Jefferson Morley’s new book, Snow-Storm in August: Washington City, Francis Scott Key, and the Forgotten Race Riot of 1835, recounts the August 1835 race riot that took place in the nation’s capital. As president, Andrew Jackson played a pivotal role in the fate of John Arthur Bowen, a slave found guilty of attacking his owner, Anna Thornton, wife of the late Capitol architect, William Thornton. This episode has received very little scholarly attention, but I hope Morley is able to raise awareness about its importance.
If I don’t get the opportunity to review it for a journal, I’ll review it here.
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 