Some What Ifs and Why Nots

Well, as a punk college kid, you may notice that one classes start you may see some recurring themes. This is, of course, due to the classes I take and the study I do for them. So I have just a few historical what ifs and why nots after beginning my text book “What Hath God Wrought” (excellent book by the way).

As some of you may know, I consider myself an avid student of history, with an emphasis in American history. I don’t intend on actually majoring in history or graduating with a degree on history as I consider such an idea to be absurd. There is always more to learn. Especially in regards to history, as the best historians will admit they are constantly learning. (However, don’t misunderstand, I am glad that they got degrees and have dedicated their life to the study of history, where I, will always be a student of the wonderful works they produce.)

In my study of history I have a couple of questions which I always ask. What if, and why not, or that’s to say I’m always asking what if a certain event had taken place and why didn’t it happen. In the introduction and prologue of the book “What Hath God Wrought” I was hit with two immediately.

In the prologue to the book it explains that Jackson’s army at the battle of New Orleans was one of the most diverse armies ever assembled. It included Native Americans, Frenchman, Spaniards, Americans and blacks, both slave and freeborn.

The text states that Jackson addressed these blacks as “brave fellow citizens” and that he had promised them pay and respect equal of their white counterparts. Now granted, I understand that this is only a reference to how Jackson ran his army and not necessarily that this incident made him an all out abolitionist.

But one must ask, if a blacks were brave fellow citizens in Jackson’s army, why not apply that same principle of justice and respect for human life in his politics. What if Andrew Jackson and the rest of the American public had done that right of the top, and why didn’t they?
Jackson is one of the most racially divisive presidents in US history. He was extremely pro-slavery and forced the Indians out of US land despite treaties which the Indians had the US government giving them right to their land.

I understand that culturally things were different back then. I ask myself these questions to remind myself of one thing. Nothing ever has to happen. Blacks didn’t need to be slaves. We didn’t have to discriminate against blacks for more than a century after wards. History is nothing more that the recording of ideas, beliefs, actions and consequences. All of these categories are capable of being changed; however, the last is always contingent on what goes on in the previous three.

The battle of New Orleans is a reminder to me that slavery needed not be a part of society in the first half of the 19th century anymore than injustice has to be a part of our society today. It’s a choice that we fundamentally make through our ideas, beliefs and ultimately our actions.
The other thing I read which hit me was about the second great awakening. As a Mormon I obviously have great interest in this period of time, as it was when, I firmly believe, when God finally saw that the world was ready to receive revelation and authority from heaven again, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ could be restored in its fullness.

One commentary in the book which stuck out to me was how at the time, in American, reason and revelation where not competitors, but allies in the search for truth. Evangelicals at the time embraced scientific breakthroughs, universal education, and considered them both tools for spreading the gospel.

They believed that the spread of freedom, reason, and justice would ultimately lead to (and be empowered by) the spread of Christianity. Tocqueville found this odd of course because it Europe science and reason had been at war with each other for centuries.

What if we had a similar attitude today, and why don’t we? I would like to comment a little on this last observation, however, I’m out of time, and it’s run a little long anyway.

Jason Bentley is just a punk college kid who is attending Brigham Young University.