Favorable or Unfavorable #247: Andrew Jackson Donelson

[vcczar]

AJ Donelson of TN was the nephew and adopted son of Andrew Jackson, who never had his own biological kids. I can't explain the 1852 switch to the Know Nothings. Apparently, he was unpopular with Democrats by then. He appears to have been a slaveholder while part of the Know Nothing Party, which opposed slavery. He appears to have been inactive during the Civil War, staying in TN. I see no strongly Union or Confederate statement by him. He was probably just waiting it out. After the war, he was upset that he had to start paying his black employees that had been unpaid enslaved workers on his farm/plantation prior to emancipation. 

His actions:

Donelson, Andrew J	1824	Aids his uncle & adopted father, Jackson, in his presidential campaign
Donelson, Andrew J	1828	Aids his uncle & adopted father, Jackson, in his presidential campaign
Donelson, Andrew J	1829	Private sec to Jackson for his entire presidency
Donelson, Andrew J	1832	adviser to Jackson on bank policy
Donelson, Andrew J	1844	Role in getting Polk the nomination at Dem Conv
Donelson, Andrew J	1844	Sent as diplomat to TX by Tyler to handle annexing TX, stays on w/ Polk until annexation
Donelson, Andrew J	1846	Appt Amb to Prussia by Polk
Donelson, Andrew J	1852	Switches from Dem to Know Nothing, while serving as an editor of a paper
Donelson, Andrew J	1856	Know Nothing VP nominee on Fillmore ticket
Donelson, Andrew J	1860	Helps create the Constitutional Union Party

[Murrman104]

Presumably, he was a Know Nothing for just the anti-Catholic bigotry 

[vcczar]

4 hours ago, Murrman104 said:

Presumably, he was a Know Nothing for just the anti-Catholic bigotry 

Most Democrats are pro-Catholic. That’s a huge voting block for them at the time. But it’s possible.