The Panic of 1839
Not long after the Panic of 1837 had set in and gripped America’s economy, a second shock came: the Panic of 1839.
MoreA Blog Exploring American History and Politics
Early Republic
The Panic of 1837
In Martin Van Buren’s inaugural address, in March of 1837, he boasted of the prosperity and expansion of commerce that had occurred under his predecessor, Andrew Jackson. Just months later, the Panic of 1837 would begin. Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 502.
MorePatronage and Prosperity
Amos Kendall was a journalist and a staunch supporter of President Andrew Jackson. In return for his support, he was one of President Jackson’s closest advisors, save Martin Van Buren. Kendall even “formulated the rationale for the spoils system as ‘rotation in office’ and ghostwrote the Bank Veto Message as well as several of Jackson’s […]
MoreVoting in the Early 1800s
In the early 1800s, an American polling place “displayed many of the worst features of all-male society: rowdy behavior, heavy drinking, coarse language, and occasional violence.” Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 491.
MoreThe Spread of Enfranchisement
Following the War of 1812, enfranchisement broadened in American society considerably.
MoreThe Decline of the Militia
From the War of 1812 on, for the next few decades, the use of militias would become less and less prominent in America.
MoreThe Early Federal Government Surplus
Toward the end of President Andrew Jackson’s second term, the federal government had come to enjoy a substantial surplus, primarily coming as a result of land sales and “proceeds from the Tariff 0f 1833.” Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 499.
MoreThe “Positive Good” of Slavery
John Calhoun, one of the staunchest supporters of states’ rights, was widely known for his view that slavery as a “positive good” in American society.
MoreA First Test for Separation of Church and State
With the communications and transportation revolution came new, unforeseeable consequences. One such consequence was the spread of cholera and other contagious diseases, which would test the mettle of Americans.
MoreSeeds of Division
In America, slavery was not always an issue that could be separated by the North and the South.
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