The Jacksonian Character Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Jacksonian Character - leaven Examplestrengths and weaknesses, offer my own opinions about the obligate and endeavor to show how the article relates to the materials discussed in severalise 1301.Pessen says foreign visitors to America such as Tocqueville, Charles Dickens, Harriet Martineau, Frances Trollope and others viewed Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States (1829-37), as a boor of the frontier, democrat, egalitarian, entrepreneurial, speculative profit seeker, conservative, conformist, violent, materialist and chaste republican. They thought these traits and values epitomized American society. While some of these visitors had such straitlaced things to say about Americans as handsome, gentle, pleasant, trusting, and self-less (p. 30), most of them had a rather negative perception of Americans. To them, Americans were dull, cold and untamed (p. 11) violent, selfish, and thin-skinned (p. 12) and clever but shallow (p. 15). Americans were dirty, unref ined, drunkard and speculative (pp. 18-22) egalitarian, moral from outside but proper (p. 23-24) and anti-tradition, apathetic to intellectual accomplishments, and free-handed in principles (pp. 27-31). Pessen agrees with the visitors that a Jacksonian American, possibly a materialist, entertained dogmatism supplemented by cruelty and cupidity, vanity and boastfulness he was blissfully unaware of any complex situation, disinterested in principles (p. 31). However, Pessen does not agree that a Jacksonin American was a child of the frontier, an inner-directed conformist, and a chaste republican looking longingly to the past (p. 30).Pessens article has three remarkable strengths. First, by presenting a in all array of views of contemporary European visitors, Pessen helps us understand American society from their perspective and experiences. Secondly, he as well offers his own views so the readers have a different viewpoint to draw informed and objective conclusions. Thirdly, the ar ticle written in journalistic style makes an