Edward L. Widmer's Books

Martin Van Buren

The American Presidents Series: The 8th President, 1837-1841

By: Edward L. Widmer

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Martin Van Buren

The American Presidents Series: The 8th President, 1837-1841

By: Edward L. Widmer

The first president born after America's independence ushers in a new era of no-holds-barred democracy The first "professional politician" to become president, the slick and dandyish Martin Van Buren was to all appearances the opposite of his predecessor, the rugged general and Democratic champion Andrew Jackson. Van Buren, a native Dutch speaker, was America's first ethnic president as well as the first New Yorker to hold the office, at a time when Manhattan was bursting with new arrivals. A sharp and adroit political operator, he established himself as a powerhouse in New York, becoming a U.S. senator, secretary of state, and vice president under Jackson, whose election he managed. His ascendancy to the Oval Office was virtually a foregone conclusion. Once he had the reins of power, however, Van Buren found the road quite a bit rougher. His attempts to find a middle ground on the most pressing issues of his day-such as the growing regional conflict over slavery-eroded his effectiveness. But it was his inability to prevent the great banking panic of 1837, and the ensuing depression, that all but ensured his fall from grace and made him the third president to be denied a second term. His many years of outfoxing his opponents finally caught up with him. Ted Widmer, a veteran of the Clinton White House, vividly brings to life the chaos and contention that plagued Van Buren's presidency-and ultimately offered an early lesson in the power of democracy.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

208

Publisher

Macmillan

Published Date

ISBN 10

0805069224

ISBN 13

9780805069228

Young America

The Flowering of Democracy in New York City

By: Edward L. Widmer

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Young America

The Flowering of Democracy in New York City

By: Edward L. Widmer

This fascinating study examines the meteoric career of a vigorous intellectual movement rising out of the Age of Jackson. As Americans argued over their destiny in the decades preceding the Civil War, an outspoken new generation of "ultra-democratic" writers entered the fray, staking out positions on politics, literature, art, and any other territory they could annex. They called themselves Young America--and they proclaimed a "Manifest Destiny" to push back frontiers in every category of achievement. Their swagger found a natural home in New York City, already bursting at the seams and ready to take on the world. Young America's mouthpiece was the Democratic Review, a highly influential magazine funded by the Democratic Party and edited by the brash and charismatic John O'Sullivan. The Review offered a fresh voice in political journalism, and sponsored young writers like Hawthorne and Whitman early in their careers. Melville, too, was influenced by Young America, and provided a running commentary on its many excesses. Despite brilliant promise, the movement fell apart in the 1850s, leaving its original leaders troubled over the darker destiny they had ushered in. Their ambitious generation had failed to rewrite history as promised. Instead, their perpetual agitation helped set the stage for the Civil War. Young America: The Flowering of Democracy in New York City is without question the most complete examination of this captivating and original movement. It also provides the first published biography of its leader, John O'Sullivan, one of America's great rhetoricians. Edward L. Widmer enriches his unique volume by offering a new theory of Manifest Destiny as part of a broader movement of intellectual expansion in nineteenth-century America.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

305

Publisher

Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195140621

ISBN 13

9780195140620

Ark of the Liberties

America and the World

By: Edward L. Widmer

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Ark of the Liberties

America and the World

By: Edward L. Widmer

With wit, brilliance, and deep affection, the inimitable Widmer has written a history of America in the world unlike any other. Ranging from the late 17th century to the present, Widmer traces Americas wondrous history as well as our less glorious past.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

384

Publisher

Macmillan

Published Date

ISBN 10

0809027356

ISBN 13

9780809027354

Young America

The Flowering of Democracy in New York City

By: Edward L. Widmer

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Young America

The Flowering of Democracy in New York City

By: Edward L. Widmer

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

305

Publisher

Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0195140621

ISBN 13

9780195140620

Book's by Edward L. Widmer

Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren

Young America

Young America

Ark of the Liberties

Ark of the Liberties

Young America

Young America

Username

Password

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email