Men Who Made America's Self-Made Man
16 days ago
- #self-made myth
- #American history
- #Andrew Jackson
- The concept of the self-made man was initially dangerous and blasphemous, but was transformed by the American Revolution and 19th-century industrial changes.
- Andrew Jackson became a symbol of the self-made man, despite having advantages like inheritance and professional connections, by crafting a narrative of hardship and self-reliance.
- Jackson's military victories, especially in New Orleans, and his political campaigns reinforced his image as a self-made frontier hero.
- The term 'self-made man' began to be used politically in the 1820s, contrasting with 'aristocrats' and becoming a tool for gaining cultural and political authority.
- Initially, self-made men were not associated with wealth but with public service; figures like John Jacob Astor were excluded from this narrative until later.
- By the late 19th century, the self-made myth became linked to financial success, promoted by industrial tycoons like Carnegie and Mellon, overshadowing its origins in public service.