Writer Charles C. Calhoun, author of Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life, shows how the American poet Longfellow Henry Wadsworth blended the Federalist politics and Unitarianism of his parents' generation with the German romanticism he discovered on his own travels. Calhoun discusses Longfellow's life and his influences.
According to BackStory, "In its early years, the U.S. wasn't so much "United" as "States." Over time, the federal government has become more powerful, but states have continued to assert their independence on everything from gun control to medical marijuana. This presentation asks: If we're all Americans, why do states still matter? Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell describes how his state has left the feds in the dust when it comes to climate change policy. Historian Eric Foner discusses the successes and failures of the 14th Amendment, created to protect us from the states. And a long-haul trucker explains why she'd like to do away with states altogether."
Professor Robin Einhorn seeks to define the concept of federalism in U.S. government, detailing what precisely a federal government entails. She looks at how the term has been used and changed over U.S. history.
Professor John Moser examines the first period of partisan division in the U.S., between Jeffersonian Republicans and Hamiltonian Federalists from the 1790s through 1812. He looks at how this period of intense party opposition influenced foreign policy.
To listen to this lecture, scroll down to the Monday, July 12th, 10:50 am-12:20 pm session. Then click on the Real Audio link in the gray bar to the left of the main text.
This NBC Night News Report looks at the influence of Reagan's 1981 economic plan. It was based on four pillars: lower taxes, control spending, reduce regulation, and bring down inflation. The effectiveness of "Reaganomics" is still a source of debate among politicians.
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Thomas Jefferson is best known as the author of the American Declaration of Independence. Beginning with the imperial crisis that led to the separation and union of 13 British colonies in North America, this course will focus on Jefferson's political thought and career in order to gain a broad perspective on the founding of the United States and its early history. Professors Peter Onuf and Frank Cogliano will emphasize the geopolitical context of the revolutionaries' bold efforts to establish republican governments and federal union. Jefferson and his patriot colleagues were acutely aware of the world historical significance of their revolution and therefore profoundly anxious about its ultimate outcome and legacy. By exploring the rich canon of his writings participants will seek to understand better what the Revolution meant for Jefferson and Jefferson meant for the Revolution. Major themes will include federalism, foreign policy, constitutionalism and party politics, and race and slavery.
These Territorial Kansas collections convey the growing divisions in Kansas and the nation over the expansion of slavery, federalism, nationalism, industrialization, and changing political coalitions in Congress. Materials include government documents, diaries, letters, photographs, maps, newspapers, rare secondary sources, historical artifacts, and images of historic sites. The website is divided into five sections: Territorial Politics and Government; Border Warfare; Immigration and Early Settlement; Personalities; and National Debate about Kansas. Each is searchable by keyword, author, and county. Topical sections are subdivided into relevant themes and include an introductory essay. Visitors will find essays on territorial politics, the rights of women and African Americans, military organizations, and free state and pro-slavery organizations. "Personalities" lists 32 individuals, including John Calhoun, and the final section presents both anti-slavery and pro-slavery perspectives of the national debate about Kansas. The site also includes a timeline with links and an annotated bibliography.