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One way to become a successful revisionist is to take a topic and flip it on its head. In Among the Power of the Earth, Eliga Gould manages to do this with his study of foreign relations of the emerging American republic from the Seven Years’ War to the Monroe Doctrine. Most histories on this era concentrate on how the American colonists separated the ties that bound them to the British Empire and Europe to build an independent nation. However, Gould argues that the colonists were vigilant in their efforts in building a new nation. Independence only had meaning if Britain and the other European powers were willing to accept the claims that Americans made for their freedom.
The underlying basis for Gould’s book is the idea of ethno-genesis (the word is not in the book but he brings it up in discussing the book, cited in an interview with the University of New Hampshire). Ethno-genesis is the ability to make our own history without the input of other groups and people. In America, there is an idea that America shaped its own history. He views this idea as kind of silly to say the least. The American colonists always kept in mind that they needed to be viewed properly in the eyes of other nations. In response to David’s post where he talks about people (and I am assuming the American people) having political agency. I agree with this. However, the strength of the agency grows only in what the European powers will allow it. In other words, the European powers affected how much agency the American colonists could display.
An idea I like that Gould brings up is the idea that America wanted independence in order to pacify their own neighborhood. And I believe that America had the ability to do this properly, unlike the European powers. Aside from the logistical issues for the European powers fighting wars on different continents, they also had theoretical issues. Meaning that Europeans had a way of warfare that did not apply to anyone else but Europeans. This drastically influenced their inability to control their reality on other continents. As I said last week, the European powers had difficulty in adapting their discourse to their reality, especially when it came to their colonial holdings.
Andrew Jackson has received a lot of negative attention in recent years. He is being removed from the twenty dollar bill and in the eyes of the general American public he is viewed as a racist and a maniac (he hated the Indians because the killed his whole family). Gould’s book puts Jackson in his proper place as a nation builder. Gould gives examples of how Jackson took steps in building respect to the European powers.