Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump-The Uncomfortable Similarities
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POPULISM, HATRED OF “ELITES”, LOST-CAUSE/“STATES RIGHTS” ARGUMENTS, MARGINALIZATION OF NON-WHITE MINORITIES would seem to be the themes of Donald Trump’s campaign, yet hold-on, these themes have been used before (quite successfully in fact), by President Andrew Jackson (who served two terms, from 1828 to 1836). At best, an “expansion of Democracy”, and at worst letting the inmates run the asylum, while burying non-whites.
Andrew Jackson, a Short History: Most of us are familiar with Donald J. Trump’s background. Here is an Andrew Jackson refresher course:
1) Jackson was born in the Carolinas in 1767, the son of Scots-Irish immigrants from Ulster, and died at the Hermitage (near Nashville, TN) in 1845. He and his brother were taken prisoner by the British during the Revolution in 1781. Jackson famously had his face slashed by a British officer’s sword, for refusing to clean the officer’s boots. Jackson’s father died a few weeks before his birth, his brother didn’t survive British captivity, and another brother died in battle. His mother became a nurse to American prisoners held in British ships (in Charleston harbor), but soon died of cholera, leaving Andrew an orphan at age 14. His mother instilled in him a deep hatred of the British, and the privilege/aristocracy that accompanied them.
2) Jackson studied law, became a judge, and started speculating in Tennessee lands. In his lifetime, he owned over 300 slaves. He had a temper and fought several duels, luckily surviving them all (though wounded several times).
3) During the War of 1812, Jackson fought several battles with the Creek Indians, who were allied with the British. Jackson became a War Hero after winning the Battle of New Orleans in 1814 (fought after the Treaty of Ghent, which formally ended the war). After the battle, Jackson initiated an unpopular martial law in the City of New Orleans (despite being months after the British had left). This heavy-handed suppression of civil-rights spoke to Jackson’s vindictiveness and lust for power.
4) After the end of the “War of 1812”, Jackson waged the First Seminole War, after which the Creek, Choctaw, Cherokee, and Chickasaw ceded millions of acres of land to the United States (over the objections of many in Washington). In 1816, he stormed the fort at Prospect Bluff, Florida, which had become a haven for former British soldiers, escaped slaves, and indigenous peoples. Jackson’s actions in Florida polarized James Monroe’s cabinet, as in 1819 he was almost fighting a private/unauthorized war in Spanish territory. However, his ruthless actions resulted in Spain ceding Florida to the US, with the Seminoles losing most of their land.
5) Davy Crockett, who had fought with Jackson during the War of 1812, was appalled at Jackson’s overly-ambitious and genocidal tendencies after the war (along with others). While in Congress, Crockett stated “It was expected of me that I was to bow to the name of Andrew Jackson… even at the expense of my conscience and judgement. such a thing was new to me, and a total stranger to my principles.” (brainyquote.com,nd)
6) Now a National Hero, Jackson ran for President in 1824 (as part of the new Democratic ticket), won the popular vote, but lost the electoral vote to John Quincy Adams. He later won the 1828 and 1832 elections.
7) In 1832, Jackson almost destroyed the Federal Banking system by vetoing the renewal of the National Bank Charter. He opposed the bank’s supposed “monopoly” and “privilege”, not understanding the its importance in economic standardization, stability, credit, national debts, and international finance. The Whig Party solidified over opposition to Jackson’s banking policies. After Jackson left office, the State Banks that had replaced the National Bank created a speculative bubble which crashed in 1837. Chaos ensued in our Nation’s banking system until the Federal Reserve was created in 1913. (Feller, 2008)
8) Perhaps the best thing you can say about Jackson was that he was Jeffersonian (Jefferson essentially invented the system of inland Statehood via the Land Ordinance of 1784, so he took a position favorable to them). However, under Jackson, any alleged corruption by the Federal system was soon replaced by a kind of State corruption.
9) Did Andrew Jackson set the stage for the Civil War? This is an interesting question, as Jackson apologists state that in 1830, he rebuffed South Carolina’s defiance of his tariffs, stating that once the States voted themselves into a Federal Union in 1788, they could not defy it (so he was considered a de facto “Unionist”). I say that with his support of States Rights, hatred of Northern institutions, clearing Southern lands of indigenous peoples (to make way for slave-dependent cotton), and heavy personal involvement in the slave-trade, HE WAS VERY MUCH A CIVIL WAR TABLE-SETTER.
Donald Trump re: Andrew Jackson: “He was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War. He said, ‘There’s no reason for this’” But Jackson died in 1845, and the Civil War didn’t begin until 16 years later, in 1861. (Jacksonville.com, 2017)
Differences Between Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump: Ok, let’s first get the differences out of the way:
1) Andrew Jackson was a military man, brave, and a war hero (for better or worse): Trump was “President Bone Spurs”.
2) Jackson sought to expand foreign trade and annex foreign lands (like Texas, that then belonged to Mexico). Trump is an isolationist, and has limited foreign trade (notably through tariffs with China).
3) Jackson at least had clear policy points and pursued them vigorously. Trump’s policy is seemingly a combination of alarmism, distorting the truth, and setting a 180 degree course from his Democratic opponents.
Similarities Between Andrew Jackson and Donald Trump: There are many similarities in the policies of the two men. If fact, Trump seems to be using Jackson’s presidency as a kind of template.
1) Both men are Populists, who demonize “elites”: In Jackson’s day, this made more sense, since only land-holding white males could vote. Jackson pretty much represented the Scots-Irish group, which had recently settled the inland portions of the South (western Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky) and were poorer than the British settlers who had arrived much earlier, settling the coastal regions and becoming relatively wealthy. Trump is obviously picking up votes from poorer, less privileged whites, many the descendants of Jackson’s voters.
2) Andrew Jackson Invented “Crony Capitalism” As part of his war on elites, Jackson thought it appropriate to install his own people, qualified or not, in government positions. He felt, with some justification, that previous government employees had become partisan fat-cats. Unfortunately, Jackson’ “spoils-system” ushered in a century or so of local machine politics (and the likes of Boss Tweed, Huey Long, etc). Trump has done the same in the past (installing unqualified loyalists in government positions), and if re-elected will take this much further.
3) Both Men were/are Marginalizing Non-White Minorities Under a Kind of “Who…Me?” Guise. Andrew Jackson was the primary architect of the two worst blights on Americana a) The shameful “Trail of Tears” relocation of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminoles to Oklahoma, which followed his “war” against them, with flimsy pretexts. The Cherokee were partially assimilated and even had a favorable Supreme Court decision (Worcester vs Georgia, which Jackson ignored). b) The “clearing” of Native Americans in the Deep South made way for a gigantic increase in slavery. Prior to the War of 1812 and the invention of the Cotton Gin, African chattel slavery was more or less confined to sugar plantations in the West Indies. Thanks to Jackson, the cotton industry in the Deep South flourished, with an enormous increase in demand for African chattel slaves. All this was done under the smokescreen of “States Rights”. Trump, of course, pretends to have little knowledge of things like Charlottesville, the Proud Boys, or Southern Lost Cause themes, and feigns support for self-help minority ambition (while squelching minority voting, demonizing Mexicans as “rapists”, calling non-white countries “shitholes”, demonizing minority justice movements such as BLM). Both men had/have a notable disregard for the rule of law.
4) Both Men Stated Their Presidential Election Losses were a Result of Corruption: When Jackson lost in the 1824 election, despite winning the popular vote, he called the electoral decision a “corrupt bargain”. Trump famously called the 2020 election “stolen”, even though he lost the popular vote by over 10 million votes.
5) Andrew Jackson milked Evangelical Christian Support, which had been whipped into a frenzy by the Second Great Awakening. Need I remind readers that Trump is making similar use of Evangelical support. The Second Great Awakening had strengthened charismatic Christian conversions in rural Southern states (largely populated by Scots-Irish immigrants), in the early 1800s. This was fueled by rejection of religious norms (think Catholicism and Yankee Protestantism), circuit-riding ministers (who reached remote areas), and talk of a Second Coming of Christ. It also brought us the religious-revival tents, charismatic fire-and-brimstone preachers, and related snake-oil sales/religious hucksterism (as seen in movies like “Elmer Gantry”). Revival tents have largely given way to today’s Televangelism, but the underlying rural themes (distrust of urban dens of iniquity, wariness of science and medicine, rejection of “elites”) were/are fertile grounds for Jackson and Trump supporters. I submit that whatever sympathies good citizens have for charismatic faith and healing powers, should be counterbalanced by knowing that Jackson’s Evangelical supporters found religious justifications in his genocidal treatment of Native Americans and condoning of slavery.
6) Both Were in the Middle of Mud-Slinging in Their Election Campaigns: During his campaign, Jackson stated that he had only two regrets, “that I have not shot Henry Clay, nor hanged John C Calhoun”. Jackson’s wife was called a “prostitute” by opponents, while Jackson was called a slave-trader who had abused Native Americans (not mud slinging, actually true). (Little, 2018)
7) Both Men were/are “Might is Right” Presidents. It is remarkable how far each has gotten with a projection of brute strength and not policy. Both men took advantage of the political infighting in their opponent Parties, and their opponent’s projection of relative weakness/indecisiveness. Jackson’s opponent in 1828 was John Quincy Adams, an incumbent President and former Secretary of State, who had negotiated several important treaties (Trump’s opponent in 2016 was former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton). Both Jackson and Trump smeared Adams/Clinton as mealy-mouthed proponents of the status quo. Jackson’s opponent in 1832 was Henry Clay, a great compromiser, who often reached across the aisle (like Trump’s current opponent, Joe Biden). It is interesting to note that in 1824, Jackson, Adams, and Clay all ran as members of the same political party, the Democratic-Republicans (remember also that Trump was once a Democrat). Jackson went on to form the Democratic Party, Adams and Clay later became Whigs, a sort of Northern anti-slavery party. Adams and Clay opposed the annexation of Texas, fearing it would become a slave-State, while Jackson favored annexation. Jackson was stubborn and relentless (in contrast to Adams and Clay, the compromisers), while Trump (the “Deal-Maker”) likes to contrast himself, his health and “stamina” to the supposedly weaker/capitulating Clinton and Biden.
8) Both Men were/are Federal Bank meddlers. As said, Jackson wanted to destroy the National Bank. Trump has already bullied the Federal Reserve, and now wants the power to set interest rates (likely to make himself look good). (Gordon,2024)
The Result of the Jackson and Trump Presidencies: Ironically, the Party that Jackson helped form, the Democrats, soon became the “Party of the South and Slavery” (then opposed by the Northern-based Whigs, which gave way to the abolition-minded Lincoln Republicans). The two parties have almost traded places in modern times. In Jackson’s day, there was also an “Anti-Masonic Party”, which was heavily church influenced and anti ”Main Street” business (which opposed Jackson, since he was a Freemason, even though the two parties had some similar goals). Growing up, we were taught about the merits of “Jacksonian Democracy”, which advanced the cause of “White Suffrage” (getting non-land holding white males the vote), ostensibly an extension of Jeffersonian States-Rights Democracy (but actually at the expense of Native Americans and Blacks). For the latter, Jackson is mostly reviled by modern historians. Trump, if reelected, will continue the Jacksonian template of catering to less-educated whites. This may be an expansion of plurality, but also replacing any corruption of “elites” with corruption of sycophantic Trump idealogues. Non-white minorities will surely suffer at the polls (and with job opportunities) during Trump’s “spoils system”, while educated “elites” risk punishment.
The really strange thing is that Andrew Jackson created the Democratic Party from a group of marginalized Southern white men, who looked down upon Northern “elites”, Native Americans, and Blacks. Lincoln soon formed the Republican Party which was an alliance of Northern “elites” and Blacks, pushing back against Southern Democrats. Today, the two parties have almost completely switched constituencies, with Trump largely representing Jacksonian Democrats, and Biden at the head of Lincoln Republicans!
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