Beyond Whigs and Democrats: historians, historiography, and the paths toward a new synthesis for the Jacksonian era

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article reviews 30 years of synthetic works on Jacksonian America and argues that while most are still political narratives, the elements of a new synthesis are emerging. Recent scholarship suggests three broad areas from which a newer, more relevant synthesis might come: slavery, race, and gender; political culture; and the new history of capitalism. Furthermore, some key building blocks of a new synthesis have been emerging in the scholarly dialogue prompted by recent research trends and publications.