Posts Tagged ‘American History’
Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America
Steve Inskeep’s compelling and nuanced exploration of Abraham Lincoln’s political acumen, illuminating a great politician’s strategy in a country divided—and lessons for our own disorderly present.
Read MoreImperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity and Helped Cause the Civil War
With rare detail and in consummate style, Steve Inskeep tells the story of a couple whose joint ambitions and talents intertwined with those of the nascent United States itself. Taking advantage of expanding news media, aided by an increasingly literate public, the two linked their names to the three great national movements of the time—westward settlement, women’s rights, and opposition to slavery.
Read MoreJacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab
From Steve Inskeep, NPR Host and author, Jacksonland is the thrilling narrative history of two men—President Andrew Jackson and Cherokee chief John Ross—who led their respective nations at a crossroads of American history. Five decades after the Revolutionary War, the United States approached a constitutional crisis.
Read More“Tribal Grounds” – The Backstory of a Cherokee Coffee
I received this coffee in Asheville, North Carolina from Natalie Smith, of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. They are descendants of Cherokees who were allowed to remain in remote areas of North Carolina, even as most Cherokees were removed from the region in 1838. They remain part of the fabric of Jacksonland. She told me this:
Read MoreLiteracy in Jacksonland
The map comes from a book by Catharine Beecher, who campaigned against the Indian Removal Act of 1830. By profession Beecher was an educator. And when she wrote a memoir in 1874, she titled it “Educational Reminiscences and Suggestions.”
Read MoreAndrew Jackson in the State He Added to the Union
“One of the most striking images of Andrew Jackson can be found in the mural ‘A New Capital’ located inside the chamber of the Florida House of Representatives. Painted by Christopher M. Still, the mural depicts General Andrew Jackson holding a 23-star American Flag flown in 1821 – the year Florida became a territory of the United States. The painting contains 24 symbols of history including a dual placard nailed to a tree behind the Governor. I
Read MoreJackson on the Rearing Horse
The Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Park in front of the White House in Washington, DC. Completed by Clark Mills in the 1850’s has been part of every President’s view ever since. This is one of several Jackson statues in similar poses.
Read MoreChief John Ross of the Cherokee Nation
“Steve: I was inspired by your book and have been following your Facebook updates regarding Jacksonland. I enjoy linocut relief prints and when I saw this campaign, I figured it was worth capturing my emotions about Chief Ross into some original art.”
Read MoreAn Original Version of the “Indian“ Map
This fascinating map from the early 1820’s shows how some states were, legally, shaped differently than they would appear on any simple map of the United States. The map is in the collection of Sheffield Hale, CEO of the Atlanta History Center. It shows Georgia and Alabama, which today are separated mostly by an imaginary line.
Read MoreOld Tourist Photos of the Hermitage
From Linda Fittante, Washington, DC. Linda, an excellent photographer in her own right, found her eye drawn to these photos in a flea market. They came from a decades-old pack of photos smaller than playing cards, apparently sold as mementoes at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage.
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