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By reading his writings, one can very easily see that Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. was an advocate for Andrew Jackson. He supports Jacksons character and his methods. Although many of the good things Schlesinger says about Jackson may be true, I do not believe that Schlesinger presents an overall true picture of Jackson. One of the things that Schlesinger said he liked about Jackson was Jacksons superb self-sufficiency. He wrote: when the moment for action came, he always made up his own mind Once his mind was made up, no threats, no warnings of catastrophe, no dictates of prudence, could sway him. (P. 145) Schlesinger calls this superb self-sufficiency.
In the minds of most people today, this is simply stubbornness. Jackson may have indeed been a very self-sufficient man, but being stubborn is not the same thing. I see Jackson as a stubborn man, contradicting Schlesinger's beliefs. Many historians, as well as I, feel that Jackson was uncontrollably irascible. Schlesinger writes, Jackson would sometimes extemporize a fit of passion in order to overwhelm an adversary, when certain of being right. (P. 145) Schlesinger denied however that this showed Jacksons irascibility. He wrote instead, that Jackson used his anger as ways of avoiding futile arguments. (P. 145) This could very easily have been an excuse by Schlesinger to cover up this fault in Jacksons character.
Jackson scared many people with his anger and by fits that he threw. What Schlesinger says about Jacksons anger may be a cover up. Another thing Schlesinger quotes is, General Jackson is the most rapid reasoner I have ever met with. He jumps to a conclusion before I can start on my premises. (P. 146) Schlesinger reasoned this characteristic by saying, to him, knowledge was entirely unnecessary.
He saw intuitively into everything, and reached a conclusion by a short cut while others were beating the bush for the game. (P. 146) This is ridiculous reasoning. A President who does not use knowledge in making decisions is a hazard to the country, not a smart man. He may have reached a conclusion quicker than the rest of the pack, but without using knowledge, he was probably wrong very often. The passage did not specify what decisions he was making, but in general, the whole idea Schlesinger throws out to the reader is ridiculous.
Overall, I feel that Schlesinger may have written many true things about Jackson, but many of the things he writes may also be false. What I have just written are all just possibilities, and have never really been proven. It is just my opinion. Bibliography: Bowes.
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Research essay sample on Superb Self Sufficiency P 145 Schlesinger Jackson
