When I was in junior high, we were required to do periodic public presentations. I was fascinated with the Great Triumvirate of Calhoun, Clay, and Webster and did a series of oral reports on all three politicians (but not Jackson, surprisingly). David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler have co-authored a new biography of Henry Clay. To … Continue reading Reconsidering Henry Clay
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2010 Tennessee Conference of Historians
The 2010 Tennessee Conference of Historians will meet on the campus of Cumberland University on 10-11 September 2010. This year's keynote speaker will be Dr. Caroline Janney, Associate Professor of History at Purdue University. An OAH Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Janney is the author of Burying the Dead but Not the Past: Ladies' Memorial Associations and the … Continue reading 2010 Tennessee Conference of Historians
Virginia Emigrants to Liberia
One of the small pleasures in my life is reading the book reviews in a new issue of an academic journal. It gives me the opportunity to see how other historians view major works in my own field of research, as well as exposing me to new books that I might have overlooked. The August … Continue reading Virginia Emigrants to Liberia
Review of Robert Remini’s At the Edge of the Precipice
Robert V. Remini is widely regarded as the authoritative historian of the Jacksonian period. His biographies of Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and Daniel Webster are monumental works that remain definitive studies of the lives of these three politicians of the Middle Period. Remini brings his wealth of knowledge about the Early Republic period to his … Continue reading Review of Robert Remini’s At the Edge of the Precipice
Net Worth of Early Republic Presidents
Earlier this year, The Atlantic published a list calculating the net worth of all 43 U.S. presidents (in 2010 dollars). By way of explanation, note the following from the article: Because a number of presidents, particularly in the early nineteenth century, made and lost huge fortunes in a matter of a few years, the number … Continue reading Net Worth of Early Republic Presidents
The Early Republic’s Beautiful People
Two of them, apparently, were John Tyler's wives (HT to @kevindmccann). Tyler wasn't a bad-looking guy, but one 2007 report had two Early Republic presidents in the top five "hottest" U.S. presidents: Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Pierce. Obama might have knocked one of them out of the top five by now, but even one Early Republic … Continue reading The Early Republic’s Beautiful People
Summer 2010 Research
I, along with several other Cumberland faculty, had the privilege of receiving a university summer research grant. My grant proposal outlined a plan to look at Andrew Jackson's slave communities in Tennessee and Mississippi, particularly post-presidency. This research plan was intended to help me complete a biography, due next summer, that examines Jackson's southern identity. … Continue reading Summer 2010 Research
Suicide in the Early Republic
I recently started catching up on my academic journal reading. Two articles in different journals addressed aspects of suicide that I found interesting. I'll try to do justice to them in summarizing the arguments made by the authors. Richard Bell's "The Double Guilt of Dueling: The Stain of Suicide in Anti-Dueling Rhetoric in the Early Republic" … Continue reading Suicide in the Early Republic
Springfield Mansion Gets a Facelift
From the Natchez Democrat: At 219-years-old, Springfield Plantation has new life. An 11-month restoration to the historic mansion was recently completed bringing the home back to its original grandeur. The federal-style mansion was built from 1786 to 1791 as a home for Thomas Marston Green Jr., a wealthy planter from Virginia. The most recent restoration was … Continue reading Springfield Mansion Gets a Facelift
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: The Play
A friend sent me news of this play a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, its run has ended. Here is the description of the play: BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, an audacious mix of historical fact and fiction, redefines America’s controversial seventh president -- the man who invented the Democratic Party, drove the Indians west, and ultimately doubled the … Continue reading Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson: The Play
