Andrew Jackson and William T. Sherman - Essay Example

ANDREW JACKSON AND WILLIAM SHERMAN It was way back in 1829, when the seventh president of the United s arrived to Washington in a train and leftback in the same manner after a period of two years that consisted of successive periods of turbulent presidency. This period helped the United States progress along the lines of prosperity and resulted in the growth of the market economy. Another person, whose control and charisma was as dominant and evident as that commanded by Jackson was William Sherman, who embraced the challenge of war without batting an eyelid. His strategy of pursuing a scorched earth policy was relentless in cruising though the grip of the confederacy.
Despite their important places in history, the credibility of both men has been a long debated issue. Known popularly as the ‘Old Hero’, Jackson was revered as a president bigger than life, whose prominence attributed him to an era. Despite his immense impact on the growth of the American economy during the years of his presidency, he is also argued as someone who was under the control of rather than being in control of the forces that governed the economic and political scenario during his era (Sean Wilentz, 2005). In contrast, there is a unanimous agreement to the fact that Sherman managed to succeed in his military offensives largely due to his ability in organization and command in the military and the consistency with which he played a psychological assault on his opponents. He was also known to display his ruthless rage with a sense of clarity (Edward Robins, 1905).
Jackson as a leader was known to yearn for the agrarian past, which had dominated the American economy until then. In fact, he is widely regarded as devoting a large time during his term in office in an inconsistent battle towards resisting the prospects of a revolution in the markets (Robert Vincent Remini, 1969). In contrast to these differing personalities, Sherman was a man whose nature could be easily perceived from his behavior. He was someone whose complicated attitude would create a charming and interesting opinion, but would nevertheless do little towards helping anyone embrace him closely. He was known to be short tempered, garrulous and aggressive in his approach. Just like Jackson supported the practice of slavery, Sherman was a known racist (Faunt Le Roy Senour, 1865). Despite his insecurities, he was well acclaimed with the war and how to go about finishing it.
Sherman was known to stir controversies with his provocative personality and often provided assurances on issues that others would tend to tread in a cautious manner. This has often raised questions as to whether Sherman went the extra mile in taking the necessary risks with a sense of conviction. His decisions were followed by his deputies and this authority would eventually help him in scoring major victories (James Penny Boyd, 1892).
Brought to power with the support of a coalition consisting of various political groups, Jackson had to struggle against his supporters as much as he did his best at shrugging the opposition. A majority of his first term was spent towards achieving the best combination in the administration and his decisions are largely termed negative which included the vetoing of several important bills and allowing the relocation of ethnic groups including the native Indians (Robert Vincent Remini, 1998). Thus, Jackson never enjoyed the command that was the power of Sherman though the former is credited with helping establish the first mass political party, which is known in the present day as the Democratic Party.
References
1. Sean Wilentz (2005), Andrew Jackson. New York: Times Books.
2. Robert Vincent Remini (1969), Andrew Jackson. London: HarperPerennial.
3. Robert Vincent Remini (1998), Andrew Jackson: The course of American empire, 1767-1821. Johns Hopkins University Press.
4. Edward Robins (1905), William T. Sherman. Boston: Harvard University.
5. Faunt Le Roy Senour (1865), Major General William T. Sherman, and His Campaign. Boston: Prentice Hall.
6. James Penny Boyd (1892), The Life of General William T. Sherman. New York: McGraw Hill. Read More