The Eaton Affair

The so called Eaton Affair has two very distinct lessons to show modern historians.  The first one is a very broad view of morality in the United States and how it interacted in politics of the time.  In Howe’s book “What Hath God Wrought” he touches on the Eaton Affair and makes one particularly interesting observation.  He says that “some of the foreign diplomat’s wives were willing to socialize with Margaret Eaton because they took for granted the behavior of European courts and the need set aside morality in the interest of politics. American women were not so trained” (Howe 336).  This gives historians a glimpse into the culture of the day and an interesting view of how American politics intersected with morality versus European politics and intersected with morality. 

The second aspect of the “Eaton Affair,” that deserves closer examination by historians is Jackson’s reaction to the scandal.  He immediately goes to the aid of the lady.  This gives a deeper view into Jackson’s character and perhaps does not make the man all that full of contradictions.  As Kristen Wood states “men who loved Jackson for protecting the rights of the farmer and the mechanic against the banker and the manufacturer also identified with the hero who insisted on his right and duty to avenge a defenseless woman and rebuke disloyal dependents” (Woods 243).  This scandal shows how Jackson’s “honor” is a common theme throughout his presidency.  He ran to the side he felt needed his aid, whether he was right at his assessment is up for debate.  Whether cause was against gossip of “moral” wives or against “corrupt” political deals or against those whom he viewed threatened the state of the union he always viewed himself as the hero riding in to protect the people of the United States.  Whether he was or not, Jackson always saw himself as the defender of the weak.

Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Wood, Kristen E. One Woman so Dangerous to Public Morals: Gender and Power in the Eaton            Affair. Journal of the Early Republic , Vol. 17, No. 2 (Summer, 1997), pp. 237-275.

American Politics

            Ronald Formisano brings up the interesting point that many scholars believe that the development of the two-party system in this country created greater democratization and gave rise to grass root causes.  This would give individual citizens from the frontier areas in the early 1800s.  This time period would see the rise of the Democratic party and the seeds of what would become the Whig party. 

            During The Era of Good Feeling is often cited as the period of United States history that America had only one party, this is untrue.  Looking at the presidential race of 1824 it is easy to see the fracturing or the Republican Party.  I would go even further and say that this country was founded on a two party system.  Certainly not formally declared factions but since before the Constitutional Convention the issue of strong federal government versus “state rights” has consumed the American political scene.  This issue consumed politics all through the Era of Good Feeling and was a major stance during the election of 1824 under the guise of “internal improvements.”  This issue is with the U.S, even today as this is a major platform piece for the Democratic and Republican Parties of today.

            The debate of “state rights” and “strong federal government” started with the debates of the Constitutional Congress and moved along into the early 1800s with the debates for internal improvements and the Bank of the U.S. and later into the slave debate.  The debate continues today with Gun rights and Gay marriage, asking “should these issues be solved by the state or should the Federal government.”  As long as America has a democratic system it will be a two party system one to represent the state argument and one to represent the federal argument.  In this sense Formisano and other scholars are correct in feeling that the multiple-party system created greater democratization.

Formisano, Ronald P. “Deferential- Participant Politics:  The Early Republic’s Political Culture, 1789-1840.” American Political Science Review 68 (1974): 473-487 (http://www.jstor.org/stable/1959497)

Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought. New York: Oxford University Press. 2007.

John Quincy Adams: View of America

Fig. [1]

            John Quincy was born in 1767 in Braintree, Massachusetts, the first born of John and Abigail Adams.  He began public service at ten years old when he accompanied his father to France to negotiate help from the French crown.  John Quincy would grow up in the world of American diplomacy and politics for seventy plus years.  He was appointed minister to Holland under George Washington at twenty-six. Under John Adams presidency he was appointed minister to Prussia at twenty-nine. At Thirty-five, John Quincy was elected to the U.S. Senate. President Madison appointed him minister to Russia at forty-one.  Eight years later he became Secretary of State under President Monroe. At fifty-seven years old he rose to the presidency in 1825.  Adams would serve one term as president and then would serve another eighteen years in the House of Representatives.

            By executive order Adams announced to the Secretary of War the deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.  The order in effect directed how the army was to mourn the passing of two of America’s greatest heroes.  Adams directed for Thomas Jefferson “that funeral honors be paid to him at all military stations, and that officers of the Army wear crape on the left arm, by way of mourning, for six months.”  This was to be done for John Adams as well.  In addition to these, the following Tuesday was to be “a day of rest” for the army to honor Adams and Jefferson and the flag was to be flown at half mast.  President Adams ordered one more honor for the fallen presidents, he directed that “[a]t early dawn thirteen guns shall be fired, and at intervals of thirty minutes between the rising and setting sun a single cannon will be discharged, and at the close of the day twenty-four rounds.”

            John Quincy Adams was also struck by the coincidence that both men died on the same day and that day happened to be the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence the document that both men would be best remembered for.  John Quincy Adams was so struck by this that he made the statement “[a] coincidence of circumstance so wonderful gives confidence to the belief the patriotic efforts of these illustrious men were Heaven directed…under the special protection of a kind Providence.”  A sentiment that he would repeat eleven years later at the city of Newburyport, Massachusetts during the 61^st anniversary of the signing of the Declaration.

            On this occasion John Quincy would go even further by connecting the birth of America to the birth of Christ.  He would also state that “Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth?”  Adams is convinced that not only was America blessed by God but that the Declaration of Independence was a continuation of God’s plan on earth.  It is easy to say that John Quincy Adams believed that America was ordained by God and that America had a central part to play in the plan of God.

  
 [1] https://www.facebook.com/299851710031447/photos/a.300087676674517.96435.299851710031447/301653636517921/?type=3&theater       

Adams, John Quincy, “Executive Order”, July 11, 1826. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American President Project.  http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid+66658. Accessed 8/27/13.

Adams, John Quincy, “Address given at Newburyport, Massachusetts”, July 10, 1837. http://archive.org/details/orationdelivered00adam. accessed. 8/27/13.

Freidel, Frank and Hugh Sidey. “The Presidents of the United States”. White House Historical Association. 2006. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnquincyadams. accessed. 8/28/13.

Unger, Harlow Giles. “John Quincy Adams” Boston, MA: Da Capo Press, 2012.