Thanks to Jimmy Johnson for posting this on Facebook: The Fort Mims Restoration Association is reviewing a conceptual master plan that will eventually guide development of the northern Baldwin County archeological site. Association member Charles S. McCulloh said the group wanted to have the preliminary plan in time for the annual re-enactment of the attack … Continue reading Preservation of Fort Mims Site
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
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
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
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
Review of Daniel Walker Howe’s What Hath God Wrought
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848. By Daniel Walker Howe (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 904 pages; $35.00. Andrew Jackson has been dead 165 years, yet he remains the locus of intense political controversy. Since 1945, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.’s, The Age of Jackson, three generations of American historians and journalists … Continue reading Review of Daniel Walker Howe’s What Hath God Wrought
Charles Dickinson’s Reinterment
I had the pleasure of attending Charles Dickinson's reinterment in late June. Dickinson was the young lawyer who was killed in a duel with Andrew Jackson in 1806. The story of how Dickinson's grave was discovered is a testament to hard work and persistence, by both Charles Miller, Dickinson's great-great-great-grandson, and Fletch Coke, a well-known historic preservationist in Nashville. Most people who … Continue reading Charles Dickinson’s Reinterment
Books I’ve Used in My Jacksonian Course
I've taught the Jacksonian course three times: twice at my previous institution and once at Cumberland. I conceived of the course at my previous institution as an Early Republic course; the title, "Republicanism, Democracy, and Expansion, 1789-1845," emphasized the themes around which the content was organized. At Cumberland, the course is entitled "Jacksonian Democracy," but I organized it … Continue reading Books I’ve Used in My Jacksonian Course
Waxing Eloquent about Jackson
My parents recently visited the Natural Bridge Wax Museum in Virginia. There were a number of famous and historic personalities portrayed, including Ben Franklin and other founders of the Republic, some indistinguishable frontiersmen and Native Americans, a security guard, and a postman. Oh, and they took a photo of the wax figure of Andrew Jackson, displayed … Continue reading Waxing Eloquent about Jackson
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 