The American Spirit of the 1840s
Through the early 1800s and well into the 1840s, Americans had developed a sense of unity and pride about their country.
MoreA Blog Exploring American History and Politics
American Exceptionalism
The Perfect Commonwealth
The success or failure of countries, and politicians for that matter, are an often studied subject. Studies have been ongoing for centuries. James Burgh, an English Whig, wrote: “Almost all political establishments have been the creates of chance rather than of wisdom. Therefore it is impossible to say what would be the effect of a […]
MoreAdams’ Doubts
John Adams was amongst the most hopeful about America’s prospects for the future. At the time of the Declaration of Independence and the years of the American Revolution, he believed America could avoid the pitfalls of the European nations. But just ten years later, Adams was of a different mind. In 1787, he wrote his Defence of […]
MoreA Messianic Sense of Obligation
The effects of the American Revolution throughout the world were not immediately clear, but Thomas Jefferson opined that it would be “a movement on behalf of the rights of man.” Gordon Wood, Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different, 110.
MoreSetting the Stage for the War of 1812
In the early Republic, trading became a staple of the American economy, which affected American relations with other countries in drastic ways. American merchants “brought home products from Canton, China, and ports in the Indian Ocean, including teas, coffee, chinaware, spices, and silks, before shipping them on to Europe . . . .” Gordon Wood, Empire […]
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