He Brought the People with Him: Jackson Splits With Vice-President Calhoun over Tariffs
Shortly after he takes office, Jackson finds himself embroiled in a controversy with his vice-president John C. Calhoun. As a South Carolinian, Calhoun's future political hopes may well depend on how effectively he can n..
He Brought the People with Him: Jackson and Patronage Politics
As Jackson takes office, he and his followers are eager to extend the opportunities for government service. Many positions in the Executive Branch had been held by the Eastern establishment for a generation or more. Alth..
He Brought the People with Him: Our Federal Union: The Clash Between National Sovereignty and States Rights Advocates
South Carolina's nullification challenge and a controversy over the disposition of Western lands provoke a series of debates on the floor of Congress between South Carolina Senator Robert Haynes and the venerable Whig fr..
History and Science
Professor of American studies and history Matthew Frye Jacobson says that questions are always rooted in their historical moment. "There are interests in certain kinds of knowledge over other kinds of knowledge...and in ..
History of Professional Women
American history professor Alice Kessler-Harris traces the history of professional women in the United States, from the colonial period to modern times.
House Divided: Capture of Ft. Sumter Signals Beginning of Civil War
A small garrison of federal troops at Fort Sumter, a new fort under construction in Charleston Harbor, is running out of food and supplies in March, 1861. In response to Commander Anderson's appeal for help President Lin..
House Divided: Confederates Attack Southern Forts
Southern states begin attacking federal forts, Fort Pickering in Florida and Fort Sumter in the Charleston harbor. President Buchanan takes a firm stand against this action, but there is little he actually does to interc..
House Divided: Early Months of the Civil War
Citizens of North and South rush to volunteer their services, wanting to get into the action before the skirmish is over. Neither side has guns, uniforms, or any kind of organization. Winfield Scott, commanding general f..
House Divided: Emancipation Question, The
As a practical matter Lincoln believes in gradual emancipation. His army officers ask for specific guidance on what to do with the slaves they find in captured territories. Although Southerners contend that blacks unders..
House Divided: Political Debate Over Secession
In a message sent to Congress on July 4, 1861, Lincoln disputes any state's right to secede. The Southern states say they would never have signed the Constitution if they had not believed they could withdraw if faced wit..