America in the 1800s – Articles about 19th Century U.S.

John Kelly is wrong: Slavery, not lack of compromise, caused the Civil War 19th Century U.S.

The United States tried compromise for 70 years. It didn’t work. The assertions by the White House Chief of Staff and White House Press Secretary that “failure to compromise” was the cause of the Civil War is not supported by historians.

Frank Cirillo, Washington Post 2017

Ordinances of Secession and Other Documents 1860-1861 America in 1800s

In late 1860 and early 1861 each southern state held a convention to decide whether to secede from the Union. At the conclusion of each convention, they produced an “Ordinance of Secession”, and sometimes other documents, that gave the reasons for their decisions. These are very useful for understanding the causes of the Civil War.

The North Tried Compromise. The South Chose War. 1800s America

Another response to the White House Chief of Staff’s comment (see above). The South’s insistence upon protecting and spreading slavery caused the Civil War.

Carole Emberton, Washington Post 2017

Fort Sumter Falls 19th Century U.S.

First-person account by the Deputy Commander at Fort Sumter of the first battle of the Civil War.

Abner Doubleday, Journal of American Heritage 2011

How Salt Helped Win the Civil War American Life

Southern salt-making operations became prime military targets, because salt was vital for the Confederate army.

Anne Ewbank, Atlas Obscura 2018

The Confederate Commander Behind One of the Greatest ‘What Ifs’ of the Civil War American Life

A very brief bio of J.E.B. Stuart during the Civil War.

Debbie Truong, Washington Post 2018

The Women Who Fought in the Civil War American Life

Hundreds of women concealed their identities so they could battle alongside their Union and Confederate counterparts.

Jess Righthand, Smithsonian Magazine 2011

Women Spies of the Civil War 1800s America

Hundreds of women served as spies during the Civil War. Here’s a look at six who risked their lives in daring and unexpected ways.

Smithsonian Magazine 2011

Mangled by a Shell: A tattered photograph tells a grim story 19th Century U.S.

A year after his regiment’s ill-fated charge at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862, Oliver Dart Jr. faced another great trial, sitting for a photograph at a studio on Main Street in Hartford, Conn. A mangled lower jaw, mouth, and nose—the awful effects of a shrapnel wound suffered during the attack on Marye’s Heights—are obvious. How Dart summoned the fortitude to sit for the CDV, undoubtedly evidence for his pension claim, is remarkable.

John Banks, History Net 2018

What It Was Like To Be an African-American during the Civil War American Life

What was it like to be one of the 186,017 African Americans who served in the Union Army during the Civil War?

Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily 2016

Why The Civil War Still Matters American Life

One hundred and fifty years after the guns began shelling Fort Sumter this April, Americans remain fascinated with the Civil War. Why do we care about a war that ended so long ago?

James M. McPherson, American Heritage 2011

Abraham Lincoln Meets Frederick Douglass American Life

Today it seems unthinkable but in August 1863—the summer of Gettysburg and Vicksburg and the bloody New York draft riots—anybody could walk into the White House and ask to meet the president. On the sweltering morning of August 10, one of Lincoln’s uninvited visitors was Frederick Douglass, a tall, burly black man dressed in a dark suit and a high-collared white shirt. He had no appointment.

Peter Carlson, HistoryNet 2011

How Abraham Lincoln Solved his ‘Deep State’ Problem American Life

Numerous U.S. presidents were frustrated and sometimes bamboozled by members of their own staff — few more so than Abraham Lincoln, who found effective ways of confronting dissent.

Dillon Carroll, Washington Post 2018

A Graceful Exit 1800s U.S.

In one momentous decision, Robert E. Lee spared the United States years of divisive violence. His aides were considering dissolving the army and carrying on the fight with a guerrilla war.

Jay Winik, American Heritage 2009

Five Myths about Reconstruction 1800s U.S.

“As W.E.B. Du Bois put it in “Black Reconstruction” 80 years ago, that “one cannot study Reconstruction without first frankly facing the facts of universal lying.” Here are five common fallacies that Americans still tell themselves about this formative period.”

James Loewen, Washington Post 2016

An Anarchist Manifesto by Louisa Sarah Bevington 1895 1800s U.S.

Anarchism, which was mainly anti-government and anti-establishment, was a radical movement in the late 19th century. This manifesto explains the anarchists’ views.

libcom.org 2017

Andrew Johnson: Path to Impeachment 1800s America

Johnson was the first US President to be impeached, in 1867.

Pieces of History, National Archives 2018

The Brief Period, 200 Years Ago, When American Politics Was Full of ‘Good Feelings’ America in 1800s

James Monroe’s 1817 goodwill tour kicked off a decade of party-less government – but he couldn’t stop the nation from dividing again.

Erick Trickey, smithsonian.com July 17, 2017

The Conquerers: A New 19th-Century History Focuses on American Imperialism 19th Century U.S.

A review of “A Nation Without Borders: The United States and its World in an Age of Civil Wars, 1830-1910” by Steven Hahn.

Brenda Wineapple, NY Times 2016

American Populism 1876-1896: Origins & Agendas 1800s U.S.

Dr. Charles Postel, Northern Illinois University Library Digital Initiatives 2009

A Brief History of Children Sent Through the Mail America in the 1800s

In the early days of the parcel post, some parents took advantage of the mail in unexpected ways

Danny Lewis, smithsonian.com June 14, 2016 | Updated: December 21, 2016

A Texas Cattleman & His Comanche Concubine America in 1800s

Richard Selcer, HistoryNet 2017

Although Less Deadly Than Crinolines, Bustles Were Still a Pain in the Behind 1800s U.S.

Kat Eschner, smithsonian.com April 21, 2017

Crime as Entertainment in the 19th century America in 1800s

How “true crime” became popular in the media.

Anna Mazzola, The History Girls 2016

Old French Traditions 1800s U.S.

The lives of French-Canadian residents of Detroit, observed in the early 19th century.

Michigan Historical Collections 1876

Poor Relief in the 18th and 19th Centuries – Podcast 19th Century U.S.

Poor houses and other responses to the needs of the poor, in the U.S. and Great Britain.

Marissa Rhodes, DG

Selling Sex: 19th Century New York City Prostitution and Brothels 1800s U.S.

Listen to the podcast or read the transcript.

Elizabeth Garner Masarik, DG 2017

Slavery a Positive Good America in 1800s

1854 article by a radical Missouri advocate of slavery.

American history told by contemporaries 1898-1929

In the Early 19th Century, Firefighters Fought Fires … and Each Other 1800s U.S.

Fighting fires in early America was about community, property and rivalry. A brief profile of volunteer firefighters.

Jackson Landers, Smithsonian Magazine 2016

A Big Day in History: A speck of Glitter Triggers the California Gold Rush 1800s U.S.

Dominic Sandbrook explores the events of 24 January 1848.

Dominic Sandbrook, History Extra 2913

How American ‘Dollar Princesses’ Invaded British High Society America in 1800s

During the Gilded Age, marrying British aristocrats was seen as a way for American heiresses to raise their social status.

Erin Blakemore, History.com 2019

On this Day in History, Outlaw Jesse James took a Bullet to the Brain 19th Century U.S.

If there is anything to be learned from the death of Jesse James on April 3, 1882, it is this: If you see a picture hanging crooked on a wall, and there is a bounty on your head, leave the picture alone.

Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post 2017

1874 Railway Schedule, before the U.S. had Standard Time Zones America in the 1800s

See image 16, “A Table Indicating Difference of Time between Washington and Principal Cities”. There are also ads and articles of interest in this booklet.

Guide to Baltimore & Ohio Railroad

A Journey to Ohio in 1810 1800s U.S.

The travels of a young woman on the frontier.

A journey to Ohio in 1810, as recorded in the journal of Margaret Van Horn Dwight

First Trip by Steam to Lake Superior 1800s U.S.

1st Person account

Michigan Historical Collections 1876

The Oregon Trail 19th Century U.S.

A 45-minute podcast that explains the history of the 19th century Oregon trail and describes a present-day trip along the route.

Rinker Buck, Ben Franklin’s World, Episode 077:

A Moose for the Misinformed: Jefferson and Natural History America in 1800s

About, “the campaign launched by Thomas Jefferson against a pack of dastardly foreign scientists who claimed that the New World’s weather was cold and soppy, that our mammals were puny, and that our Indians were shiftless sissies.” Incensed that many leading European scientists had belittled North America’s climate and fauna, Thomas Jefferson shipped them evidence and published a long reply in Notes on the State of Virginia.

Mark Coburn, American Heritage 2017

List of Automobile Manufacturers in the U.S. in 1899 19th Century U.S.

Horseless vehicles; automobiles, motor cycles operated by steam, hydro-carbon, electric, and pneumatic motors. Numerous companies built cars as the 20th century began.

Building the Erie Canal 1800s U.S.

A 42-minute presentation, in audio, that covers many aspects of the Erie Canal project.

Janice Fontanella, Ben Franklin’s World, Episode 28

Library Research Guide (LibGuide) – Internet Sites with Primary Sources for U.S. History America in 1800s

This research guide from the librarians at Bowling Green State University has links to websites with substantial collections of online primary sources for U.S. history. 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st Centuries.