Alexandria Bursiek U.S. History Seminar part 2 A.

Were presidents Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson racists or were they simply men of their times? For this investigation, I looked into the lives of these men to try and determine their backgrounds and understand their history. I analyzed their presidencies and looked into the public opinion of the people toward the minorities. The specific minorities these presidents are accused of being racist towards. To find these answers, I looked at several resources and conducted research using search engines, books and images to show a well rounded investigation. I used resources such as encyclopedias and The Library of Congress archives. These resources and this method of research helped me to conduct a balanced investigation and answer my question. B. Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States. -Osinski, Alice. Andrew Jackson. Chicago: Children's, 1987. Print Andrew Jackson fought in the Revolutionary War, and in battles against the Creek and Indians -Osinski, Alice. Andrew Jackson. Chicago: Children's, 1987. Print Andrew Jackson agreed to the terms of Chief Red Eagle- Osinski, Alice. Andrew Jackson. Chicago: Children's, 1987. Print Rachel DOnelson Robards died in 1828- Osinski, Alice. Andrew Jackson. Chicago: Children's, 1987. Print Andrew Jackson Loses presidential race to John Quincy Adams to be the sixth president of the United States- Osinski, Alice. Andrew Jackson. Chicago: Children's, 1987. Print Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act. -Acts Passed at the First Session of the

Eighteenth Congress of the United States.[Washington?]: Davis & Force, Printers, 1824. Print.
Woodrow Wilson becomes the twenty-eighth president of the United States-Matuz, Roger. "Woodrow Wilson." The Presidents Fact Book. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. 434-57. Print. United States joined World War One in 1917-Matuz, Roger. "Woodrow Wilson." The Presidents Fact Book. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. 434-57. Print. Woodrow Wilson segregates the federal government- Loewen, James W. "Introduction:Something Has Gone Very Wrong." Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New, 1995. 12-36. Print. Wilson campaigns against Germany -Loewen, James W. "Introduction:Something Has Gone Very Wrong." Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New, 1995. 12-36. Print. Wilson offends women suffragettes- "Women Protesting President Wilson." Library Of

Congress. Web. 5 May 2012.

C. CREDIBLE SOURCES TEST: QUESTION: Was President Andrew Jackson a racist or simply a man of his time? 1. SOURCE: (Primary) http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage ?collId=llsl&fileName=004/ llsl004. db&recNum=458

(A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 17741875) ORIGIN: Acts Passed at the First Session of the Eighteenth Congress of the United States.

[Washington?]: Davis & Force, Printers, 1824. Print. I found this in the Library of Congress archives, which I know to be a reliable source.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this document (particularly the part that I am using as evidence in my investigation of Jackson) is to inform the United States public of the laws of the country and how these laws are to be carried out. VALUE: This source is of importance to me because it shows Jacksons treatment of Native Americans as people during his presidency. Having a copy of the Indian Removal act informs me of the legality of what was happening during the 1830s and of the public's way of dealing with any conflicts with Native Americans. LIMITATIONS: (none seen at this time) 2. SOURCE: Trail To Wounded Knee (The Last Stand Of the Plains Indians 1860-1890) ORIGIN: Viola, Herman J., Capture George P. Horse, and Capture Daylight. Horse. Trail to Wounded Knee: The Last Stand of the Plains Indians, 1860-1890. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2003. Print. PURPOSE: The purpose of this volume is to inform its readers of all the horrors and cruelties that Native Americans have faced since the Civil War. VALUE: This book is of importance to me because it gives an account of the treatment of Native Americans around the time of Jacksons presidency. And knowing how American Indians were treated and thought of will help me to understand Jacksons way of thinking. And how it was similar to the thinking of others during his life. LIMITATIONS: This books purpose is to show the pains of the Native Americans. The book may exaggerate certain cruelties placed on the Native Americans to receive pity for the group of people. 3. SOURCE: Encyclopedia of Presidents: Andrew Jackson ORIGIN: Osinski, Alice. Andrew Jackson. Chicago: Children's, 1987. Print PURPOSE: The books purpose is to inform its readers of the life of Andrew Jackson. It is also meant to educate its readers on the times that Jackson lived in. It explains his choices as president and his personal life outside his role as the president of the United States.

VALUE: This book allows me to learn about Andrew Jackson, his history, life and presidency. Without this information I can not conduct an honest investigation of his possible racism. If I dont understand the events that made him who he was, how can I clearly decide if he was simply a man of the times? LIMITATIONS: The book talks about certain parts of Jacksons life that have little proof to back them up and the book doesnt point its reader to its sources to allow the reader to check and verify any information. 4. SOURCE: The Grand National Caravan Moving East ORIGIN: "The Grand National Caravan Moving East." The Grand National Caravan Moving East. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008661760/>. PURPOSE: The Purpose of this political cartoon is to ridicule and denounce Andrew Jacksons administration by pinpointing the different obstacles he had to jump over in order to achieve his goals. VALUE: This cartoon allowed me to see the views of the American citizens who opposed Andrew Jackson. It allows me to see some of his flaws more clearly and easily as they are meant to be put on display by those who did not support him. LIMITATIONS: Although this cartoon allows me to see Jacksons flaws, it is very one sided. It overlooks any achievements or accomplishments and is designed to persuade me against Jackson even if the information the cartoon portrays is false and misleading. 5. SOURCE: The Case of The Cherokee Nation Against the State of Georgia ORIGIN: Peters, Richard. The Case of the Cherokee Nation against the State of Georgia. Philadelphia, 1831. Print. PURPOSE: To share with the public an account of what happened during the case of the Cherokee Nation against Georgia. VALUE: This book is a good source for my investigation because it allows me to see the reasoning behind the supreme court's ruling and it proves that the Cherokee were civilized rather than savages. They recognised and followed our legal procedures and brought their issues to court. LIMITATIONS: (none seen at this time) 6. SOURCE: The Complete Memoirs of Andrew Jackson, Seventh President of the United States

ORIGIN: "The Complete Memoirs of Andrew Jackson, Seventh President of the United States." The Complete Memoirs of Andrew Jackson, Seventh President of the United States. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://archive.org/stream/completememoirso00eatoa>. PURPOSE: The books purpose is to inform its readers of the life of Andrew Jackson. It is also meant to educate its readers on the times that Jackson lived in and to explain his choices as president and his life behind being the president of the states. VALUE: This book is of importance to me because it allows me to look at the life of Jackson from the point of view of someone who was alive only a little after Jackson was. The memoirs in this book tell me about how people felt about him then, as opposed to now. LIMITATIONS: The book may have misguided ideas about Jacksons life because of the time period it was written in. 7. SOURCE: Jackson Quelling the Mutiny ORIGIN: "Jackson Quelling the Mutiny." Jackson Quelling the Mutiny. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012645306/>. PURPOSE: The purpose of this image is unclear, but it can be assumed that it represents one of two things. Either Jacksons merciless killing of his own men, or Jacksons discipline and ability to keep order even in difficult situations. VALUE: This image allows me to look at the possible cruelty of Andrew Jackson as a person. It gives me a third answer to my question. Jackson could be neither a racist or man of the times but simply a cruel man with a temper. Fit to kill those who dont follow his every command. It is also possible that his killing the mutinous soldiers saved many more lives than had he allowed his men to rally against him. LIMITATIONS: The image may not be an accurate depiction of what actually happened when the soldiers committed mutiny. 8. SOURCE: The Presidents Fact Book ORIGIN: Matuz, Roger. "Andrew Jackson." The Presidents Fact Book. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. Print. PURPOSE: To inform its readers of the presidency of Andrew Jackson and to educate people on the lives and purposes of their presidents. VALUE: This book allows me to learn about Andrew Jackson, his history, life and presidency. Without this information I can not conduct an honest investigation of his possible racism. If I

dont understand the events that made him who he was, how can I clearly decide if he was simply a man of the times. LIMITATIONS: (none seen at this time) QUESTION: Was President Woodrow Wilson a racist or simply a man of his time? 1. SOURCE: The Presidents fact Book ORIGIN: Matuz, Roger. "Woodrow Wilson." The Presidents Fact Book. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. 434-57. Print. PURPOSE: To inform its readers of the life and presidency of Woodrow Wilson. And to educate Americans on the lives and acts of their presidents. VALUE: This book is of value to me because it allows me to learn about Woodrow Wilsons life, and to better understand his presidency and what he did during his terms in office. LIMITATIONS: The book only offers basic facts not any details and minor ideas and theories on his presidency and life. 2. SOURCE: Lies My Teacher Told Me ORIGIN: Loewen, James W. "Introduction: Something Has Gone Very Wrong." Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New, 1995. 12-36. Print. PURPOSE: To share with the public the truths about American History, and to correct facts that the History books supposedly got wrong, over exaggerated or ignored. VALUE: This book is of importance to me because it allows me to evaluate the things I know about Wilson and look into the truth of the things hes done. It also sheds light on things that were meant to be hidden to make Wilson appear better than he was. LIMITATIONS:The truth and historical accuracy is uncertain. Although most of the book is sourced it is unknown if the sources are of any importance and if they help prove anything in particular about Woodrow Wilson. 3. SOURCE: "Letter to President Woodrow Wilson." Library of Congress MyLoc. Web. 5 May 2012. <http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/naacp/earlyyears/ExhibitObjects/LetterToPresidentWilson.aspx? Enlarge=true&ImageId=2d20c3c4-c482-41e1-bee9-2b424e0d759b%3afab88c54-e8c5-486497c2-ac5b35f4fde5%3a193&PersistentId=1%3a2d20c3c4-c482-41e1-bee9-2b424e0d759b

%3a29&ReturnUrl=%2fExhibitions%2fnaacp%2fearlyyears%2fExhibitObjects %2fLetterToPresidentWilson.aspx>. This source was found in the Library of Congress which is seen as a credible source. PURPOSE: For the NAACP tell President Wilson how wrong and hurtful it was for him to segregate the federal government. VALUE: This Letter is important to my research because it shows the trials the Colored population had to face during Wilsons Presidency through their eyes, this way I get to see their side of things. LIMITATIONS: It doesnt show or explain any other poor treatment of African Americans during Wilsons administration. 4. SOURCE: Picture of Woman protesting President Wilson ORIGIN: "Woman Protesting President Wilson." Library Of Congress. Web. 5 May 2012. PURPOSE: To show what the woman did during their protesting for women's right to a vote. VALUE: This is valuable to me because it shows the anger people felt at Wilsons treatment of minorities. LIMITATIONS: The picture offers no back story, and It does not tell me anything else that may be going on during that event.

D. In my research regarding President Andrew Jackson I found no easy answer to my question, Was Andrew Jackson a racist or simply a man of his time?. Andrew Jackson lived a complex life, he fought in many battles in several wars. He fought in the Revolutionary War and in the War of 1812. He fought against the British, the Creeks and the Seminoles, all at different times. Although Jackson was a strong fighter and dedicated man, he was thought to be cruel and bad tempered. During his battles against the Creek Native Americans, Jackson was known for having ordered the death of several of his soldiers who were convicted of attempting to conduct mutiny. His behavior against his men and the villages he raided made him a prime target for criticism in the newspapers. But Jackson cant be thought of as merciless. In 1814, after tireless battle against the Native Americans, Chief Red Eagle approached President Andrew Jackson under the flag of truce. He asked for food and water to be provided to the Creek women and children with the promise to end the war. Jackson accepted and fed the people. When looking at this fact I find it hard to believe that Jackson would willingly feed Native American women and children if he had any extreme prejudices towards them. One can look at the fact that Jackson and his men were

tired and weak and merely wanted to go home, and its possible that he agreed to these terms because he no longer wanted to continue the fighting. Later on in his life, Jackson took the step that would make him president of the United States. Jackson lost his first presidential race to John Quincy Adams, but he quickly ran again and became the seventh president of the United State. Andrew believed in the power of the people and startled America by allowing common men to be members of his cabinet. Having grown up a lower class citizen, Jackson was well known for doing things that would benefit the common day people. Jackson, who had been a lawyer, judge, farmer and many other things, understood the struggle for land against the Native Americans. In fact, he understood it better than most because of his battles with the Creeks and his battle for what is now Florida with the Seminoles. He passed the Indian Removal Act in hopes of providing more land for white Americans. To Jackson, this was simply a way of moving out a group of people who were in his way. Jackson once said, Where they now are, they and my white children are too near each other to live in harmony and peace. When looking at the terms of the Indian Removal Act, it is plain to see that harm conducted on these people was not intentional. In the Indian Removal Act it is written:

It wasnt intended for the Native Americans to face such terrible conditions and for so many of them to lose their lives. But It can also be seen that an understanding for their religion, treatment, and culture was completely overlooked. Jacksons Indian Removal Act went against earlier treaties signed, promising the Native Americans their lands. Later when the Cherokee Nation was asked to move from their land in Georgia, they refused. This particular tribe was very well developed. They farmed, owned businesses, ran schools and had their own language. Despite all of this, the Cherokees were told to head west, and to hand over their lands to white settlers. Instead of leaving they filed a case against the State of Georgia and brought it to the Supreme Court. During the final argument in defense of the Cherokee people this was said:

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokees, but President Jackson had other ideas. After the trial Jackson ordered an armed guard to escort the Cherokee people west. The Natives were abused, robbed, and over a fourth of their population died on the Journey. The Trip which killed thousands would come to be known as the Trail of Tears. Andrew Jackson may not have intended the pain that he caused on this race but the blame for the event lays on his shoulders. To answer the question I started with, Jackson is not a racist. A cruel man, possibly. Inconsiderate and terrible, maybe. But most in his shoes would have done the same during his time as president and he can not be declared a racist for merely attempting to protect the Nation he was in control of. It would be a long time before anyone considered the Native Americans to be people and much longer than that for them to be considered citizens. The fourteenth Amendment states:

If those who came after Jackson couldnt look at the Native American people as equal, how could Jackson be expected to?

President Woodrow Wilson, on the other hand, had quite a different story. When President Wilson became president, serious changes were underway. My question was: Was President Woodrow Wilson racist or simply a man of his time?. After extensive research, I started to find that information of Woodrows treatment of African Americans was vague and hard to find. It was in the reading of the book Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen that I started to find some important information to help along my investigation. During his

presidency Woodrow Wilson, started segregation in the federal government. He ended the jobs that were normally managed by people of color and gave them to white citizens. African Americans were outraged. They had lost their jobs and voice in their government. Woodrow had talked about fighting for civil rights when he ran for office and when he was in, did the opposite. The NAACP had this to say to president Woodrow Wilson in a letter about the segregation of the federal government under Wilsons administration:

Never Before has the Federal Government discriminated against its civilian employees on the ground of color. Those words prove that Wilson was not acting like those who held presidency before him. During Wilsons presidency racism sparked, Lies My Teacher Told Me puts it like this: During Wilsons second term, a wave of anti black race riots swept the country. Whites lynched blacks as far north as Duluth. The book then goes on to say: If Americans had learned from the Wilson era, the connection between racist presidential leadership and like-minded public response, they might not have put up with a reprise on a far smaller scale. Wilsons behavior didnt end with that. In 1917, the United States of America joined World War 1. Shortly after, Wilson passed the Espionage Act in June of that year and the Sedition Act soon after. These acts made it illegal for the people to speak out against the war or to attempt to influence people against it. These acts went against the Constitutions First Amendment rights, but they passed anyway. Wilson made it apparent that Germany was to blame for all the trouble of WW1, and he blamed the German people as well. Many in the United States began to question the loyalty of German-Americans. Wilson said, Any man who carries a hyphen about with him, carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of his Republic whenever he gets ready. During Wilsons administration it was shameful to be German (though most people were) and it was treacherous and unsafe to be black. Wilson, it seems, was a man against the minorities, he was against hyphenated Americans, African American, and he was against women's rights. During this time the womens suffrage movement was in full swing, the protesting often against Wilson himself. The women who were protesting were thrown into jail and made examples of for obstructing traffic. Through his actions, Wilson didnt just prove that he was racist but that he was willing to challenge any group of people who did share his views. E.

I started this investigation asking whether or not two of the United States presidents were racist or simply men of their times. I have come to the conclusion that, Andrew Jackson was merely continuing on with something anyone in his day would have done. Although this does not justify his actions, it does explain them. In the 1700s and 1800s Native Americans often werent thought to be people, so how can we expect Jackson to see them deserving right? Wilson on the other hand, brought back black hatred. He did not simply carry on with the same trend as those before him. Wilson segregated the Federal Government and made his feelings toward African Americans, Hyphenated Americans and Women obvious, and expected the rest of the country to follow him. Of these two presidents one is a man of his time, and one is a racist.

F.

Acts Passed at the First Session of the Eighteenth Congress of the United States.[Washington?]: Davis & Force, Printers, 1824. Print.
Viola, Herman J., Capture George P. Horse, and Capture Daylight. Horse. Trail to Wounded Knee: The Last Stand of the Plains Indians, 1860-1890. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2003. Print. Osinski, Alice. Andrew Jackson. Chicago: Children's, 1987. Print "The Grand National Caravan Moving East." The Grand National Caravan Moving East. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008661760/>. Peters, Richard. The Case of the Cherokee Nation against the State of Georgia. Philadelphia, 1831. Print. The Complete Memoirs of Andrew Jackson, Seventh President of the United States." The Complete Memoirs of Andrew Jackson, Seventh President of the United States. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://archive.org/stream/completememoirso00eatoa>. "Jackson Quelling the Mutiny." Jackson Quelling the Mutiny. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012645306/>. Matuz, Roger. "Andrew Jackson." The Presidents Fact Book. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. Print. Matuz, Roger. "Woodrow Wilson." The Presidents Fact Book. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009. 434-57. Print. Loewen, James W. "Introduction:Something Has Gone Very Wrong." Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: New, 1995. 12-36. Print. "Letter to President Woodrow Wilson." Library of Congress MyLoc. Web. 5 May 2012. <http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/naacp/earlyyears/ExhibitObjects/LetterToPresidentWilson.aspx? Enlarge=true&ImageId=2d20c3c4-c482-41e1-bee9-2b424e0d759b%3afab88c54-e8c5-486497c2-ac5b35f4fde5%3a193&PersistentId=1%3a2d20c3c4-c482-41e1-bee9-2b424e0d759b

%3a29&ReturnUrl=%2fExhibitions%2fnaacp%2fearlyyears%2fExhibitObjects %2fLetterToPresidentWilson.aspx>.