Longtime readers will remember that I wrote a couple of posts (here and here) about Andrew Jackson Donelson's home in Bolivar County, Mississippi. The Preservation in Mississippi blog posted about the home today. The post doesn't add much more information to what I knew before, but I appreciate seeing the photos.
Cha-ching!
After nearly six years in print, here's the first payoff from Old Hickory's Nephew: I know what you're thinking: "Will Mark loan me some money?" Sorry-the money's already spent.
Tulip Grove Lawsuit
The lawsuit over Tulip Grove, Andrew Jackson Donelson's Nashville home, has concluded. "A five-year fight over how much money a historic house near The Hermitage should generate for the family that used to own it came closer to its end Friday, with an appeals court ruling in favor of the nonprofit that owns both. Tulip … Continue reading Tulip Grove Lawsuit
Andrew Jackson Donelson’s Mississippi Plantation: A Follow-up
During the early days of Jacksonian America, I wrote a post about Andrew Jackson Donelson's home in Bolivar County, Mississippi. Recently, Bob Lovinggood, a descendant of Captain J.T. Lovinggood, contacted me about photographs of the home. Captain Lovinggood owned the home after the Donelsons and sold it to the Yates family in 1912. Much of … Continue reading Andrew Jackson Donelson’s Mississippi Plantation: A Follow-up
The Murder of Lt. Daniel Smith Donelson, C.S.A.
Too frequently, historians stumble across mysteries that they lack the evidence to solve. Most of the time, those mysteries are relegated to a folder, where they sit and nag at the mind. While writing the Donelson biography, I came across one such mystery: the murder of Andrew Jackson Donelson's son, Daniel Smith Donelson (1842-1864). The … Continue reading The Murder of Lt. Daniel Smith Donelson, C.S.A.
Who Is This Nineteenth-Century Political Candidate?
Yesterday, I came across an eBay auction that sparked my curiosity.* The seller has two political campaign buttons: one of Millard Fillmore (left) and one of someone he thinks is Andrew Jackson Donelson (right). The Fillmore button is correctly identified, but the other button does not depict Donelson, who looked like this in 1856: The … Continue reading Who Is This Nineteenth-Century Political Candidate?
The “Truth” of Wikipedia
Timothy Messer-Kruse's wrote an excellent Chronicle column on Wikipedia last week. (Word to the wise: The comments section has devolved into nonsense at times, so read at your own peril.) It reminded me of the discussion that I had with my Jacksonian class last week about my own brief foray into Wikipedia editing. In 2007, I decided … Continue reading The “Truth” of Wikipedia
Patriarchy and Masculinity in Antebellum America: Andrew Jackson and His Male Wards
As I've done for papers at the 2011 SHEAR and 2011 SHA conferences, I am posting ahead of time the paper I will be giving in Chicago at the American Historical Association annual meeting. This paper, which examines patriarchy and masculinity in Jackson's advice to his male wards, is in many ways a continuation of … Continue reading Patriarchy and Masculinity in Antebellum America: Andrew Jackson and His Male Wards
First Tuesday with Old Hickory’s Nephew
As Gordon Belt noted on his blog today, I'm speaking at the Nashville Metro Archives next Tuesday. Come out if you have a chance.
Other Perspectives on Andrew Jackson Donelson
Fellow Tennessee blogger and historical writer Kevin McCann posted a question on the Jacksonian America Facebook page about another Andrew J. Donelson biography. I thought I would answer him here for other interested readers. The only other published Donelson biography is Robert Beeler Satterfield's Andrew Jackson Donelson: Jackson's Confidant and Political Heir. While at Vanderbilt, … Continue reading Other Perspectives on Andrew Jackson Donelson
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 