Jeffersonian America.By Peter S. Onuf and Leonard J. Sadosky. Problems in American History. (Malden, Mass., and Oxford, Eng.: Blackwell Publishers, 2002. Pp. x, 270. Paper, $24.95, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 1-55786-923-5; cloth, $59.95, ISBN 1-55786-922-7.) Peter S. Onuf and Leonard J. Sadosky are to be complimented for giving readers a marvelous re-creation of Jeffersonian America unlike almost any version heretofore. They link the early years of the new nation to the aspirations of the Founders and demonstrate how the then-revolutionary principles of republicanism were intentionally infused into every institution in society--family, county, state, and nation--each of which had a purpose related to the whole. Onuf and Sadosky also take a clear stance regarding politics in the new republic. They argue that Jefferson's "Revolution of 1800" was achieved "by the mobilization of political factions A political faction is presently an informal grouping of individuals, especially within a political organization, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with some kind of political purpose (referred to in this article as the “broader organization”). in the various states" but, more important, was accomplished in "the virtual absence of anything we might now recognize as party organization" (pp. 5-6). These views amount to a restructuring of the way historians can interpret early American history. No longer is there an ironclad ironclad, mid-19th-century wooden warship protected from gunfire by iron armor. The success of the ironclad when first employed by the French in the Crimean War sparked a naval armor and armaments race between France and Great Britain. consensus that the years between the Constitutional Convention and 1800 represented a break with the original revolutionaries' attempts to create small republics organized in a confederation--a critical period followed by failure. Instead, Onuf and Sadosky present developments as aspects of one continuous effort from 1765 through the 1820s to realize the aims behind the Revolution. In sum, the scope of their analysis enables the study of early American history to return to its rightful focus: our revolutionary heritage. Jeffersonian America is filled with surprises. It places less emphasis on sectional sec·tion·al adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular district. 2. Composed of or divided into component sections. n. issues and more on national ones like sovereignty, federalism federalism. 1 In political science, see federal government. 2 In U.S. history, see states' rights. federalism Political system that binds a group of states into a larger, noncentralized, superior state while allowing them , and attempts by the Jeffersonians to treat each section of the country fairly in terms of economic development. Yet the book's careful analysis of state politics and its emphasis on class interests, united with Virginia's clear vision, provides the theoretical and political background to understanding how Jefferson's Revolution of 1800 was basically upheld. The book is filled with references to Jefferson's supporters "[r]ecalling voters to their Revolutionary roots" (p. 41) by highlighting themes of corruption, plus the opposition's "counterrevolutionary coun·ter·rev·o·lu·tion n. 1. A revolution whose aim is the deposition and reversal of a political or social system set up by a previous revolution. 2. A movement to oppose revolutionary tendencies and developments. threats" (p. 48), all of which filled the air during the Jeffersonian era. Onuf and Sadosky are especially intelligent in deciphering Jefferson's intentions and dispelling some of the ambiguity that has characterized recent scholarship. Jefferson's attitudes toward slavery, education, land policy, and in particular, his rationale for the Louisiana Purchase Louisiana Purchase, 1803, American acquisition from France of the formerly Spanish region of Louisiana. Reasons for the Purchase The revelation in 1801 of the secret agreement of 1800, whereby Spain retroceded Louisiana to France, aroused and his efforts to maintain the embargo embargo (ĕmbär`gō), prohibition by a country of the departure of ships or certain types of goods from its ports. Instances of confining all domestic ships to port are rare, and the Embargo Act of 1807 is the sole example of this in of 1807-1808 are presented clearly and reasonably. I would have liked Onuf and Sadosky to have held Jefferson more accountable for his uncompromising views on the fate of Native Americans, as has been reflected in the recent scholarship of Anthony F. C. Wallace Anthony Francis Clarke Wallace (1923- ) is a Canadian-American anthropologist who specializes in Native American cultures, especially the Iroquois. His research expresses an interest in the intersection of cultural anthropology and psychology. . But any criticisms I have are muted by the courage of the authors in forthrightly forth·right adj. 1. Direct and without evasion; straightforward: a forthright appraisal; forthright criticism. 2. Archaic Proceeding straight ahead. adv. 1. addressing a number of sensitive issues in the literature, such as their analysis of women and the family in the age of Jefferson. Onuf and Sadosky have achieved a very clear and readable synthesis of the major ideas that dominated Jeffersonian America. They have rightly emphasized the role of revolution in American history, and thus, by inference, they enable us to judge our own era in a similar light. DANIEL SISSON Eastern Washington University |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion