On a cold Wednesday afternoon, as the USS Princeton passed Mount Vernon on its return to Washington, Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer asked for a final demonstration of one of its new guns—the "Peacemaker"—in honor of George Washington. The gun's breech exploded to the left, killing six men, including Gilmer and Secretary of State … Continue reading The Significance of the USS Princeton Tragedy
Free Polk Biography and Battle of New Orleans Study
Update: All four books have been claimed. I have four free books I'll send to the first person who wants them. Send me an e-mail (jacksonianamerica at gmail dot com) or a tweet (@markcheathem). The first is volume 2 of the Sellers biography of James K. Polk. It's a softcover book, and the interior is … Continue reading Free Polk Biography and Battle of New Orleans Study
Life Portrait of James K. Polk
As I take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, enjoy this life portrait of James K. Polk. This video was part of a series on U.S. presidents produced by C-Span in the late 1990s. Blog posts will resume on Monday, Nov. 29. Happy Thanksgiving!
Why James K. Polk Sucked
Found this on Twitter and thought it was irreverently hilarious. Personally, I like the Polk song the best: HT to @USHistoryBlog.com.
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 