Non-fiction: First Annual Message to Congress (State of the Union, 1829)

Overview
Andrew Jackson’s First Annual Message to Congress, delivered in December 1829, sets out a program of limited federal power, fiscal restraint, and populist reform. He presents the Union as prosperous and at peace, urges vigilance against sectional tensions, and frames his agenda as restoring constitutional simplicity while adapting institutions to a growing republic.

Finances and the Tariff
Jackson highlights strong revenues and rapid progress toward extinguishing the national debt, arguing that once the debt is paid, federal income should be reduced to match only necessary expenditures. He calls for revising the tariff to a revenue basis, warning that duties set chiefly for protection risk regional inequality and political discord. While recognizing the importance of domestic industry, he recommends gradual, prudent reductions where collections exceed the needs of government, with an eye to stability rather than sudden disruption.

Internal Improvements and Public Lands
On federal funding for roads and canals, Jackson urges constitutional clarity. He favors a narrow construction of national authority absent an amendment explicitly defining the scope of internal improvements. Until then, he counsels restraint to avoid favoritism and preserve a balanced federation. On public lands, he supports policies that encourage settlement and productive use, such as preemption for actual settlers and, over time, adjusting prices on long-unsold tracts, while guarding against speculation and ensuring that land policy supports the nation’s broad development.

Indian Policy
Jackson treats the growing friction between states and Native nations as a central issue. He rejects the idea of sovereign Native governments within state boundaries and presses for removal west of the Mississippi as the humane, practical course. Framing removal as voluntary and negotiated, he promises fair compensation and federal support in new homelands, arguing that it will secure tribal survival while affirming state jurisdiction. The message lays down the rationale that will soon underpin federal legislation on Indian removal.

The Bank and the Currency
Jackson poses pointed questions about the constitutionality and expediency of the Bank of the United States. Acknowledging the convenience of a sound currency and fiscal agent, he doubts the propriety of the existing institution’s privileges and foreign stockholding. He invites Congress to examine alternatives that would meet public needs without conferring undue power, signaling skepticism toward recharter and openness to a system more clearly accountable to the government and the people.

Executive Administration and Reform
Arguing that public office is a trust, not a property, Jackson endorses rotation in office to curb entrenchment and promote accountability. He urges tighter controls over public money, simpler and more transparent administrative practices, and a leaner civil list. The thrust is to align the federal establishment with republican simplicity and to reduce opportunities for corruption and favoritism.

Judiciary and Constitutional Amendments
Jackson calls attention to the burdened federal judiciary and recommends adjustments in circuits and organization to secure prompt justice. He also proposes constitutional changes: limiting presidential eligibility to a single term and restricting the appointment of members of Congress to executive office for a period, all to reduce patronage pressures and safeguard independence. He favors reforms that bring selection closer to the popular will and prevent contingent outcomes that erode confidence.

Foreign Affairs and Defense
Reporting generally peaceful relations, Jackson seeks expanded commerce and the settlement of longstanding claims arising from seizures and spoliations, particularly with major European powers. He supports a modest, ready army, a capable navy, and improved coastal defenses, calibrated to national security and fiscal prudence rather than grand expansion.

Throughline
The message combines unionist rhetoric, constitutional caution, and democratic reform. It points toward tariff moderation, limited internal improvements, Indian removal, scrutiny of the national bank, administrative rotation, and measured strengthening of institutions, an agenda that would define the early Jacksonian era.