Mark R. Cheathem A.J. Langguth, Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Indians, Indian removal, Trail of Tears

Brief Book Review of A.J. Langguth’s Driven West: Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears to the Civil War

I recently completed a review of A.J. Langguth's Driven West: Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears to the Civil War for Presidential Studies Quarterly. In brief, historians will not find anything new in the book, while general readers should beware of several factual and interpretive errors. You can read another review by Adam Pratt … Continue reading Brief Book Review of A.J. Langguth’s Driven West: Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears to the Civil War

Mark R. Cheathem Cherokee Indians, John Ross

Looking for Papers of Cherokee Chief John Ross

I'm looking for copies of the two-volume Papers of Chief John Ross, edited by Gary Moulton. I've tried the normal websites and even asked our library staff to check with our vendors to see if it is for sale, but no luck. So, if you have copies that you would like to sell, have a great local … Continue reading Looking for Papers of Cherokee Chief John Ross

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Books, Cherokee Indians, Indian removal, Texas annexation

New Jacksonian Books: Feb. 2011 Edition

The year 2011 is off to a strong start in the field of Jacksonian studies. I'm currently reading Haynes' book and hope to get a chance to review it and the others in the near future. (All book descriptions are excerpted from History Book Club.) Patricia Brady, A Being So Gentle: The Frontier Love Story of Rachel … Continue reading New Jacksonian Books: Feb. 2011 Edition

Mark R. Cheathem Cherokee Indians, Civil War, Jim Crow, Ku Klux Klan, Paul Hutchens, Racism, Sugar Creek Gang

My Journey to Studying History

I am teaching our department's historical methods course this semester. One of the questions that I asked the students was why they chose to study history. Answers ranged from "I chose it by default" to "I've always loved reading and writing, so history was a natural fit." I shared with them my reason for majoring in … Continue reading My Journey to Studying History

Mark R. Cheathem Bradley County, Cherokee Indians, Red Clay State Park, Tennessee, Trail of Tears

Surrounded by Cherokee History

Little did I realize growing up that I was surrounded by the history of the Jacksonian period. I spent many of my school field trips and church outings at Red Clay State Park, located about ten miles from my hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee. Red Clay served as "the seat of Cherokee government" from 1832-1838, but for … Continue reading Surrounded by Cherokee History