Eric Foner and his credentials were mentioned in the previous source and will not be expounded upon in great detail for this source. However, his expertise in social change throughout American history is noteworthy because the book focuses on the political climate and how society influenced policy during the time period. Harry Watson received his Ph. D. from Northwestern University and currently teaches at the University of North Carolina. At the University, he is the director of the Center for the Study of the American South while specializing in the Antebellum American South and the Jacksonian America. His research interests are political, social, and cultural history, which are aligned with the primary elements of this book. Instead of focusing on Andrew Jackson, and how he shaped politics, the book focused on the political arena broadly. Watson described the two major political parties with ease and simplicity, and how they evolved over time. Watson defined the Democrat and Whig parties’ platforms, policies, and aimed …show more content…
The Bank War, problems with Indians, and slavery were all examples used in the book to depict the political climate of the time period, and how parties were transformed. The book gave an overview of the era and placed Andrew Jackson as a character within the story of the development of America, not the focal point. This perspective is insightful because it shows that while Jackson was a major contributor to the era he is not the only force that determined the course of America. Therefore, it can be said that his ideas were not solely his, but were supported by other groups, which were produced based on the political climate described in the book. However, Jackson must be held accountable for his actions since he was the one who made them, even if the majority of people within the era agreed with his decisions and