Andrew Jackson & Henry Clay in Antebellum America

Harry L. Watson's book Andrew Jackson vs. Henry Clay: Democracy and Development in Antebellum America is an exploration of the two politicians who embodied American culture at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The books thesis, at heart, is that this fecund era in American political history occurred at a time of fundamental tension between the democratic ideals of the era confined as they were to white men and the nascent nation's preoccupation with fostering economic development. Jackson and Clay's numerous debates on these topics, and the popular followings they created, gave rise to some of the country's most important developments, including the creation of political parties, the first national political campaigns, and the political crisis that eventually led to the secession of the South. Along the way, Watson draws on a wide array of original documents from the era to provide readers with a perspective on the thoughts of these two important American historical figures.

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Category: History - A