Does History Really Repeat Itself?

Mr. Beat looks at the Schlesingers' Cyclical Theory to see if history really repeats itself.

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A special thanks to Denis Blinov for his help researching for this video:

Also thanks to Patreon supporter Andrew B. for suggesting the topic!

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Special thanks to the AP Archive for additional footage for this video. It made a huge difference! AP Archive website

Creative commons credits:

Beyond My Ken

Elvert Barnes

TheMachineStops

Sources/additional reading:

Schlesinger, Arthur Sr. (1949). Paths to the Present. Macmillan.

Schlesinger, Arthur Jr. (1999). The Cycles of American History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Schlesingers argued the first phase of American history was 1765 to 1787. This is basically from the time of the Stamp Act Congress, or first gathering of colonial representatives to unite in protest against British taxation, and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. This was a liberal phase due, you know, the colonists breaking away from Britain and forming their own republic, with a very limited government.

The Schlesingers said the second phase was from 1787 to 1801, from the ratification of the U.S. Constitution to when Federalists lost power in the executive branch. According to them, it was a conservative phase since Hamiltonian federalism dominated, and so did merchants.

The third phase, between 1801 and 1816, was a return to liberalism, as Jeffersonian democracy took root. 1816 marks the beginning of the fourth phase and a return to conservatism, as after The War of 1812 the country raised tariff protections and the federal government took more control with the establishment of the second national bank and building roads and canals. 1829 marks the beginning of the fifth phase and a return to liberalism, after Jacksonian democracy takes root, and for the first time pretty much every man in the country can vote. It’s also a time when people turn against federal aid to big businesses. The sixth phase, from 1841 to 1861, marks the rise in power of the Whig Party and is another return to conservatism. This is a time when slaveholders get a lot more power in the federal government and the U.S. military gets more aggressive acquiring new land through wars and treaties.

The seventh phase, from 1861 to 1869, is what I call the Radical Republican era. It is a return to liberalism in which we see the abolition of slavery, the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments, and other Reconstruction policies to help the newly freed slaves. From 1869 to 1901, in the eighth phase, we see a long period of conservative rule, with big businesses having dominating influence over Washington D.C., the return of high tariffs, imperialism, and holding onto the gold standard. Liberalism returns with the ninth phase, from 1901 to 1919, and is basically the Progressive Era, although I’d argue progressive reforms really had a lot of momentum in the 1890s. Here’s where we get much more democracy with the 17th and 19th Amendments, referendums, recall elections, and initiatives, which is when ordinary citizens were generally first able to originate legislation. Conservatism returns with the tenth phase, from 1919 to 1931. Business interests once again are prioritized during this time.

And then of course the country swiftly swings back in the other direction when the Great Depression hits. The eleventh phase, a famous liberal phase actually, lasted from 1931 to 1947, and is mostly associated with Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal policies.

#history #americanhistory #ushistory