HW for March 22 - Andrew Jackson and the path towards "Manifest Destiny"
To prepare for next class with premium professor Edgardo Medeiros Silva, watch these videos about Andrew Jackson's Presidency. Comment on the profile of Jacksonian Democracy, espcially taking into account his policy of "the common people", his treatment of the Natives, and how he dealt with finances. Compare with John Sullivan's 1839 apology of the "Great Nation of Futurity" (anthology, pp. 168-170).
this one;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c00NuhXHFXg
and this:
“If Thomas Jefferson rode to the White House on the shoulders of slaves, Andrew Jackson rode to the White House in the arms of the people. By the people, Jackson meant the newly enfranchised workingman, the farmer and the factory worker, the reader of newspapers. In office, he pursued a policy of continental expansion, dismantled the national bank, and narrowly averted a constitutional crisis over the question of slavery. He also extended the powers of the presidency.” (Lepore, 2018).
ReplyDeleteHe won his election in a rematch against John Quincy Adams who had left victorious in the election of 1824. Jackson’s achievement became known as the “revolution of 1828”. Jackson was the first and only president to be censured. He called himself a Jefferson democrat. He was born in a humble family and rose to fame through patriotism, valor and hard work. Married his wife Rachel before her first marriage being legally terminated. Adams’ supporters used this to declare that Jackson was morally unfit to hold the office of the presidency.
He pushed through the Indian removal Act of 1830. His support was essential in getting the Act in motion. This act forcibly evicted all the Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi River, which affected 5 nations. Jackson claimed that “This emigration should be voluntary for it would be as cruel as unjust to compel the aborigines to abandon the graves of their fathers and seek a home in a distant land.” (page 149 of the Anthology). In the winter of 1831, the Choctaw became the first nation to be forcibly removed from their land. They made the journey on foot, without food, supplies, or other help from the government. Thousands of people died along the way. It became known as the Trail of tears.
After Jackson’s presidency, John Sullivan wrote "the Great Nation of Futurity” (1839). O’Sullivan (1813-1895) was a writer and editor. Founded and edited United States Magazine and Democratic Review, in which the essay mentioned was published.
He “preached a particular form of Christian nationalism that centered on expansionist fever occurring during the 1830s and 1840s. O’Sullivan’s Christian nationalism was known as “Manifest Destiny”. He famously coined the term in 1845 while defending the right of the United States to annex the Republic of Texas. As a form of Christian nationalism located in the context of antebellum America, Manifest Destiny is helpful to historians as they trace both continuity and change over time in how Americans have self-identified in religious terms since their origin as a collection of colonial, and later independent, polities.” (Wilsey, 2017).
“The essential ideas of manifest destiny are present, however, in ‘The Great Nation of Futurity’: the special status of the American people and the United States; the mission of the United States to spread the blessings of liberty and redeem the world from tyranny; the inevitable unfolding of progress; and the victory of the future over the past. The great engine driving America’s manifest destiny was the power of equality and Americans’ commitment to this idea.” (History, 2024).
With this essay he intended to cast America and its democracy as the ideal society on earth. Most like Winthrop in “A model for Christian Charity” with the “city upon the hill”. In O’Sullivan’s mind it was America duty to fulfil its “God-given mission to overspread the entire North American continent.” (Wilsey, 2017). Something Jackson also stood for.
Sources
Lepore, Jill (2018). These Truths. A History of the United States. W. W. Norton & Company.
https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/the-great-nation-of-futurity/
Wilsey, John D. (2017) “’Our Country Is Destined to be the Great Nation of Futurity’: John L. O’Sullivan’s Manifest Destiny and Christian Nationalism, 1837–1846” accessed March 21st 2024 on https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/8/4/68#:~:text=For%20O'Sullivan%2C%20the%20past,according%20to%20the%20democratic%20principle.
Jacksonian Democracy, associated with the presidency of Andrew Jackson, represented a significant shift in American politics toward a more populist approach. Jackson supported the interests of the "common people," advocating for expanded suffrage and opposing entrenched aristocracies. However, his policies and actions had complex implications, particularly concerning Native American rights and finances.
ReplyDeleteJackson's treatment of Native Americans is a dark stain on his legacy. His policy of Indian removal, most notably exemplified by the Indian Removal Act of 1830, forcibly relocated Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to territories west of the Mississippi River. The Trail of Tears, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Native Americans, stands as a tragic consequence of this policy, highlighting the brutality and injustice of Jackson's approach.
In terms of finances, Jackson's presidency saw significant controversies and challenges. He was a determined opponent of the Second Bank of the United States, viewing it as an institution that concentrated economic power in the hands of a few elites. His rejection of the bank's recharter and subsequent efforts to dismantle it was motivated by his desire to decentralize economic control and empower state banks. However, this contributed to financial instability and the Panic of 1837, one of the most severe economic crises in American history.
Comparing Jacksonian Democracy with John L. O'Sullivan's 1839 articulation of the "Great Nation of Futurity" provides a contrast. O'Sullivan's vision, often associated with Manifest Destiny, celebrated American exceptionalism and the belief in the nation's divine destiny to expand across the North American continent. While Jacksonian Democracy emphasized the empowerment of the "common people", O'Sullivan's rhetoric focused more on the expansionist and nationalist ambitions of the United States. However, both ideologies were intertwined with the era's imperialism and the overlook of the rights and sovereignty of indigenous peoples.
Overall, Jacksonian Democracy represented a significant shift toward populism and the empowerment of the "common people". Andrew Jackson's policies toward Native Americans and his handling of economic matters were deeply flawed and often destructive. The comparison with O'Sullivan's vision of American exceptionalism highlights the complex intersection of nationalism, expansionism, and indifference to the rights of marginalized communities during this period of American history.
“Andrew Jackson's presidency, marked by the rise of Jacksonian Democracy, was a significant period in American history. Jackson's belief in the power of the 'common man' was a defining feature of his political philosophy, and he sought to dismantle elitist structures in favor of a more egalitarian society. However, his treatment of Native Americans, particularly his support for their forced removal from their ancestral lands, remains a deeply controversial aspect of his presidency.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of financial policy, Jackson's opposition to the National Bank and his support for hard currency were significant departures from previous administrations. These policies reflected his belief in economic democracy and his distrust of centralized financial power.
John L. O'Sullivan's 1839 concept of the 'Great Nation of Futurity' expressed a belief in American exceptionalism and the idea that the United States was destined to become a great nation. While both Jackson and O'Sullivan shared a belief in the potential of the United States, their visions of how to achieve this greatness differed significantly. Jackson's focus was on empowering the common man and challenging established power structures, while O'Sullivan's vision was more focused on the idea of American expansion and destiny.
Both Jacksonian Democracy and O'Sullivan's 'Great Nation of Futurity' were influential in shaping the United States' national identity and political landscape in the 19th century. However, their respective approaches to achieving this vision were markedly different, reflecting the diverse and often conflicting ideologies that have shaped American history.”
By Bárbara Soares
The Jacksonian Democracy, associated with Andrew Jackson's presidency and political philosophy, significantly influenced the development of American politics in the 19th century. It emphasized a more inclusive approach to political participation, favoring the "common people," but it also had darker aspects, notably in its treatment of Native Americans and its impact on the financial system.
ReplyDeleteThe Jacksonian Democracy is often seen as a movement to extend political power to the common man, moving away from the elitism of earlier political eras.
The Jacksonian Democracy's main goals include expanding suffrage, that is, extending the right to vote to all white male citizens, abolishing property qualifications. This shift marked a significant democratization of American politics, allowing more people to participate in elections and public life.
It also included populism and anti-elitism, advocating for policies that appealed to ordinary Americans, rejecting aristocratic and elitist tendencies. Andrew Jackson himself was seen as a populist president who represented the interests of the common people against entrenched elites.
In terms of his treatment of Native Americans, they were harsh and brutal, including an Indian Removal Act, that Andrew Jackson signed in 1830, which led to the forced relocation of tens of thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral lands to areas west of the Mississippi River. This policy culminated in the infamous "Trail of Tears," a tragic and deadly journey for the Cherokee and other tribes.
He also disregarded native sovereignty, seeing Indigenous people as obstacles to American expansion. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Worcester v. Georgia (1832), which favored the Cherokee's sovereignty, was ignored by Jackson, leading to further erosion of Native rights.
In terms of financial policies, they were contentious, with a focus on dismantling the estabilished banking system and favoring a decentralized approach. Those policies included the war on the bank, that reflected his distrust of centralized financial power. He believed that the bank favored the elite at the expense of the common people, leading him to veto the recharter of the bank and withdraw federal funds, placing them in state banks.
John L. O'Sullivan's 1839 article "The Great Nation of Futurity" is known for introducing the concept of "Manifest Destiny," the belief that America had a divine mission to expand across the continent.
While the Jacksonian Democracy and O'Sullivan's "Great Nation of Futurity" share themes of expansion and the elevation of the common people, they differ in their approach to Native Americans and their impact on finance. Both the Jacksonian Democracy and O'Sullivan's concept of Manifest Destiny promoted American expansion, but Jackson's policies were detrimental to Native Americans, leading to displacement and suffering. O'Sullivan's ideas, though idealistic, similarly justified expansion without considering the impact on Indigenous people. Also, the Jacksonian Democracy sought to empower the common man through expanded suffrage and anti-elitism. O'Sullivan's vision focused more on the broader destiny of the American nation, emphasizing a sense of mission that transcended individual concerns.
In summary, the Jacksonian Democracy represented a shift towards greater political participation and populism, but its darker aspects, particularly in relation to Native Americans and financial instability, tempered its positive impact. While O'Sullivan's "Great Nation of Futurity" reflected an optimistic vision of American destiny but also had expansionist undertones that paralleled some of the less savory aspects of Jacksonian Democracy.