The “Second American Revolution”
The 1812 war was a turning point for the United States since it provided an opportunity for the young nation to gain its second independence from the British. From what caused the war, it was clear the British were interfering with America’s affairs with France. Britain demanded the U.S. ships pay a fee upon being forced to stop at a British port en route to France. As such, the war was an essential step in America since it gave the nation a chance to develop its independence from the British (Vidal, 2018). Despite the military loss and political disaster suffered by the U.S., and America is on the edge of bankruptcy, the war signified a stand for the right to trade neutrally.
The war deserves to be known as the “Second American Revolution” since it gave the Americans an opportunity to overthrow the British orders that forbade them to trade with continental ports. Further, the Americans were tired of how the British Royal Navy, resulting from impressments practice, boarded and searched the American ships for British seamen who had been employed for better pay (Vidal, 2018). The anger of the Americans was further aggravated by how the British navy took away American citizens from American ships without the proper documents. Another significant cause of the war was the strong tie the British had with the Natives, which impacted how the Americans carried out their operations (Vidal, 2018). For example, Tecumseh and his men helped the British, under Sir Isaac Brock, to maintain control of Canada, which determined the victories the British had during the first year of the war. While the war started with the intention to gain neutral rights to trade, it worsened in the last two years with the disgracing British America attacking its mainland and ransacking Washington.
The Jacksonian Administration
The energetic voluntarism of the Americans under Andrew Jackson was attributed to their behavior and style leveling spirit. Further, the democracy established by Jackson was founded on the need to return to the sectional roots. Jackson and his administration achieved that by promoting and justifying sexual, racial, and ethnic subordination and inclusion to become the slaveholders’ party and that of northern sympathizers (Gunderson, 2021). Therefore, the extent of the Jacksonian administration and its actions represented the people by establishing vibrant local government institutions that were popular among the people, the commons. The administration’s activities were therefore considered to be based on the aim and cause of everything (Gunderson, 2021). To Jackson and his administration, the ordinary people caused all things, and everything known by the leaders originated from them; as such, the administration purposed to absorb the people.
Jackson represented ordinary people, which is best reflected in his political ideas. Having been raised from humble beginnings, Jackson understood the need to help the ordinary men identify with their power source, which differed from the European traditions and control associated with the wealthy aristocrats (Gunderson, 2021). His ideas shifted American politics to serve the needs of the ordinary men and their associated classes instead of the ideals of the aristocrats. During the Jacksonian administration, the people who owned no land gained voting rights and more political power and enjoyed the economic favors that the administration shifted to favor American agriculture and industry (Gunderson, 2021). Indeed, Andrew Jackson represented the American people by changing the political system to enable the rise of ordinary men.
References
Gunderson, M. M. (2021). Andrew Jackson. Checkerboard Library.
Vidal, G. (2018). The second American revolution and other essays 1976-1982. New York: Vintage Books.