Questions About Liberty and Power: The Politics of Jacksonian America

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What is the message Harry Watson is giving to the reader? What does he hope to get across to the reader?

Hannah Lulu Its been a while since I read it so it's a bit murkier now..but I don't know if there is one simple thesis. I would say one of my take aways was that …moreIts been a while since I read it so it's a bit murkier now..but I don't know if there is one simple thesis. I would say one of my take aways was that contention between the developing and more urbanized money/banking economy of the north and the labor/agricultural economy of the south was a precursor to those in power to rally their constituents around the cause of slavery. Whereas the non-plantation owner of the south did not have a stake in slavery, and the affluent of the north were not necessarily interested in social justice--a series of shifting loyalties and alliances resulted in racist tyrants of the south and a monied gentry of the north rallying the masses to serve their causes. The book does not excuse the south of it's racism--but does unravel some of the mythology around the north's noble intentions. The book also paints a picture of multiple shifting contexts giving you an authentic feeling of the experience of a day in that life and time including a country where money was not in common usage and the consequences of a cash based economy being mostly hypothetical at the time. The gamble on introducing money and banking as more central aspect of both economy and government was instrumental in shaping political discourse, hierarchies of power, state identities, the use and production of commodities and labor, and international relations. I believe that if I read it again I would have many more take aways, as there is a lot to digest. (less)

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