Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Broadway

Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson Opens on Broadway

I can't get enough of the Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson play that opened on Broadway last week. Two reviews have me even more intrigued. From the Associated Press: Jackson's story is told in a series of vignettes and songs that veer from fratboy humor — girl-on-girl kissing, fist-bumping, ballet-dancing Indians — to slightly more sophisticated observations, such as … Continue reading Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson Opens on Broadway

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson Donelson, Connie Lester, Dissertation writing, John F. Marszalek, Richard B. Latner, Tennessee history, William E. Parrish

The Dissertation Process, Part 2

(Part 1 of this series can be found here) LENGTH OF DISSERTATION My dissertation was 16 chapters long, or, to put it in perspective, 488 pages, sans bibliography. It could have been much longer; I eliminated over 100 pages of text during the drafting stage. (Yes, I tend to overwrite. People who know me as … Continue reading The Dissertation Process, Part 2

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson Donelson, Connie Lester, Dissertation writing, John F. Marszalek, Mississippi State University, Tennessee history, White House Historical Association

The Dissertation Process, Part 1

Last year, I wrote a Facebook note outlining the process that I went through to write my dissertation in 2001-02. I thought it might be useful to post it here for readers who might be graduate students who are pre-comps or who are just beginning the process. I've edited my original note to remove some personal … Continue reading The Dissertation Process, Part 1

Mark R. Cheathem Aaron Burr, Andrew Jackson, Buckner F. Melton Jr., Burr conspiracy, Early Republic

The Hermitage’s Podcast Series: “Aaron and Andrew: A Southern Story of Treason”

The second installment of The Hermitage's podcast series focuses on the Burr conspiracy. In September 1806, Vice-President Aaron Burr visited Nashville, where a dinner was held in his honor. Just three months later, his life would turn completely around as he would be put on trial for treason. For a time, he had an unwitting … Continue reading The Hermitage’s Podcast Series: “Aaron and Andrew: A Southern Story of Treason”

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Jacksonian popular culture, Major Jack Downing, Seba Smith

The Age of Jackson’s Forrest Gump

I'd come across Major Jack Downing before this article, but I'd never given him much thought. Downing, created by American humorist Seba Smith, was a "Gump"-like character, according to Aaron McLean Winter. Smith created Jack in 1830 while editing the Portland Courier. An ambitious but naïve young man who abandons his family farm in rural Maine … Continue reading The Age of Jackson’s Forrest Gump

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, John Spencer Bassett, Slavery

John Spencer Bassett and Jacksonian Historiography, Part 2

(Part 1 of this series is here.) While Bassett certainly attempted to provide a representative cross-section of Jackson's correspondence, several limitations deserve recognition. First, the Bassett volumes were edited and published during a time when certain topics were given more weight than others. For example, political and military matters dominate the CAJ volumes. Kinship, gender, and race are … Continue reading John Spencer Bassett and Jacksonian Historiography, Part 2

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, John Spencer Bassett, Organization of American Historians, Slavery

John Spencer Bassett and Jacksonian Historiography, Part 1

In the process of presenting a paper at the April 2010 OAH about Jackson and slavery and writing a longer historiographical essay on the same topic, I have spent a lot of time this year considering the influence of John Spencer Bassett on Jacksonian historiography. Bassett received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1894, having … Continue reading John Spencer Bassett and Jacksonian Historiography, Part 1

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, John Catron, Slavery, Tennessee Conference of Historians

2010 Tennessee Conference of Historians Recap

It doesn't seem appropriate to duplicate the conference recap here in this blog, but I wanted to add a thought or two. The panel that I was on focused on John Catron and Andrew Jackson. Surprisingly, no historian has written a biography of Catron, despite being a member of the United States Supreme Court. (Add him … Continue reading 2010 Tennessee Conference of Historians Recap

Mark R. Cheathem American Revolution, Andrew Jackson, Battle of Hanging Rock, South Carolina, The Hermitage

The Hermitage’s Podcast Series: “The Battle of Hanging Rock”

The Hermitage premiered its podcast series this month. The first installment focuses on the 1780 Battle of Hanging Rock. Dr. Jane Landers of Vanderbilt University and Dr. Walter Edgar of the University of South Carolina are the two historians interviewed for this installment. I applaud The Hermitage for employing this type of medium to further … Continue reading The Hermitage’s Podcast Series: “The Battle of Hanging Rock”

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Jon Meacham

Recent Discoveries of Early Republic Sources

The Early Republic occasionally grabs the headlines. Granted, they aren't at the same type of headlines generated by the latest faux-celebrity rehab stint or screaming (as opposed to talking) head on cable news or talk radio, but a headline is a headline. For example, A document written by a federal judge 216 years ago has turned up in an unlikely place: … Continue reading Recent Discoveries of Early Republic Sources