Presidents from Taylor through Grant, 1849-1877 : debating the issues in pro and con primary documents / [compiled by] Jeffrey W. Coker.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Coker, Jeffrey W.

Series:

President's position.

President's position

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Presidents--United States--History--19th century--Sources.

Presidents.

United States--Politics and government--1849-1877--Sources.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (247 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Distribution:

London : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024

Place of Publication:

Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2002.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The years 1849-1877 were among the most pivotal in the nation's history. Over the course of three decades, the United States endured a catastrophic civil war, abolished slavery, expanded westward and added eight states to the Union, and witnessed the beginnings of industrialization. In politics, the era saw the demise of one national party, the birth of another, and the historic leadership of Abraham Lincoln. The country also faced difficult questions of state sovereignty and federal responsibility answered ultimately by secession and war. In short, it was a time of growth, consolidation, tragedy, and triumph for a dynamic and youthful nation. This resource of primary documents and commentary covers the Taylor through Grant administrations by selecting and describing five to ten of the foremost issues of the day and showing the actual text of the president's position along with the opposing viewpoint. The presidents from 1849-1877 were men of varied backgrounds and talents. Northerners and Southerners and even Northerners with Southern sensibilities occupied the White House. The period began and ended with war heroes as presidents; among the other men who served as president were a former textile worker, a country lawyer, and lifelong diplomat. Most of the chief executives struggled and perhaps even failed to overcome the immense challenges placed before them. By providing helpful background information and commentary about the presidents and the issues of the day in addition to the primary sources, this reference guide accurately depicts this fractious time in the country's past and provides an invaluable resources to any student of American history.

Contents:

Cover

PRESIDENTS FROM TAYLOR THROUGH GRANT, 1849-1877

CONTENTS

SERIES FOREWORD

TIMELINE

INTRODUCTION

1 ZACHARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE

SLAVERY IN NEWLY ACQUIRED TERRITORIES

ZACHARY TAYLOR, ON SLAVERY IN THE WESTERN TERRITORIES (WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 23, 1850)

REPRESENTATIVE JAMES WILSON (W-NH), SPEECH OPPOSING SLAVERY IN THE WEST (WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 16, 1849)

THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT

SENATOR HENRY S. FOOTE (D-AL), SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT (WASHINGTON, DC, AUGUST 21, 1850)

THEODORE PARKER, LETTER TO MILLARD FILLMORE REGARDING THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT (BOSTON, MA, NOVEMBER 21, 1850)

SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE IN WASHINGTON, DC

REPRESENTATIVE HORACE MANN (W-MA), SPEECH OPPOSING SLAVERY (WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 23, 1850)

SENATOR JEFFERSON DAVIS (D-MS), SPEECH SUPPORTING SLAVERY (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 23, 1850)

AMERICANS AND REVOLUTION IN CUBA

MILLARD FILLMORE, SENATE SPEECH ON THE CUBAN EXPEDITION (WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 2, 1851)

SENATOR DAVID YULEE (D-FL), IN SUPPORT OF AMERICAN EXPEDITIONS IN CUBA (WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 21, 1850)

CANAL RIGHTS IN CENTRAL AMERICA: THE CLAYTON-BULWER TREATY

SENATOR JOHN M. CLAYTON (W-DE), SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF THE TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 15, 1852)

SENATOR STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS (D-IL), OPPOSING THE CLAYTON-BULWER TREATY (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 10, 1852)

RECOMMENDED READINGS

2 FRANKLIN PIERCE

THE KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT

FRANKLIN PIERCE, IN SUPPORT OF THE KANSASNEBRASKA ACT (WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 2, 1856)

CONGRESSIONAL OPPOSITION TO THE KANSASNEBRASKA ACT (WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 30, 1854)

INDIAN REMOVAL

FRANKLIN PIERCE, ON RELATIONS WITH WESTERN INDIAN TRIBES (WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 4, 1854).

CHIEF SEATTLE, MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT PIERCE (SEATTLE, WA, 1854)

FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE MENTALLY ILL

FRANKLIN PIERCE, VETO MESSAGE ON FEDERAL FUNDING FOR HOSPITALS FOR THE INSANE (WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 3, 1854)

SENATOR SOLOMON FOOT (W-VT), IN SUPPORT OF THE DIX BILL (WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 3, 1854)

THE GADSDEN PURCHASE

REPRESENTATIVE T.S. BOCOCK (D-VA), IN SUPPORT OF THE GADSDEN PURCHASE (WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 27, 1854)

SENATOR THOMAS HART BENTON (W-MO), OPPOSING THE GADSDEN PURCHASE (WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 26, 1854)

THE OSTEND MANIFESTO

EXCERPT FROM THE OSTEND MANIFESTO (OSTEND, BELGIUM, OCTOBER 1854)

REPRESENTATIVE W.W. BOYCE (D-SC), OPPOSITION TO THE OSTEND MANIFESTO (WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 15, 1855)

3 JAMES BUCHANAN

THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION

JAMES BUCHANAN, IN SUPPORT OF THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION (WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 2, 1858)

SENATOR STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS (D-IL), IN OPPOSITION TO THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 22,1858)

THE HOMESTEAD BILL

JAMES BUCHANAN, VETO MESSAGE ON HOMESTEAD BILL (WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 22, 1860)

SENATOR JAMES R. DOOLITTLE (R-WI), IN SUPPORT OF THE HOMESTEAD BILL (WASHINGTON, DC, APRIL 10, 1860)

THE DRED SCOTT CASE

THE WASHINGTON UNION ON THE DRED SCOTT CASE (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 12, 1857)

FREDERICK DOUGLASS, IN REACTION TO THE DRED SCOTT V. SANDFORD DECISION (BOSTON, MA, JUNE 12, 1857)

JOHN BROWN'S RAID

JAMES BUCHANAN, REACTION TO JOHN BROWN'S RAID (1859)

RALPH WALDO EMERSON, SPEECH ON JOHN BROWN (BOSTON, MA, NOVEMBER 18, 1859)

4 ABRAHAM LINCOLN

NOTE

SLAVERY

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, ON SLAVERY (PEORIA, IL, OCTOBER 16, 1854)

GEORGE FITZHUGH, JUSTIFICATIONS FOR SLAVERY IN THE SOUTH (RICHMOND, VA, 1854)

SECESSION.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, IN OPPOSITION TO THE RIGHT OF STATES TO SECEDE FROM THE UNION (WASHINGTON, DC, JULY 4, 1861)

S.F. HALE, STATE COMMISSIONER OF ALABAMA, ON THE RIGHT OF SECESSION (FRANKFURT, KY, DECEMBER 27, 1860)

SUSPENSION OF THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, ON SUSPENDING THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS (WASHINGTON, DC, JULY 14, 1861)

CHIEF JUSTICE ROGER B. TANEY, ON SUSPENSION OF THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS (BALTIMORE, MD, APRIL 1861)

THE MILITARY DRAFT

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, IN SUPPORT OF CONSCRIPTION (WASHINGTON, DC, SEPTEMBER 1863)

REPRESENTATIVE S.E. ANCONA (D-PA), OPPOSING CONSCRIPTION BILL (WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 28, 1863)

ENLISTMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS

FREDERICK DOUGLASS, ON THE ENLISTMENT OF BLACK TROOPS (BOSTON, MA, MAY 1861)

Remarks

REPRESENTATIVE H.B. WRIGHT (D-PA), OPPOSING THE USE OF BLACK TROOPS (WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 30, 1863)

AMNESTY AND RECONSTRUCTION

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, ON AMNESTY AND RECONSTRUCTION (WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 8, 1863)

SENATOR CHARLES SUMNER (R-MA), ON AMNESTY AND "STATE SUICIDE" (WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 11, 1862)

5 ANDREW JOHNSON

MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION

ANDREW JOHNSON, IN OPPOSITION TO MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION IN THE SOUTH (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 2, 1867)

COLONEL EDWARD WHITTLESEY, TESTIMONY IN FAVOR OF MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION (WASHINGTON, DC, 1866)

THE FREEDMEN'S BUREAU BILL

ANDREW JOHNSON, VETO OF THE FREEDMEN'S BUREAU BILL (WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 19, 1866)

SENATOR CARL SCHURZ (R-MA), ON THE NEED FOR A FREEDMEN'S BUREAU (WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 18, 1865)

CIVIL RIGHTS FOR FREEDMEN

ANDREW JOHNSON'S VETO OF A CIVIL RIGHTS BILL (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 27, 1866)

SENATOR JOHN BROOMAL (R-PA), IN FAVOR OF A CIVIL RIGHTS BILL (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 8, 1866)

THE ACQUISITION OF ALASKA.

REPRESENTATIVE NATHANIEL P. BANKS (R-MA), IN SUPPORT OF THE ALASKA PURCHASE (WASHINGTON, DC, JULY 1, 1868)

REPRESENTATIVE HIRAM PRICE (D-IA), IN OPPOSITION TO THE PURCHASE OF ALASKA (WASHINGTON, DC, JULY 1, 1868)

IMPEACHMENT AND THE TENURE OF OFFICE ACT

BENJAMIN CURTIS, IN DEFENSE OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON IN IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 30, 1868)

REPRESENTATIVE BENJAMIN BUTLER (R-MA), OPENING ARGUMENTS AGAINST ANDREW JOHNSON IN IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 30, 1868)

6 ULYSSES S. GRANT

THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT

ULYSSES S. GRANT, PROCLAMATION REGARDING THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT (WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 30, 1870)

REPRESENTATIVE SAMUEL S. COX (D-NY), IN OPPOSITION TO ENFORCEMENT OF THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT (WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 15, 1871)

THE KU KLUX KLAN ACT

REPRESENTATIVE JAMES N. TYNER (R-IN), IN SUPPORT OF THE KU KLUX KLAN ACT (WASHINGTON, DC, APRIL 5, 1871)

SENATOR JOHN W. STEVENSON (D-KY), OPPOSING THE KU KLUX KLAN ACT (WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 21, 1872)

ACQUISITION OF SANTO DOMINGO

PRESIDENT GRANT, ON THE ACQUISITION OF SANTO DOMINGO (WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 2, 1870)

SENATOR CARL SCHURZ (R-MO), OPPOSED TO THE ANNEXATION OF SANTO DOMINGO (WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 11, 1871)

THE SPOILS SYSTEM AND CIVIL SERVICE REFORM

SENATOR JOHN SHERMAN (R-OH), IN SUPPORT OF CIVIL SERVICE REFORM (WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 4, 1871)

SENATOR OLIVER P. MORTON (R-IN), ON CONGRESS AND THE SPOILS SYSTEM (WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 4, 1871)

CURRENCY AND PAPER MONEY

ULYSSES S. GRANT, ON PAPER CURRENCY AND THE ECONOMY (WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 7, 1874)

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN W. KILLINGER (D-PA), ON PAPER CURRENCY AND THE ECONOMY (WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 19, 1874)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

About the Author.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

979-82-16-00091-4

1-280-86918-6

9786610869183

0-313-01125-7

OCLC:

52741465