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Trump, Andrew Jackson and Ourselves Trump, Andrew Jackson and Ourselves
(about 4 hours later)
President Trump believes in the “great man” theory of history. Specifically, he believes that a great man, a man like President Andrew Jackson, could have stopped the American Civil War. In an interview with Salena Zito, a reporter for The Washington Examiner, on Sirius XM’s “Main Street Meets the Beltway,” Mr. Trump said the following: “Had Andrew Jackson been a little later you wouldn’t have had the Civil War. He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart, and he was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War. He said, ‘There’s no reason for this.’ ”President Trump believes in the “great man” theory of history. Specifically, he believes that a great man, a man like President Andrew Jackson, could have stopped the American Civil War. In an interview with Salena Zito, a reporter for The Washington Examiner, on Sirius XM’s “Main Street Meets the Beltway,” Mr. Trump said the following: “Had Andrew Jackson been a little later you wouldn’t have had the Civil War. He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart, and he was really angry that he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War. He said, ‘There’s no reason for this.’ ”
Set aside the fact that Jackson died on June 8, 1845, 16 years before the first shells were fired on Fort Sumter on the shores of South Carolina — and thus said markedly little on the subject of the Civil War. It is clear that Mr. Trump believes in Andrew Jackson. He sees similarities in himself with the seventh president: Both are presidential swashbucklers and populists. Their hardscrabble roots may differ, but their attitudes do not. Setting aside the fact that Jackson died on June 8, 1845, 16 years before the first shells were fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina — and thus said markedly little on the subject of the Civil War. It is clear that Mr. Trump believes in Andrew Jackson. He sees similarities in himself with the seventh president: Both are presidential swashbucklers and populists. Their hardscrabble roots may differ, but their attitudes do not.
And so Mr. Trump believes that the Civil War could have been prevented had his 19th century avatar been alive to take a stand. We also learned this morning from Jon Meacham, the presidential historian, that Mr. Trump also believes he could have done a deal to avert the Civil War. And so Mr. Trump believes that the Civil War could have been prevented had his 19th century avatar been alive to take a stand. We also learned from Jon Meacham, the presidential historian, that Mr. Trump once boasted that he could have done a deal to avert the Civil War.
Many of us believe this. Not about Andrew Jackson necessarily — the relative historical merits of eliminating the Bank of the United States don’t quite stand up to the horrors committed as a result of his Indian removal policy, and the Civil War was almost inevitable even before Jackson’s presidency. But we believe that history, in its ebbs and flows, could have been altered for the better by just one strong person. And quite often, that person is us. Many of us believe this. Not about Andrew Jackson necessarily — the relative historical merits of eliminating the Bank of the United States don’t quite stand up to the horrors committed as a result of his Indian removal policy, and the Civil War was almost inevitable even before Jackson’s presidency. But we believe that history, in its ebbs and flows, could have been altered for the better by just one strong person. And quite often, we imagine that person is us.
We may not believe that Jackson could have stopped the Civil War, but we believe that we would have stood alone against the crushing tides of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich or the worst of South Africa’s apartheid. We would have ferried Freedom Riders across the American South and taken on the dogs and water hoses of Eugene Connor, known as Bull. Our movies tell stories of those who resisted the worst of humanity, and we see ourselves on those screens. We believe that we are better today than those who lived before us, more able to take the challenges of history head on. We may not believe that Jackson could have stopped the Civil War, but we believe that we would have stood alone against the crushing tides of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich or the worst of South Africa’s apartheid. We would have shepherded Freedom Riders across the American South and taken on the dogs and water hoses of Eugene Connor, known as Bull. Our movies tell stories of those who resisted the worst of humanity, and we see ourselves on those screens. We believe that we are better today than those who lived before us, more able to take the challenges of history head on.
And yet, if history is our guide, we are often not. Most people did not stand up to the Nazis as they marched into Czechoslovakia and Poland and Belgium and France. Fifty-seven percent of Americans polled by Gallup in 1961 responded that lunch counter sit-ins and other forms of peaceful protest would hinder the attempts of black Americans to achieve full equality. The vast majority of people, regardless of country or creed or time period, want only to live their lives and protect their families, to be left alone, historical resonance be damned. Order, not righteousness, is our most cherished value, no matter what we tell ourselves.And yet, if history is our guide, we are often not. Most people did not stand up to the Nazis as they marched into Czechoslovakia and Poland and Belgium and France. Fifty-seven percent of Americans polled by Gallup in 1961 responded that lunch counter sit-ins and other forms of peaceful protest would hinder the attempts of black Americans to achieve full equality. The vast majority of people, regardless of country or creed or time period, want only to live their lives and protect their families, to be left alone, historical resonance be damned. Order, not righteousness, is our most cherished value, no matter what we tell ourselves.
But we don’t honor and remember order. We want heroes, not because we need them, but because we believe that we would be them ourselves if things were only different, if we weren’t so busy, if the right time came. When we select heroes, we then reject them, casting them out of our self-constructed Mount Olympus for doing what we almost certainly would have done in their position. But we don’t honor and remember order. We want heroes, not because we need them, but because we believe that we would be them ourselves if things were only different, if we weren’t so busy, if the right time came. When we select heroes, we then reject them, casting them off our self-constructed Mount Olympus for doing what we almost certainly would have done in their position.
We are no better than the people who came before us, heroes or no. We are more knowledgeable, but not necessarily more moral. We can operate technology that would have boggled even the greatest minds of the early 20th century, but we are still human, still desiring most of all to live our lives and protect our families, to be left alone. We each have our own Andrew Jacksons, our Martin Luther Kings, our great men and great women of history, but we are not them. Not now. Perhaps not ever. We are no better than the people who came before us, heroes or not. We are more knowledgeable, but not necessarily more moral. We can operate technology that would have boggled even the greatest minds of the early 20th century, but we are still human, still desiring most of all to be left alone. We each have our own Andrew Jacksons, our Martin Luther Kings, our great men and great women of history, but we are not them. Not now. Perhaps not ever.
Fortunately, history does not move on the machinations of a select group of great people. It moves on the small movements of a great many individuals. For example, think of the thousands of abolitionists, the millions who voted for President Abraham Lincoln, and those who moved West and changed the calculus of slave versus free state. Fortunately, history does not move on the machinations of a select group of great people. It moves on the small movements of a great many individuals. For example, think of the thousands of abolitionists, the millions who voted for President Abraham Lincoln, and those who moved West and changed the calculus of slave versus free states.
We are among those individuals; our politics, our decisions, our very words will set us on a course of history we cannot possibly begin to predict. History happens while we’re not paying attention, even while we’re rehashing the history of something else.We are among those individuals; our politics, our decisions, our very words will set us on a course of history we cannot possibly begin to predict. History happens while we’re not paying attention, even while we’re rehashing the history of something else.
We do not need to be Andrew Jackson (or, ideally, someone far less likely to commit crimes against humanity). We do not need to wait for a hero of our own making, either. We are what we’ve long awaited, the mover and shaper of history, the decider of our fate. If the arc of history bends toward justice, it is not bent by the greatest of us — but by the rest.We do not need to be Andrew Jackson (or, ideally, someone far less likely to commit crimes against humanity). We do not need to wait for a hero of our own making, either. We are what we’ve long awaited, the mover and shaper of history, the decider of our fate. If the arc of history bends toward justice, it is not bent by the greatest of us — but by the rest.