Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Early Republic, Gordon Wood, Jacksonian politics, Robert V. Remini, Tennessee history

Biographies That Need Writing

In a 1997 essay entitled "American Political Biography," Robert V. Remini assessed the state of the field and found it wanting: "Old-fashioned political biographies of 'dead white males' that are 'character-driven narratives' seem to have little appeal for graduate students. . . . These biographies could be written by doctoral candidates and would add significantly to our … Continue reading Biographies That Need Writing

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Bancroft Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize

Award-Winning Jacksonian Books

While writing two historiographical essays on the Jackson period recently, I was struck by the number of those books that had won major literary prizes. To illustrate the recognition given to the period's scholarship, below is a list of major awards bestowed on Jacksonian-era books. Pulitzer Prizes in Biography or Autobiography: 2009: American Lion: Andrew … Continue reading Award-Winning Jacksonian Books

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Early Republic, SHEAR

Preview of the 2010 SHEAR conference

I'll be attending the annual SHEAR (Society for Historians of the Early American Republic) conference this weekend. This will be my sixth meeting to attend since I first presented as a graduate student in 2000 (2000, 2005, 2007-present). The program this year looks less appealing to me than in years past. That's not a knock … Continue reading Preview of the 2010 SHEAR conference

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Early Republic, Edward Pessen, Robert V. Remini, SHEAR

Why I’m Blogging

Calling me a Luddite would be kind. I was late to computers, late to cellphones, late to Facebook. MySpace passed me by completely, and I texted for the first time this past April. Venturing into the blogosphere, as I'm told it's called, is probably a choice I shouldn't even consider. Yet, I'm making a leap … Continue reading Why I’m Blogging