Last Best Hope of Earth

Tag: Slavery

  • Introduction of the Seventh President

    jackson_first_inaugural
    Depiction of Andrew Jackson Taking the Oath of Office.

    Following the Election of 1828, Andrew Jackson was preparing to move into the White House, newly a widower and introducing a change in leadership.

    (more…)

  • Nat Turner’s Rebellion

    natturner
    Depiction of Nat Turner’s Rebellion.

    On August 22, 1831, the greatest slave rebellion in United States history occurred, led by a “mystic religious visionary named Nat Turner.” Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 323.

    (more…)

  • The Image of Democracy

    alexis_de_tocqueville
    Alexis de Tocqueville. By: Theodore Chasseriau.

    America, in the early part of the 1800s, developed a reputation for being an experimental society. It was a prime example of popular rule, which brought a unique perspective to the world stage. See Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 304.

    (more…)

  • The Tariff of Abominations

    Painted Portrait Of Martin Van Buren
    Martin Van Buren.

    Both President John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay were of the mindset that much could be accomplished in developing the American economy with the help of the government. Martin Van Buren had different ideas, however.

    (more…)

  • The Failure of Colonization

    9c9e720a884e28c6a7f767d291253226
    Certificate for Life Membership in the American Colonization Society.

    The American Colonization Society, the premier organization advocating for the exportation of slavery to Africa, had a major supporter in Secretary of State Henry Clay in the late 1820s.

    (more…)

  • Taking the Wolf by the Ears

    paul_cuffee
    Paul Cuffe. By: Chester Harding.

    Paul Cuffe, by 1816, began making voyages across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa, transporting African-Americans who wished to make a new home in Africa. Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 260.

    (more…)

  • Constitution Sunday: “A Citizen of America” [Noah Webster]

    “A Citizen of America” [Noah Webster]

    Philadelphia, October 17, 1787

    Following are excerpts from Noah Webster’s writing:

    “Another idea that naturally presents itself to our minds, on a slight consideration of the subject, is, that in a perfect government, all the members of a society should be (more…)

  • The Transportation Revolution

    BF9078F5-155D-451F-6702CDB371CB71CD
    Depiction of the Building of the National Road.

    Following the end of the War of 1812, the United States underwent a transportation revolution. This transportation revolution came about as a result of Americans moving westward but also as more Americans moved into cities to engage in industrial work. Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 212. (more…)

  • Vesey’s Almost Rebellion

    denmark_vesey
    Denmark Vesey.

    During the controversy surrounding the Missouri Compromise, those who advocated for restricting slavery had been interpreted by southerners as encouraging insurrection. See Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 161.

    (more…)

  • The Second Missouri Compromise

    mtiwnja4njmznzcynja2otg4
    Henry Clay.

    With the creation of the Missouri Compromise came a second controversy for Missouri. Some northerners threatened “not to consent to the Missouri constitution when it came back to Congress for final approval.” Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought: Transformation of America, 1815-1848, 156. Henry Clay, then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, led the effort to solving this second controversy.

    (more…)