The story of the United States of America pt. 1
Tracking Power 1754-1829
History teaches us that every action has a reaction. When we look back, we can see the power or authority and the reaction to that power or authority. Authority is the governing body, and power is a movement against authority. Authority is power, but power is not always authority. When authority overextends itself, it becomes weak. The cost of protecting such a large empire stresses the economy and pits corporate interests against the interests of the people. Corporation, in this context, refers to all types of corporate power, both governing and private. When corporate interests overrule the interests of the people, the people often create a movement to counter the authority to regain some of their freedom and independence. This is how the United States of America was born.
The Founding Era 1754-1829
The idea of freedom and independence in America was born in 1754 with the beginning of the French Indian War. This is the moment when the British empire overextended itself. It would take a few years for the results to show, but the colonist would soon see the Stamp Act and Townsend Acts, which levied taxes on the colonist. Leaders like Benjamin Franklin and John Adams sought a reasonable solution to the problem with authority. Franklin traveled to Britain seeking representation in parliament. When he arrived, he witnessed an authority that was unwilling to listen to the people it governed. Not only would the authority not grant representation to the colonist, giving them a say in how the taxes are levied, but the authority was also mismanaged and corrupted by private corporate interests. The taxes levied against the colonist created anger and frustration. It led to events like the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party. The mob moments were published and shared as a way of focusing the people against the authority. Thomas Paine, the Sons of Liberty, and others cultivated the mob into a revolution— leaders like John Adams, George Washington, and others guided the revolution to victory.
In 1754 power shifted, and by 1781 a new power and authority were delivered into the world, the United States of America. The movement by the people created power for the people, and that power was divided into two factions, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
The Federalists: those who supported a strong central government. The leaders of the Federalists were James Madison and Alexander Hamilton.
The Anti-Federalists: those who opposed the creation of a strong central government. The leaders of the Anti-Federalists were Patrick Henry and George Mason.
After the ratification of the constitution, the two powers evolved into authority. The Anti-Federalists became the Democratic-Republicans, and the Federalists remained the same.
The Federalists supported a national bank, a protective tariff, and a strong executive branch. They also supported a loose interpretation of the Constitution and a strong standing army. They were generally more urban and wealthy and favored the interests of merchants, manufacturers, and financiers. They were led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams.
The Democratic-Republican main beliefs were in republicanism, which emphasized civic virtue, opposition to corruption and aristocracy, support for a strong centralized government, limited federal government, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. They also favored a strong agrarian economy and states rights. They were led by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson.
The Federalist leaders were at odds, Alexander Hamilton sabotaged his own party with his behavior in a power struggle with John Adams. After Adams lost his re-election bid to the White House and Hamilton was killed in a duel, the party lost relevance and power.
While the Federalist power fractured into two and then defeated itself, the Democratic-Republican power grew until they grew out of touch with the people they were leading. The Corrupt Bargain of 1824 led people to question those governing and began seeing them more as rulers. The Tariff of Abominations passed in 1828 was designed to protect American interests but unintentionally raised the cost of goods, particularly in the southern states. This created anger and frustration among the people. This anger and frustration were cultivated into a new populist movement by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. It focused the people against the current authority.
The election of 1828 was one of the most bitter and divisive in American history. Andrew Jackson and his supporters portrayed Adams as an elitist who was out of touch with the common people, while Adams and his supporters attacked Jackson's controversial past and character. Jackson won the election by a decisive margin, receiving 178 electoral votes to Adams' 83. He also won the popular vote, receiving 56% of the vote to Adams' 44%. Jackson's campaign was marked by his populist appeal and the support of the common people and is often considered the first modern presidential campaign.
In 1824 power began to shift, and by 1829 a new power was born. Andrew Jackson split the Democrat-Republican party in two. They became the National Republican Party which would eventually become the Whigs in the 1830s, and the Democratic Party led by Jackson. With the death of the original powers that birthed the United States, a new Era began. The Jacksonian Era would span from 1829-1861 they would use the ideas of the founding and wield their power in a much different way than our founders intended.
Basic law of physics: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It's funny how well this can be applied to history and political power.