Jackson set the standard for the most tumultuous presidential term ever — at least until now. He took office on March 4, 1829, as the self-described champion of “the common man,” declaring he was out for revenge against the “hungry rats” from the outgoing administration of President John Quincy Adams. Jackson quickly replaced the Adams-appointed U.S. ambassador to Colombia, fellow 1812 war hero Gen. William Henry Harrison, who had been there only a few weeks after a months-long trip. Then Jackson turned to federal workers. Everyone in government “from the highest officer to the lowest clerk, was filled with apprehension,”...