Andrew Jackson vs. Henry Clay: Democracy and Development in Antebellum America

by Harry L. Watson

Andrew Jackson vs. Henry Clay presents a selection of letters, essays, and speeches in order to demonstrate how these two individuals' clashing perspectives shaped and exemplified the major issues of national politics between the War of 1812 and the territorial crisis of 1850, the preservation of the union, federal commitments to banking, tariffs, internal improvements, and the egalitarian tone of national political culture.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Biography

283 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1998

About the author

Harry L. Watson is the Atlanta Distinguished Professor of Southern Culture at the University of North Carolina. He is the author of Liberty and Power: The Politics of Jacksonian America and An Independent People: The Way We Lived in North Carolina, 1770–1820. His coedited books include Southern Cultures: The Fifteenth Anniversary Reader and The American South in a Global World.

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading a text on two men I don't respect without a hint of criticism on either side is a miserable way to spend a week.

The only thing I found interesting here is the development of the modern day Republicans and Democrats. Although Jackson's Democratic-Republican party was the precursor to modern day democrats, I found myself opposing his logic far more often than Clay (with the Whigs, who would become modern day Republicans). I think my preference was pretty informed by the author who didn't quite demonize Jackson (as he should have, but for reasons other than fiscal policies), but gave him the short end of the stick when providing primary source documents and summaries of arguments. It could be that Clay was simply more well-spoken, but his analysis of the economic calamities of this time and his solutions (a Republican making a compromise???) seemed far more logical than Jackson's never-ending "you should act like Americans . . . don't dishonor the men who died for you" kind of arguments for things like protective tariffs.

[Brittany Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so painful to me, though idgaf about this period or the "powerful men" angle to history.