Reassessing jacksonian political culture: William leggett’s egalitarianism

Scholars have long debated the character of Jacksonian political culture. Many have argued that the Democrats were individualist in political culture, and those who recognize an egalitarian aspect still describe the Jacksonian view of society as “atomistic.” The article focuses on the political thought of William Leggett, “Spokesman” of Jacksonian Democracy. It distinguishes between universalist and particularist varieties of egalitarianism and argues that Leggett’s universalist egalitarianism has been frequently misunderstood as individualist. In fact Leggett, like all egalitarians, started from a negative reference group bias against elites. His positive reference group identifications were broad and deracinated; they included as civically worthy both African Americans and women. This broadly inclusive view has often been conflated with the individualist view of equality, which is horizontal or reciprocity based. Leggett’s literary writings provide a context for reconstructing his vertical equality stance. Its oppositional element and group bias highlight the need for a reassessment of Jacksonian political culture.