Essay On Jackson Vs. Matthews

Our country has been built and continues to be built on political powerhouses. Andrew Jackson and Robert Matthews both came of age as orphans in the late eighteenth century, but by the late 1820’s Jackson had risen from poverty in the Carolina backcountry to become a plantation owner and presidential candidate while Matthews came from a small farming family in upstate New York to failures and religions extremism. Both these men took different life turns due to their upbringings and opportunities that were and were not there for them due to religion and family that shape them to make the decisions that they later made in life. They both lived in different times but both experienced many of the same feelings such as being a leader, making an …show more content…
Since they grew up differently, they lived different lives and were able to make a name for themselves. Andrew Jackson grew up in the backcountry and had to work for all the opportunities that came his way. He was given, from a young age, many responsibilities and took those responsibilities very seriously. Jackson was a go-getter and did not let anyone get in the way of what he wanted, even after he lost his first election. His past led him to be a frontier slave owner and in a society that accepted this as a norm. Jackson was as successful as he was because of the time period he lived in and the time he devoted to having slaves (121). He did not grow up with things being handed to him but his hard work showed that he made all the opportunities for himself. On the other hand, Matthews was not given as many opportunities as Jackson but as well went out in the real world and made a name for himself, even though not always the best. Specifically in western New York, Matthews was surrounded by this revival and decided to act on it. The Second Great Awakening was sprouting and was taking over the country and religion, which was turning into a huge revival movement. He does not necessarily believe in the message that the revivalists are spreading because he has his own …show more content…
Jackson, among other things, survived kidnapping and wars but most importantly continued to become the seventh president of the United States of America. Moreover, Matthews used his carpentry and his visions to start a cult that gained the likes of many followers. Both of these men lead different lives and somehow managed to similarly connect because of their determination and grit. They both withstood different outside factors that made them who they were, whereas Jackson made his successes and used his opportunities to better himself. On the other hand, Matthews was not dealt the best hand and could never really capitalize on his opportunities due to his mental health and other issues. Jackson and Matthews were both shaped by the societies that they lived in to succeed or fail in the