Steve Fugett is right. Indians weren’t given a choice about remaining around whites. When Andrew Jackson founded the Democratic party he established its ‘the evil party’ tradition of winning votes by badly treating some group and pretending that proves they care about some other group. In that case it was Indians versus white settlers eager for cheap land.
Keep in mind what enraged those white settlers who wanted to grab Indian land. The South’s Creeks and Cherokees were among the “civilized tribes” who were settling down, farming land, developing a written language, publishing newspapers/Bibles and in general “acting like white people.” It was becoming increasingly hard to justify grabbing their land in the interest of “civilization.” That’s why Andrew Jackson used a war started by some Indians to take land away from all of them.
It’s also why some want people today want to take Jackson off the $20 bill to make room for a woman, which woman being uncertain. That certainly makes more sense that removing Alexander Hamilton from the $10 bill. Hamilton played a major role in creating our banking system, which allowed us to become a prosperous modern nation.
Andrew Jackson’s party has continued the tradition he established. It was the party that defended slavery and, after the Civil War, worked to re-establish segregation and white supremacy. The Republicans actually managed to keep federal jobs (i.e. local postmasters) integrated even in the South. Woodrow WIlson, a progressive Democrat, aggressively did away with that as President, segregating federal offices in D.C. and often firing black people.
The tradition continued with the suppression of free speech during WWI under Wilson, something infinitely worse that the so-called McCarthy era. FDR, elected four times to the White House, only did one thing for the nation’s black people, an easily justified executive order integrating war industries. He also did nothing for Europe’s persecuted Jews and tossed over 100,000 Japanese-Americans into concentration camps despite the fact that none, repeat none, were ever convicted of spying for Japan. Like I said, it’s the evil party. The Republicans tend to fail by being spineless.
So is it any surprise that the party of Andrew Jackson is now the party of legalized abortion and eager to force religious people to pay for abortions? Not at all. It’s now almost two-centuries old speciality is stepping on people to win elections.
The sick reality is that many of these horrors did not have to happen. In the 1820s, evangelical missionaries challenged the mistreatment of Indians and took their fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where they won. But Andrew Jackson, the arrogant jerk, ignored the Court. The British ended slavery without a war in the 1830s. Thanks to our Democratic party, we didn’t until 1865, and only after the bloodiest war in our nation’s history. But for Andrew Jackson and his party, those horrors would have never begun or been quickly ended.
When blame for our nation’s horrors is dished out, it ought to go to the genuinely guilty and that guilty isn’t a vague “everyone” much less “everyone white” like some want us to believe Particular evils always have particular supporters and opponents particularly one of our political parties.
What G. K. Chesterton said about England is also true of the U.S., “There was never an American wrong without and American protest.”
–Michael W. Perry, co-author of Lily’s Ride: Rescuing her Father from the Ku Klux Klan (set in 1870s North Carolina)
I did not find any references to the fact that the first organizational meeting for Auburn University actually took place at First United Methodist Church in Talladega. A historical plaque to the event is situated today infront of the church on the corner of East Street, s & South Street.
James W. Anderson
Talladega, AL
(256)761-1484
Donna R Causey
Thank you for the additional information.
Margaret Byron
In your article about Auburn, Alabama you mentioned that Judge John Harper was from Harris County, Ga.
and that he had Simeon Perry to layout the town. Do you know if Simeon Perry was also from Harris County, Ga? I have a ggg uncle from there that I can’t find much info on.
Donna R Causey
I’m sorry. I do not have any more information on Simeon Perry.
Donna
[…] we are indebted to her for both the “Early History of Auburn,” herewith published, and also “History of the Auburn Baptist Church,” which will appear in a later issue. […]
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Eryn Hybart Morris
Niki Davis May
My “home” for three years. I liked living there.
Wow. So they just left. Fascinating.
You need to correct one of the authors of Auburn Baptist Church. It was Jeffers, John not Jeff. He was pastor of that church for many, many years.
yes sir, they just left and really did not want to live around any stinking white people. Rewriting history one page at a time!
Steve Fugett is right. Indians weren’t given a choice about remaining around whites. When Andrew Jackson founded the Democratic party he established its ‘the evil party’ tradition of winning votes by badly treating some group and pretending that proves they care about some other group. In that case it was Indians versus white settlers eager for cheap land.
Keep in mind what enraged those white settlers who wanted to grab Indian land. The South’s Creeks and Cherokees were among the “civilized tribes” who were settling down, farming land, developing a written language, publishing newspapers/Bibles and in general “acting like white people.” It was becoming increasingly hard to justify grabbing their land in the interest of “civilization.” That’s why Andrew Jackson used a war started by some Indians to take land away from all of them.
It’s also why some want people today want to take Jackson off the $20 bill to make room for a woman, which woman being uncertain. That certainly makes more sense that removing Alexander Hamilton from the $10 bill. Hamilton played a major role in creating our banking system, which allowed us to become a prosperous modern nation.
Andrew Jackson’s party has continued the tradition he established. It was the party that defended slavery and, after the Civil War, worked to re-establish segregation and white supremacy. The Republicans actually managed to keep federal jobs (i.e. local postmasters) integrated even in the South. Woodrow WIlson, a progressive Democrat, aggressively did away with that as President, segregating federal offices in D.C. and often firing black people.
The tradition continued with the suppression of free speech during WWI under Wilson, something infinitely worse that the so-called McCarthy era. FDR, elected four times to the White House, only did one thing for the nation’s black people, an easily justified executive order integrating war industries. He also did nothing for Europe’s persecuted Jews and tossed over 100,000 Japanese-Americans into concentration camps despite the fact that none, repeat none, were ever convicted of spying for Japan. Like I said, it’s the evil party. The Republicans tend to fail by being spineless.
So is it any surprise that the party of Andrew Jackson is now the party of legalized abortion and eager to force religious people to pay for abortions? Not at all. It’s now almost two-centuries old speciality is stepping on people to win elections.
The sick reality is that many of these horrors did not have to happen. In the 1820s, evangelical missionaries challenged the mistreatment of Indians and took their fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where they won. But Andrew Jackson, the arrogant jerk, ignored the Court. The British ended slavery without a war in the 1830s. Thanks to our Democratic party, we didn’t until 1865, and only after the bloodiest war in our nation’s history. But for Andrew Jackson and his party, those horrors would have never begun or been quickly ended.
When blame for our nation’s horrors is dished out, it ought to go to the genuinely guilty and that guilty isn’t a vague “everyone” much less “everyone white” like some want us to believe Particular evils always have particular supporters and opponents particularly one of our political parties.
What G. K. Chesterton said about England is also true of the U.S., “There was never an American wrong without and American protest.”
–Michael W. Perry, co-author of Lily’s Ride: Rescuing her Father from the Ku Klux Klan (set in 1870s North Carolina)
War Eagle
I did not find any references to the fact that the first organizational meeting for Auburn University actually took place at First United Methodist Church in Talladega. A historical plaque to the event is situated today infront of the church on the corner of East Street, s & South Street.
James W. Anderson
Talladega, AL
(256)761-1484
Thank you for the additional information.
In your article about Auburn, Alabama you mentioned that Judge John Harper was from Harris County, Ga.
and that he had Simeon Perry to layout the town. Do you know if Simeon Perry was also from Harris County, Ga? I have a ggg uncle from there that I can’t find much info on.
I’m sorry. I do not have any more information on Simeon Perry.
Donna
To my friend Lane,,,,enjoy….lol
WARRRRRRRR EAGLE!!
My university!
I love Auburn – WDE!
[…] we are indebted to her for both the “Early History of Auburn,” herewith published, and also “History of the Auburn Baptist Church,” which will appear in a later issue. […]
Melanie Stickler Falconer
Beautiful!
Melanie Stickler Falconer
Carol Coffey
this actually reminds me of a house that used to be in Lawrence Co, not Lee Co