This semester, I am teaching two upper-division history courses. The first is the Old South course, which I have never taught. Given my research interests, however, I think I'll be well prepared to discuss the region from pre-1492 indigenous peoples through the Civil War. The second upper-division course that I'm teaching has evolved over the past couple … Continue reading The Upcoming Spring 2011 Semester
Andrew Jackson Jihad
Occasionally, I come across something outside of my interests that piques my curiosity. One such example is Andrew Jackson Jihad. According to the band's biography on Allmusic.com, Andrew Jackson Jihad "is a folk-punk outfit from Phoenix," founded in 2004. The two founders, Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallatty, pen "humorously explicit music with macabre themes." This group's … Continue reading Andrew Jackson Jihad
When Was Andrew Jackson Popular?
The New York Times recently described a new database that has a lot of interesting possibilities: With little fanfare, Google has made a mammoth database culled from nearly 5.2 million digitized books available to the public for free downloads and online searches, opening a new landscape of possibilities for research and education in the humanities. … Continue reading When Was Andrew Jackson Popular?
Happy Festivus!
In honor of Festivus, air your historical grievances, preferably 19th-century, here. Yes, airing of grievances is only supposed to cover the previous year, but I'm stretching the boundaries while the holiday is young. I have two grievances: 1. I dislike James Buchanan for a number of reasons, but primarily because he acted coy during the … Continue reading Happy Festivus!
The Link Between “Oh Holy Night!” and Abolitionism
At church on Sunday morning, we sang a verse of "O Holy Night" that caught my attention: Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother; And in His name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of … Continue reading The Link Between “Oh Holy Night!” and Abolitionism
The Best Books on Writing and Publishing, Part 3
Betsy Lerner's The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers (New York: Riverhead, 2010) is a more philosophical look at writing and writers than the previous two books I've reviewed. Lerner is an award-winning writer who had been both an editor and an agent. She also blogs with a wicked sense of humor. … Continue reading The Best Books on Writing and Publishing, Part 3
The Living Grandsons of President John Tyler
John Tyler is one of those presidents who is often overlooked. An advocate of states' rights, he was placed on the 1840 Whig ticket to bring in southern votes. Tyler became president only because William Henry Harrison passed away after just a month in office. From there, things went downhill for the Virginian. The Whig party, which had expected … Continue reading The Living Grandsons of President John Tyler
Commemorating Liberty and Slavery in Philadelphia
Yesterday, the New York Times ran reviewed the new exhibit, “The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation,” which opens today. The exhibit treats the Philadelphia house where George Washington and John Adams lived as presidents during the 1790s. (The U.S. had several capital cities in its early years before … Continue reading Commemorating Liberty and Slavery in Philadelphia
Updates to Blog
I've added a Facebook page for the blog; you can access it via the Facebook button on the blog's right-hand menu. Feel free to like the Facebook page; you don't have to be my Facebook friend to do so. And that last sentence sounds really weird and reminds me so much of something that might … Continue reading Updates to Blog
The Best Books on Writing and Publishing, Part 2
(Part 1 of this series is here.) I've dabbled with the idea of crossing over into trade publishing once the Jackson biography is completed. A number of historians whom I admire have done this, but like with the publishing process itself, I was a bit naive about what is involved in making the jump. If … Continue reading The Best Books on Writing and Publishing, Part 2
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 