The Election of 1860
Perhaps no presidential election can rival that of 1860 for importance. The country was being split over the issue of slavery, and a lawyer from Illinois who had recently become an overnight star in New York City gained the nomination of the young Republican Party.
Abraham Lincoln's ascent to the White House was brilliantly executed, from his finely crafted oratory to a political gimmick involving rails he'd split for a fence 30 years earlier. The election campaign was all about the newcomer from Illinois, who won in a four-way race that had ominous implications. Lincoln didn't carry a single southern state, and the nation was soon plunged into a secession crisis and, of course, the Civil War.
Illustration: Abraham Lincoln, from the cover of campaign sheet music from the 1860 campaign/Library of Congress
Who's the Real Maverick?
The original maverick, it turns out, was Samuel Augustus Maverick, a noteworthy figure in the early days of the state of Texas. Maverick, for whatever reason, didn't like to brand his cattle, and livestock he owned wandered about unmarked. And so the word maverick came to mean cattle that bore no man's brand, and, ultimately, people who were utterly independent.
An irony in all this is that the original Maverick's descendants are horrified to hear presidential candidate John McCain appropriating the word to describe himself. Samuel Maverick's granddaughter, a progressive Texan, explains, "He's a Republican. He's branded."
Financial Panics of the 1800s
With all the news about the current financial crisis, I thought it would be interesting to do some research on financial panics of the 19th century. What I discovered is that some of the startling news this past week sounds eerily similar to what people were reading and hearing in 1819, 1837, 1873, or 1893.
The financial panics of the 1800s could be triggered by crop failures, currency problems, or rampant speculation in railroad stocks. But they all tended to dry up credit and create the same business problems we're hearing about today. Banks failed, businesses went under, even railroads stopped operating. Fortunes were lost and millions of workers lost their jobs. And the safeguards we have today simply didn't exist, making matters that much more devastating.
The depressions of the 1800s are often overlooked, perhaps because few people look back beyond the Great Depression of the 1930s. And, of course, looking back at depressions is, well, depressing. But perhaps learning the basic facts behind the parade of financial panics of the 1800s can be reassuring. If you think about it, the people enduring the Panic of 1819 or the Panic of 1837 had it far worse than we do.
Image: Worried investors in the Panic of 1873/Library of Congress
The Crimean War
The Crimean War was fought in an obscure place, and the complicated reasons for the conflict were little more than pretexts. It was almost as Britain and France wanted to ally themselves to fight Russia, so they did.
It's thought of as the first modern war, but it was known mostly for blunders. The most famous incident, the Charge of the Light Brigade, was an attack launched against the wrong position. And perhaps the most noteworthy figure in the war wasn't even a direct participant, but rather Florence Nightingale, the legendary British nurse.
When it was all over, more troops had died of disease than combat, and bitter controversies raged over what exactly had been accomplished.
Image: Lord Raglan, British commander in the Crimean War/Library of Congress
Hurricane Ike Unveils Ship from the 1800s
When Hurricane Ike smashed through the Gulf Coast last week it uncovered a piece of history on a beach in Alabama. Tons of sand were washed away, and the battered hull of a wooden sailing ship lay exposed. Some historians believe the mystery ship is the Monticello, a Confederate schooner which ran aground in 1862.
The Monticello, which had sailed from Havana, Cuba, was trying to run the Union blockade of Confederate ports. It apparently sailed too close to the coast while trying to sneak into Mobile Bay and ran aground.
The hulk of the mystery ship uncovered from Ike could also possibly be a schooner which ran aground in the 1830s. But the measurements of the vessel point to it being the Monticello. An very informative article in an Alabama newspaper contains considerable evidence that the ship uncovered by Ike was probably built before the Civil War.
We sometimes forget how close the past can be. But a powerful storm like Ike can literally blow away the sands of time and the past is suddenly right in front of us.
The British Burn the White House
It's somehow nearly forgotten today, but on one night in 1814 the United States suffered a humiliating defeat when British troops marched, virtually unchallenged, into the young city of Washington. Before long the Capitol was in flames. And the rambunctious British admiral in charge led columns of troops up Pennsylvania Avenue to the president's mansion (which was not yet called the White House).
After collecting some souvenirs, including President Madison's hat, the British troops stood on the White House lawn and threw torches into the windows, setting the mansion ablaze. By the time the British marched out of town a number of federal buildings were in ruins.
It could have been worse. The president's wife managed to save a number of priceless items, including the portrait of George Washington that hangs today in the East Room of the White House.
Where to Start Reading About Lincoln?
There are countless books on Abraham Lincoln, and with his bicentennial fast approaching, there will be many more hitting the bookstore shelves. For anyone who wants to know more about the 16th president, the obvious challenge is simply finding a good place to begin.
Late last year I happened to catch a great show on C-Span 2 in which Lincoln scholars recommended books. Their consensus was that one of the best general biographies is one published in the 1970s (available now in paperback), With Malice Toward None by historian Stephen B. Oates.
A more recent book I've found both enlightening and very entertaining is Did Lincoln Own Slaves? by historian Gerald J. Prokopowicz. Using a question and answer format, the author demolishes some myths while establishing the factual basis for other Lincoln lore. Best of all, it's a serious book that's infused with wry humor.
I've posted reviews of the two books, and I'd encourage anyone who wants to learn more about Lincoln to pick them up. And, of course, if there's a Lincoln book you happen to cherish, feel free to post a comment or discuss it in the forums.
Photograph of Lincoln by Alexander Gardner, February 1865/courtesy Library of Congress
The Stolen Election of 1876
As America celebrated its centennial, the country wanted a change from the governmental corruption that marked the eight years of the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. What it got was a vicious presidential campaign that culminated with an unclear election result. The Democratic governor of New York, Samuel J. Tilden, clearly won the popular vote, but couldn't put together a majority in the electoral college.
In an effort to break the deadlock, the Congress appointed something unheard of, an Electoral Commission. The newly created body voted along party lines, and gave the White House to Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican governor of Ohio.
There is little doubt that deals were made behind the scenes to determine the outcome of the presidential election. Tilden and his followers accepted the outcome, and Hayes was doomed to be known as "Rutherfraud" B. Hayes and "His Fraudulency."
Image: Samuel J. Tilden sheet music from 1876 campaign/Library of Congress
Victoria Would Not Be Amused
Britain's Queen Victoria was known for propriety, and the woman whose named defined an era would likely be horrified to see a recent trend in auctions. Her undergarments, it seems, are becoming very expensive collectibles.
A few months ago a pair of what the BBC described as her "50-inch bloomers" sold at auction for £4,500 (about $8,000). The bloomers were proven authentic, and had been passed down in the family of one of Queen Victoria's servants.
This week a pair of Victoria's stockings went on the auction block, fetching £8,000 (about $14,000). The stockings are hand-stitched and bear the Royal Crest, and experts are confident of their authenticity. It is believed Victoria would have worn them in 1870s.
The Victorian Era, of course, was marked by a priggish attitude in society. And Victoria herself, when faced with anything she deemed inappropriate, was reputed to snap, "We are not amused." If she could see what was happening in the auction houses, she'd no doubt say it again.
When the Vice President Became Important
In the early 1800s, the vice presidency was considered something of a joke. The most famous vice president from that period, Aaron Burr, is mostly remembered for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel. A vice president in the 1830s, Richard Mentor Johnson, was hardly interested in the job and spent months at a time running his tavern back in Kentucky.
The job suddenly became important in 1841 when William Henry Harrison died after a month in office. His vice president, John Tyler, assumed he was then the president.
Tyler found himself fighting for the job. As the Constitution was said to be unclear on the matter, Harrison's cabinet claimed Tyler could only be an acting president, with restricted powers. The headstrong Tyler claimed the full powers of the office of the presidency and held his ground.
The "Tyler Precedent" thus determined how a vice president becomes president upon the president's death.
Image: President John Tyler/courtesy Library of Congress