A biography of America's seventh president, ANDREW JACKSON: GOOD, EVIL AND THE PRESIDENCY on Public Television, explores whether Americans should celebrate Jackson or apologize for him.

Viewers discover that Jackson:

1. Fought in the Revolutionary War when he was 13 years old and that he used the skills learned in battle to kill a man over a gambling debt.

2. Led the American army to the most surprising victory in its history in the Battle of New Orleans, but that he also launched an unauthorized invasion of Florida,

3. He was the first great champion of the common white man and owned more than a hundred black Americans.

4. Dramatically expanded the United States and did so by brutally wresting vast regions of the south from Native Americans.

5. In one of the boldest political strokes in history, founded the Democratic Party, yet was viewed by his enemies as an American Napoleon.

The film, narrated by Martin Sheen, concludes with the words of Jackson's first biographer, James Parton.

"Andrew Jackson was a patriot, and a traitor. He was the greatest of generals, and wholly ignorant of the art of war. He was the most candid of men, and capable of the profoundest dissimulation. He was a democratic autocrat, an urbane savage, an atrocious saint."

Posted by Glynn Wilson at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Photo by Glynn Wilson

"All the rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous Judiciary," Andrew Jackson said. "Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right," Jackson also said, "but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error." Mr. Bush? Are you in there?

Posted by Glynn Wilson at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

As the morning of July 14th 1789 dawned, the mob gathered, heading for the thick, foreboding walls of the hated Bastille fort and prison, built in 1382 to defend the eastern wall of Paris from hostile forces.

Guarded by a small number of French soldiers, 82 aging veterans and reinforced by only 32 Swiss mercenaries, about 1,000 "besiegers" felt they could easily overwhelm the political prison. The defenders of the Bastille, not fearing the onslaught, spent the previous week repairing a damaged drawbridge, boarding windows and reinforcing walls. They were not worried, expecting only a minor mob attack.

The Bastille may have held, only 300 French soldiers deserted and joined the attack. Otherwise, as it turned out, the mob quickly broke through the gates and, despite the threat of 20,000 pounds of gun powder igniting and destroying everything in the violent explosion, the common folk won the fortified prison - ushering in the beginning of the French Revolution.

Today is the 218th anniversary of the Battle of the Bastille in Paris. Perhaps we should take a moment to reflect on what that means for us today in America.

History of the Bastille

Continue reading "Today Marks the 218th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bastille" »

Posted by Glynn Wilson at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

October 17, 2006, should go down in history as the antithesis of July 4, 1776. On that glorious day, the American Founders proclaimed that all people possessed "unalienable rights," including the crucial legal right of habeas corpus.

Some 230 years later on a dreary fall day in Washington, George W. Bush signed a law repealing America's founding principles and establishing a parallel system for prosecuting enemies of the state, including U.S. citizens.

For the full story on how today's Americans have betrayed the Founders, go to the independent ConsortiumNews.Com.

Posted by Glynn Wilson at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just as I was about to shut down the computer for the night, I caught Tim Russert's interview with historian David McCullough on MSNBC. He has a new book out, inspired to teach kids about history aftrer 9/11, called 1776: Washington's War.

It's not just about George Washington's war against the British. It is how he played to the British before and after the war, and how he graciously agreed to give up the power he could have had as America's king at that time, how he stepped aside and allowed others to take power and learn how to govern this new democratic republic.

It also details the role of others in the movement for a Declaration of Independence, including Thomas Paine.

If you are interested, The New Yorker review is now online - for free:

In the year 1776, character was destiny.

Posted by Glynn Wilson at 01:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)