The Birth of Modern Politics; Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the Election of 1828

New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xviii, [2], 252 pages. Illustrated endpapers. Editor's Note. Notes. Index. This is one of the Pivotal Moments in American History series. Lynn Parsons is an American educator and author. He is a professor at the State University of New York. Parsons received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grinnell College in 1958. Four years later he earned his Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1967 from Johns Hopkins University. Parsons began his career as an instructor of the history department at the University College Dublin in 1962. Two years later he took the same position at Grinnell College. Lynn served as an assistant professor of history at Wayne State University from 1965 to 1971. In 1971, he was appointed an associate professor of history at State University of New York. Since 1993 Lynn has been a professor at the same university. Parsons is known for his books, including "John Quincy Adams", "The Birth of Modern Politics" and "Missions and Meeting Houses, Chapels and Churches". The 1828 presidential election, which pitted Major General Andrew Jackson against incumbent John Quincy Adams, has long been hailed as a watershed moment in American political history. It was the contest in which an unlettered, hot-tempered southwestern frontiersman, trumpeted by his supporters as a genuine man of the people, soundly defeated a New England "aristocrat" whose education and political resume were as impressive as any ever seen in American public life. It was, many historians have argued, the country's first truly democratic presidential election.

Lynn Hudson Parsons argues that it also established a pattern in which two nationally organized political parties would vie for power in virtually every state. During the election of 1828 voters were introduced to a host of novel campaign tactics, including coordinated media, get-out-the-vote efforts, fund-raising, organized rallies, opinion polling, campaign paraphernalia, ethnic voting blocs, "opposition research," and smear tactics.

In The Birth of Modern Politics, Parsons shows that the Adams-Jackson contest began a national debate that is eerily contemporary, pitting those whose cultural, social, and economic values were rooted in community action for the common good against those who believed the common good was best served by giving individuals as much freedom as possible to promote their own interests. It offers fresh and illuminating portraits of both Adams and Jackson and reveals how, despite their vastly different backgrounds, they had started out with many of the same values, admired one another, and had often been allies in common causes. Both were staunch nationalists, and both shared an aversion to organized parties and "electioneering. "But by 1828, caught up in a shifting political landscape, they were plunged into a competition that separated them decisively from the Founding Fathers' era and ushered in a style of politics that is still with us today.

The "Pivotal Moments in American History" series seeks to unite the old and the new history, combining the insights and techniques of recent historiography with the power of traditional narrative. Each title has a strong narrative arc with drama, irony, suspense, and - most importantly - great characters who embody the human dimension of historical events. The general editors of "Pivotal Moments" are not just historians; they are popular writers themselves, and, in two cases, Pulitzer Prize winners: David Hackett Fischer, James M. McPherson, and David Greenberg. We hope you like your American History served up with verve, wit, and an eye for the telling detail!