Andrew Jackson’s Conception of States' Rights and Nationalism

Abstract

Andrew Jackson opposed America’s central bank in defense of states’ rights; he also opposed nullification in defense of the nation. These two positions, though seemingly in tension with each other, cohere once Jackson’s understanding of the union and nation is made clear. Though not a Roman Catholic, Jackson’s argument for the nature of the union was nearly identical to the Catholic idea of subsidiarity, implementing the natural law. In this article, I will first explain the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which starts with the freedom of communities to govern themselves but escalates authority to a universal level when dealing with questions of the natural law. Next, I will show that, like Catholic social teaching, Andrew Jackson recognized the need for communities to govern themselves. However, I will also show that Jackson opposed nullification on the grounds that granting it would destroy the rule of law and national unity, and thus the potential for government for the sake of the common good. I will conclude that Jackson’s understanding of union is coherent and complete, and, though he was not a Roman Catholic, that his statesmanship follows the broad pattern prescribed by the Catholic Church for the preservation of community and the pursuit of the common good. Finally, I will argue that Jackson thought local governance was necessary for freedom, but that catholic authority was necessary for unity.