I came across a quote recently that piqued my curiosity. In discussing immigration, the author credited John Quincy Adams with writing the following statement while secretary of state: The American Republic invites nobody to come. We will keep out nobody. Arrivals will suffer no disadvantages as aliens. But they can expect no advantages either. Native-bornContinue reading “John Quincy Adams’ Take on Trump’s Wall”
Category Archives: Books
Books for Fall 2019
History of U.S. I (To 1877) Mark R. Cheathem, Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2018. ISBN 9781621904533 John Fea, Why Study History? Reflecting on the Importance of the Past. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2013. ISBN 9780801039652 Betty Wood, The Origins of American Slavery: Freedom and Bondage in the English Colonies (HillContinue reading “Books for Fall 2019”
Win a Free Copy of Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party
Want a free signed copy of Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party? You can win in two ways: 1. Like the Jacksonian America Facebook page, and share the post about this contest on your personal timeline. 2. Retweet the Twitter announcement of this contest. I will award one book for Facebook participants and one forContinue reading “Win a Free Copy of Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party“
Books for Spring 2019
In addition to a bevy of articles and essays, students in my Spring 2019 courses will be reading these books. Introduction to Historical Methods Conal Furay and Michael J. Salevouris, The Methods and Skills of History: A Practical Guide, 4th ed. (Wiley Blackwell, 2015) ISBN 9781118745441 Jill Lepore, The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party’s Revolution and the BattleContinue reading “Books for Spring 2019”
Previewing Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party
Several years ago, I was invited to write a book on Andrew Jackson and the origins of the Democratic party for ABC-CLIO. While I was grateful for the opportunity, the book was marketed as a reference book, with ancillary material included that I thought detracted from the narrative and a price that deterred widespread salesContinue reading “Previewing Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democratic Party“
Win a Free Copy of The Coming of Democracy!
Now that The Coming of Democracy is in hand, here’s your chance to win a signed paperback copy.* You can win in two ways: 1. Like the Jacksonian America Facebook page, and share the post about this contest on your personal timeline. 2. Retweet the Twitter announcement of this contest. I will award one book for Facebook participantsContinue reading “Win a Free Copy of The Coming of Democracy!”
Background to The Coming of Democracy
One of the things I didn’t have to address in my previous series on the evolution of a book was the changes that a book can undergo between proposal and publication. I didn’t have this experience with any of my previous books, but The Coming of Democracy was different. In 2012, I sent Johns Hopkins UniversityContinue reading “Background to The Coming of Democracy“
Books for Fall 2018
Jacksonian Democracy Carol Berkin, A Sovereign People: The Crises of the 1790s and the Birth of American Nationalism (Basic Books, 2017) 978-0465060887 Mark R. Cheathem, Andrew Jackson, Southerner (LSU Press, 2013) ISBN 9780807150986 Cassandra Good, Founding Friendships: Friendships between Men and Women in the Early American Republic (Oxford Univ. Press, 2015) ISBN 9780199376179 Jack Larkin, The Reshaping of Everyday Life (HarperPerennial, 1989) ISBN 0060916060Continue reading “Books for Fall 2018”
Review of Kilmeade and Yaeger’s Jackson Book
Popular history books can be a mixed bag. Oftentimes, they are well written but contain poor history. Finding the sweet spot–a well-written, well-researched book–is not easy, although one can think of journalists (Jon Meacham, Doris Kearns Goodwin) and historians (Bill Brands, Stephen Ambrose) who have been successful to various degrees in this regard. Fox NewsContinue reading “Review of Kilmeade and Yaeger’s Jackson Book”
Sneak Peek at My New Book Cover
After a longer span of time than expected, The Coming of Democracy: Presidential Campaigning in the Age of Jackson is finally in production. Copy-edits are in, and I’m awaiting page proofs. You may remember that back in August, I asked you to help choose the book cover. Turns out, the folks at Johns Hopkins Univ. Press hadContinue reading “Sneak Peek at My New Book Cover”
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 