Trump History - Civil War

Apparently, Donald Trump never took an American history course in school. If by chance he did take that course, he must have failed it or his rich daddy bought him a passing grade. I'm not sure where to begin with this discussion of Trump's statements about Andrew Jackson and the Civil War. He is so confused and wrong in his views of both the Civil War and President Jackson. I suspect he would lose a debate with most high school students let alone educated adults. The man is an embarrassment.

Trump on the Civil War: ‘Why Could That One Not Have Been Worked Out?’

This statement from a president who couldn't even work out a health care bill with his own party. In the 1850's, slavery was the hottest issue in the country. To a much lesser degree, states rights were in the mix but that was mostly because the southern states wanted the right to continue slavery and to expand it to new western states as they entered the union. The elimination of slavery was a threat to the whole southern economy. Despite that, many people, smarter than Trump, worked hard and long on trying to achieve a satisfactory and peaceful compromise.

"People don't realize, ya know, you think about it – why? People don't ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?"

What people don't ask why there was a Civil War? If you ever took an American History course, I'm pretty sure you were asked that question. I certainly was, more than once. I even had to write papers that addressed that issue. It is estimated that there have been over 50 thousand books written on the Civil War. I have to think that at least a few of those authors asked "Why". I'm a very slight Civil War follower. I just looked and I have about 10 Civil War books on my bookshelves. Every one of them muses about "why"  and speculates about "what if" it had been avoided. 

"Had Andrew Jackson been a little bit later, you wouldn’t have had the Civil War"

Jackson was out of office in March 1837, 24 years before the Civil War, and was dead by 1845, 16 years before the war. Yes, Jackson did settle a dustup between the South, mostly South Carolina, and the Federal government over federal tariffs and states rights to ignore those taxes. It was an important issue and potential crisis for the nation and preservation of the Union, called the Nullification Crisis. That being said, a disagreement over tariffs and taxes is nowhere near the incendiary issue that slavery became in the 1850's leading up to the Civil War. In fact, Jackson was a southerner who was in favor of slavery and was a slave owner. 

Trump has become enamored with Andrew Jackson. A fascination that only began during the campaign at the earliest and only because svengali Steve Bannon put the idea in his head. It appears that he thinks of himself as the current day Jackson.  A tough, big-hearted populist who comes from outside the Washington establishment. A candidate who was in one of the most vicious campaigns at a time when the country was deeply divided. Jackson actually lost the election in 1824 although he won the popular vote but lost the election in the House of Representatives. The exact opposite of Trump's situation who lost the popular vote but won in the Electoral College. The brutal and personal election was in1828 which was a landslide Jackson victory. So Trump's and Jackson's election history is not actually that similar. 

Because he sees himself as the current day Jackson, Trump has to build up Jackson as a superman. That means he embellishes Jackson's accomplishments and therefore his own abilities. Since Trump is historically ignorant, he mixed and matched the timeline and some events to fit his view of Jackson. 

If ignorance is bliss, Trump must be happy as a pig in slop. Wouldn't it be great if our president had at least a rudimentary knowledge of our history and the Constitution? It is not only scary but very disappointing.

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