Tiger,Tiger,BurningBright 233completelyuncontroversial.Afailuretogiveolderpeopletheirproper
duewouldbeaninexcusablebreachofthecode.
Thesecondprincipleofthecodeofhonorisequality.Amongthose
membersofthefolkcommunitywhodopulltheirweight,thereisan
absoluteequalityofdignityandright.Nooneelsehasarighttotellthe
self-reliantJacksonianwhattosay,do,orthink.Anyinfringementof
equalitywillbemetwithdefianceandresistance.TheJacksonianis,and
insists on remaining,independent ofchurch, state, social hierarchy,
politicalparties,andlaborunions.Jacksoniansmaychoosetoacceptthe
authorityofa leaderormovementorfaith,buttheywillneveracceptan
imposedauthority,oranyimplicationthatonememberofthemiddle-
classAmericancommunityis betterthananyothermemberingood
standing. The youngare independent ofthe old: "Free, whiteand
twenty-one"isanoldJacksonianexpression;thecolorlinehassoftened,
butotherwisethesentimentisastrueasiteverwas.
Thethirdprincipleisindividualism.Giventhefreedomtothinkand
liveasonepleases,JacksonianAmericaofferseveryindividualtheoppor-
tunitytoseeksatisfactionandsalvationthroughwhatevermeansthe
individualfinds helpful.TheJacksoniandoesnotjusthavearightto
self-fulfillment,heorshehas adutytoseekit.Theinsistenceoninde-
pendentjudgmentgoesfarbackinAmericanhistory.Jacksoniansand
theirScotch-IrishancestorsfirstrevoltedfromtheCatholicChurch,then
theChurchofEngland,thenthehierarchicalProtestantdenominations
like Methodism and Presbyterianism. The revolt from established
denominationscontinuestoday.
Aconcernforself-improvement,notnecessarilyrelatedtoorthodox
religiousfaith,isanotherhallmarkoftheJacksonianquestforindividual
fulfillment. In r862 nineteen-year-oldSarahMorgan,livinginBaton
RougeasitwasabouttobeshelledbyFederalgunboats,earnestlycon-
fidedtoherdiarythather"lackofselfesteem"wasaproblemsheneeded
todealwith. 19
Inr 82 7,Mrs.FannyTrollope,themotherofnovelistAnthonyTrol-
lope,wasforcedbyherhusband'sdebtstoleavehernativeBritainand
cometotheUnitedStates,whereshespenttwoyears.Nexttoherrevul-
sionatthetwinAmericanhabitsofchewingtobaccoinpublicplacesand
missingspittoonswiththefinishedproduct,shemostdespisedthesocial
andreligiousheterodoxyofAmericanrevivalists,thedressinghabitsand
independentwaysofAmericanservants,andthepassionforequalityshe
foundeverywhereshelooked.
"Thetheoryofequality,"Mrs.Trollopeobserved,"maybeverydain-