The Legitimization of Unions
The labor movement gained significant momentum during the 1830s and 1840s, paving the way for future generations of Americans to secure extensive workers’ rights.
MoreA Blog Exploring American History and Politics
Massachusetts
Constitution Sunday: “Americanus” [John Stevens, Jr.] I
“Americanus” [John Stevens, Jr.] I Daily Advertiser (New York), November 2, 1787 Following are excerpts from John Stevens, Jr.’s article in the Daily Advertiser: “But, so prone is the spirit of man to party and faction, that even this admirable system will not prevent their mischievous efforts, in a state possessing a ‘small territory.’
MoreThe Spread of Enfranchisement
Following the War of 1812, enfranchisement broadened in American society considerably.
MoreThe Prioritization of Education
Education was not always such a prominent issue in every state and every American community in the way that modern Americans experience. Horace Mann, who was secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education in 1837, ensured that all schools would have in common: “tuition-free, tax-supported, meeting statewide standards of curriculum, textbooks, and facilities, staffed […]
MoreLiberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable
In 1830, Daniel Webster, Senator from Massachusetts, engaged in a heated debate with Robert Hayne, Senator from South Carolina, which touched on the political theory of federal and state sovereignty.
MoreConstitution Sunday: “A Political Dialogue”
“A Political Dialogue” Massachusetts Centinel (Boston), October 24, 1787 Following are excerpts from an article published in the Massachusetts Centinel, which purported to capture a conversation between “Mr. Grumble” and “Mr. Union”: “Mr. Union. Well, but neighbour, what are your objections to the new Constitution?” “Mr. Grumble. Why, as to the matter, I can’t say […]
MoreThe Election of 1824
Not long after the election of 1820, an essentially uncontested election seeing the re-election of President James Monroe, the campaigning for the election of 1824 began. President Monroe had indicated that he would not seek an unprecedented third term as president, but that did not stop others from posturing for the election. As a journalist […]
MoreInjury to the Cause of Christ
The role of religion in Americans’ lives began to change not long after the War of 1812. In fact, the state of Connecticut “disestablished religion in 1818.” Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 165. It should be noted that the First Amendment to the Constitution reads: “Congress shall make no law […]
MoreA Supreme Sovereign Power
Despite the fact that the Articles of Confederation loosely held the states together, there was still a remarkable union achieved. There were privileges and immunities granted, “reciprocity of extradition and judicial proceedings among the states,” no “travel and discriminatory trade restrictions between states, and the substantial grant of powers to the Congress in Article 9 […]
MoreCoalescing All the States
Americans had a keen understanding of the idea, popularized by Montesquieu, that “only a small homogeneous society whose interests were essentially similar could properly sustain a republican government.” Gordon Wood, The Creation of the American Republic: 1776-1787, 356. This idea created a fundamental problem for America: it was not a small homogeneous society, and it was rapidly […]
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