1831 Year of Eclipse by Louis P Masur

1831 Year of Eclipse by Louis P Masur

1776, 1861, 1929. Any high-school student should know what these years meant to American history. But wars and economic disasters are not our only pivotal events, and other years have, in a quieter way, swayed the course of our nation. 1831 was one of them, and in this striking new work, Louis Masur shows us exactly how.

The year began with a solar eclipse, for many an omen of mighty changes -- and for once, such predictions held true. Nat Turner's rebellion soon followed, then ever-more violent congressional arguments over slavery and tarrifs. Religious revivalism swept the North, and important observers (including Tocqueville) traveled the land, forming the opinions that would shape the world's view of America for generations to come. New technologies, meanwhile, were dramatically changing Americans' relationship with the land, and Andrew Jackson's harsh policies toward the Cherokee erased most Indians' last hopes of autonomy. As Masur's analysis makes clear, by 1831 it was becoming all too certain that political rancor, the struggle over slavery, the pursuit of individualism, and technological development might eclipse the glorious potential of the early republic--and lead the nation to secession and civil war. This is an innovative and challenging interpretation of a key moment in antibellum America.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780809041183
ISBN 10	0809041189
Title	1831 Year of Eclipse
Author	Louis P Masur
Condition	Unavailable
Publisher	Hill & Wang Inc.,U.S.
Year published	2001-02-15
Number of pages	247
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable