The The American Party Battle: Election Campaign Pamphlets, 1828-1876 by Joel H Silbey

The The American Party Battle: Election Campaign Pamphlets, 1828-1876 by Joel H Silbey

The 19th century was the heyday of furious contention between American political parties, and Silbey has recaptured the drama and substance of those battles in a sampling of party pamphlets. The nature of political controversy, as well as the substance of politics, is embedded in these party documents which both united and divided Americans.

Silbey’s preface, introduction and head notes are excellentIn accordance with his previous work, Silbey is emphasizing campaign rhetoric while politicians work up issues both substantive and circumstantial as they seek to persuade the electorate that their particular position on affairs of state is the correct one. In making their case, they describe their achievements and their goals in positive terms while they view the opposition negatively. One would expect this dialogue to prevail in a heated political campaign, but the style of the argument and the facts presented give major clues to the state of the society at any given time. Thus the pamphlets serve as a useful probe to a better understanding of the basic tensions that were developing in American culture that led to the Civil War and the ensuing Reconstruction. Silbey has made a good selection of pamphlets to reflect the partisan mood over nearly fifty years of contention or, as he puts it in one of his topical heads, ‘the culmination of the battle for the soul of America.’ -- John Niven, Claremont Graduate School

Joel H. Silbey is President White Professor of History, Cornell University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780674026452
ISBN 10	0674026454
Title	The The American Party Battle: Election Campaign Pamphlets, 1828-1876
Author	Joel H Silbey
Series	The American Party Battle: Election Campaign Pamphlets 1828-1876
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Harvard University Press
Year published	1999-08-31
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.