and Andrew Jackson over the fate of the Second Bank of the United States, shedding new light with previously undiscovered documents while bringing the story to life in a compelling biography of political intrigue.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2021

About the author

Cordelia Frances Biddle is a feminist and historian. Fiction: Listen to Me: The Women of the Bible Speak Out; They Believed They Were Safe; the Martha Beale series set in 1840's Philadelphia, and Beneath the Wind. Nonfiction: Biddle, Jackson and a Nation in Turmoil, and Saint Katharine: the Life of Katharine Drexel.
The River Was Waiting will be published January 2026

With her husband, Steve Zettler, she wrote the Nero Blanc crossword puzzle series.

She would love hearing from you, and would be happy to meet with your book club or reading group.
Please contact her through her website: www.CordeliaFrancesBiddle.net

Reviews

[Steve Zettler · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the classic American political battles is expertly probed in this marvelous edition. One cannot avoid recognizing the parallels between this Nineteenth Century clash and the turmoil in today’s Washington, D.C. The author, a descendent of Nicholas Biddle, has gained access to previously unseen material and correspondence, thus presenting a unique and fresh perspective on this fascinating battle of the titans. Expertly written and thoroughly researched it has a ‘you can’t put it down’ pace. A reader feels as though they’re in the hands of one of the master storytellers; the likes of William Manchester or David McCullough. A must for any adherent of American political history and turbulence.

[William Dornan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book is deceptive because this is really a full biography of Nicholas Biddle. It is not just about the "infamous Bank War." The Bank War that was waged by President Andrew Jackson against the Bank of the United States run by Nicholas Biddle is familiar to me from when I studied US history in high school and university. However, this was just a passing story. I never knew very much about Nicholas Biddle other than he was from my native Philadelphia and the full background of the issues that were a part of this war.
This book presents a lively portrait of a fascinating man that lived during the founding of the US and its growth through 1844. He witnessed much both in the US and in Europe (the book speculates he may have been a spy in Napoleonic Europe). The many people that he was familiar with included James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay and Joseph Bonapart. He even attended the coronation of Napoleon. He was the editor of the papers of Lewis and Clark.
The book is not long, only 278 pages, but it is dense with people, places and events. With the material that is covered I feel that I had read a much longer book when I finished it (this is not a criticism). There are many parallels to current events. One of the striking things for me was the presidential election of 1828. This was also a contested election; one that ended up in the House of Representatives. There were four candidates and none received the required majority of votes in the Electoral College. Andrew Jackson however was the clear leader in the popular vote. The election actually went to John Quincy Adams. Given the controversey then and in subsequent elections it is a wonder that we are still saddled with the Electoral College.
The end of Nicholas Biddle's life is truly sad, if not tragic. Despite the service that he made to the country he died a broken man in undeserved public disgrace.
The author of the book, Cordelia Francis Biddle, happens to be a direct descendant of Nicholas Biddle. She provided a very balanced biography. She did not hesitate to point out where her forefather had erred snd what were his character flaws.
To summarize this was a very interesting read for me. I learned and re-learned a great deal. I would recommend this to anyone that has an interest in US history and also is interested in politics of today because the parallels to today are very striking.
The one small shortcoming for me was the abscence of illustrations. The author did a great job of describing people, portraits and political cartoons, however, it would have been great to see some of these cartoons as well as Nicholas Biddle's portrait by Charles Wilson Peale.