I am the first to admit I am no scholar of American History.
In 11th grade, when our curriculum dictated we learn about the American Revolution and the Civil War, I was way too busy learning how to pluck my eyebrows, apply mascara and, most of all, attract boys.
It’s only in later years, having acquired knowledge of how to tweeze, having mastered the art of thickening my eye lashes AND how to attract males, did I finally settle down and start learning about the checkered history of our beloved United States of America.
Think this past election was contentious? Think again!
It’s 1828 and Andrew Jackson is running against incumbent John Quincy Adams, the son of past president John Adams.
It was a nasty presidential race marked by extreme personal attacks that highlighted their contrasting backgrounds and political ideologies. Mudslinging was rampant.
Jackson’s supporters emphasized his military exploits and his identification with the West and the frontier, characterizing him as the champion of the common man. His supporters accused Adams, a Harvard graduate, of being patrician, elitist, corrupt and too tied in with Eastern backers.
Jackson’s supporters attacked Adams for engaging in immoral behavior, including allegations about his past dealings and a supposed “prostitution” scandal related to a servant. Jackson’s campaign used the scandal to portray Adams as morally corrupt and unfit for the presidency.
Adams’ supporters attacked Jackson as an uncouth, unrefined, violent and dangerous frontier savage whose election would bring the reign of the mob.
Jackson’s personal life, including his marriage to Rachel Jackson, was marred by controversy. She had separated from her husband before she met Andrew Jackson. But the divorce was not finalized when she began her relationship with Jackson – leading to accusations that she had committed adultery and that their marriage was illegitimate.
The public scrutiny and personal attacks took a toll on Rachel and exacerbated her health issues. She died shortly before Jackson’s inauguration, leaving Jackson devastated by her passing at age 61.
Jackson forced relocation of Native American tribes to land further west – believing that it was essential for America expansion and progress – has had lasting reverberations. Thousands of Native Americans were forcibly removed from their homes. The Trail of Tears refers to one particular march where 15,000 Cherokees trudged 1000 miles under brutal conditions. Four thousand died. Jackson’s ideology underscored the tragic consequences of forced displacement.
Today, due to the above, controversy still reigns on why or why not 7thU.S. President Andrew Jackson should be the face on the U.S. $20 bill. Jackson has been featured on the $20 bill since the late 1920s. There have been discussions and proposals to replace his image with that of Harriet Tubman, an abolitionist and political activist, but as of now, Jackson remains on the bill.
Andrew Jackson died in 1845, surrounded by many of the household servants he had enslaved.
He told them: “I want all to prepare to meet me in heaven….Christ has no respect to color.”
This was very ironic because his patronage practices contributed greatly to a racially discriminatory enviroment within the federal workforce.
The Jackson- Adams nasty election was just one of many nasty occurrences in our presidential history – proving that our democracy is designed to be vastly resilient and able to handle falsehoods and rampant unproductive untruths.
Here are some examples:
The election of 1860 (Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen A. Douglas, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell) took place amid rising tensions over slavery.
The Election of 1884 (Grover Cleveland vs. James G. Blaine) was peppered with brutal personal attacks and vitriolic rhetoric.
The election of 1960 (John F. Kennedy vs. Richard Nixon) involved significant issues, such as religion and allegations of communism against both candidates.
Things change, but somehow they still seem to remain the same.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
