The 'Young America' movement : nationalism and the natural law tradition in Jacksonian political thought, 1844-61
My PhD thesis explores a nationalist movement from the Northern United States known as âYoung Americaâ; a group of Jacksonian politicians and writers associated with a publication based in New York City called the Democratic Review. I argue that their political ideology was defined by a new â more cosmopolitan â conception of American nationalism; one based on the idea that âpopular sovereigntyâ at the local level was a ânatural law,â or universal right, which would thrive in the absence of government intervention, whether by federal authority in the United States, or the imperial powers of Europe. This central belief shaped four aspects of the âYoung Americansâ worldview. Firstly, they assigned the federal government a very limited domestic role, promoting statesâ rights and free trade. Secondly, they advanced an interventionist foreign policy to defend universal rights beyond American borders. Thirdly, they championed intellectuals as the supreme arbiters of a ânatural orderâ discernible only through reason. Finally, âYoung Americansâ believed that the ânatural laws,â which formed the bedrock of a democratic society, degraded the black race whilst they uplifted the white.
Power Smith, Mark
The 'Young America' movement : nationalism and the natural law tradition in Jacksonian political thought, 1844-61. My PhD thesis explores a nationalist movement from the Northern United States known as âYoung Americaâ; a group of Jacksonian politicians and writers associated with a publication based in New York City called the Democratic Review. I argue that their political ideology was defined by a new â more cosmopolitan â conception of American nationalism; one based on the idea that âpopular sovereigntyâ at the local level was a ânatural law,â or universal right, which would thrive in the absence of government intervention, whether by federal authority in the United States, or the imperial powers of Europe. This central belief shaped four aspects of the âYoung Americansâ worldview. Firstly, they assigned the federal government a very limited domestic role, promoting statesâ rights and free trade. Secondly, they advanced an interventionist foreign policy to defend universal rights beyond American borders. Thirdly, they championed intellectuals as the supreme arbiters of a ânatural orderâ discernible only through reason. Finally, âYoung Americansâ believed that the ânatural laws,â which formed the bedrock of a democratic society, degraded the black race whilst they uplifted the white.
young america movement nationalism natural_law tradition political_thought phd explore nationalist_movement northern united_states known young america group politician writer associate publication base new york city call democratic review argue political_ideology define new cosmopolitan conception american nationalism base_idea popular sovereignty local_level natural_law universal right would thrive absence government intervention whether federal authority united_states imperial_power europe central belief shape aspect young americans worldview firstly assign federal government limit domestic role promote state right free_trade secondly advanced interventionist foreign_policy defend universal right beyond american border thirdly champion intellectual natural order discernible reason finally young americans believe natural_law form bedrock democratic_society degrade black race whilst white