Articles written by William L. Wunder

Showing 1-50 of 132 Articles

John C. Frémont and the First Republican Presidential Campaign
In 1856, the young Republican party chose a young man, John Charles Frémont, for the Presidency on a platform dominated by halting slavery's spread.
May 15, 2012 - William L. Wunder
Impact of the Forty-Eighters on the American Civil War Era
Exiles of the failed European revolutions of 1848, the Forty-Eighters, had a significant role during the American Civil War era.
Apr 23, 2012 - William L. Wunder
Immigrant Ship Information in the New York Times
Details about the journey of your immigrant ancestors to New York might be found in the 19th century and early 20th century issues of the New York Times.
Mar 27, 2012 - William L. Wunder
Border Brawl Between Iowa and Missouri in the 19th Century
Between the late 1830s and 1890s, disputes between Iowa and Missouri centered around either the true location of their shared boundary or slavery.
Mar 8, 2012 - William L. Wunder
Andrew Jackson and Horse Racing in Early America
Andrew Jackson's lifelong love of horse racing enabled him to serve his country, to benefit financially, and to shape the sport in 19th century America.
Feb 11, 2012 - William L. Wunder
Theodore Roosevelt and African-American Rights
Theodore Roosevelt's efforts in African-American civil rights were often compromised by his goal to break the Democrats' lock on the South.
Jan 25, 2012 - William L. Wunder
Vulgo Surnames in Czech Genealogical Research
In Bohemia, vulgo surnames are family aliases or nicknames acquired through the name of the cottage of residence or the wife's/mother's family.
Dec 8, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Book Review of David Pietrusza's 1948
David Pietrusza has written an excellent book on the 1948 U.S. Presidential election, presenting a thorough view of the four candidates and then some.
Nov 11, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Radicalism and Violence of the Farmers' Holiday Association
In the Great Depression, the Farmers' Holiday Association courted violence and communism in its quest for farm price supports and to end farm foreclosures.
Oct 17, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Presidential Vetoes of Andrew Jackson
Wielding the veto as a political weapon, President Andrew Jackson sought to defend the U.S. Constitution, protect democracy, and foil his rival Henry Clay.
Sep 28, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Inventor George Henry Hohnsbeen, 1879-1953
Hohnsbeen invented improvements to a handful of devices from 1908 to 1921, including early versions of the clipboard and the liquid soap dispenser.
Sep 10, 2011 - William L. Wunder
John Tyler, Henry Clay, and Political Gridlock in 1841-1842
Just like in 2011, political gridlock in Washington D.C. characterized the years 1841-42, with parties and factions clashing amidst an economic depression.
Aug 18, 2011 - William L. Wunder
The Politics of General Winfield Scott Hancock
The political career of General Hancock was defined by his status as a Civil War hero in the North and his allegiance to the pro-Southern Democratic party.
Aug 10, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Similarities Between Presidents James Buchanan and Herbert Hoover
In presiding over the worst national crisis of their time, American presidents James Buchanan and Herbert Hoover had similarities in governing.
Jul 15, 2011 - William L. Wunder
123rd Machine Gun Battalion in the Meuse-Argonne
In the final weeks of World War I, the American 123rd Machine Gun Battalion helped defeat the stubborn German forces in the Meuse-Argonne Valley.
Jun 27, 2011 - William L. Wunder
The Political and Public Life of Herman A. Schmidt of Winona, MN
Herman Schmidt built a modest political and public career in Winona during the Progressive Era, from Chief of Police to local Democratic Party official.
Jun 7, 2011 - William L. Wunder
The Use of History During the American Civil War
Historical events and people were used by participants in the American Civil War for the purpose of shaping politics, perception, and military strategy.
May 18, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Andrew Jackson and the Elimination of the National Debt
The national debt was paid off by a determined President Jackson in 1835 by using more tariff and land revenues and limiting internal improvement spending.
Apr 30, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Agriculture vs. Manufacturing in American Politics, 1790-1896
Beneath the surface of the two-party system, the clash between agriculture and manufacturing, or rural and urban, has defined American political history.
Apr 18, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Realigning America, by R. Hal Williams, a Review
Williams' book on the 1896 presidential election explains why it was such a pivotal event in American political history and offers new interpretations.
Apr 15, 2011 - William L. Wunder
The Great Disappointment of the Millerites or Adventists
Mockery, disunity, and scorn were what the Millerites or Adventists faced with their failed prophesy of the Second Coming of Christ in 1844.
Mar 26, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Review of Walter A. McDougall's, Throes of Democracy
In Throes of Democracy, McDougall exposes American history in the middle of the 1800s as a nation of pretenders and hustlers, united by a civic religion.
Mar 19, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Whig Party Presidential Nominees of 1836
The American Whig Party in 1836 had four presidential nominees: Daniel Webster, William Henry Harrison, Hugh Lawson White, and Willie Person Mangum.
Mar 12, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Why the Confederate Capital Moved From Montgomery to Richmond?
The Confederacy moved its government from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia for historical, strategic, and practical reasons.
Mar 3, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Iowa's Martyr Regiment, by David Wildman: A Review
David Wildman gives an excellent account of the hard-luck, disease-riddled, but courageous 38th Iowa Volunteer Infantry regiment of the American Civil War.
Feb 15, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Review of John Heidenry's The Gashouse Gang
In The Gashouse Gang, John Heidenry explains the development, performance, and eccentricities of the 1934 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.
Feb 1, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Andrew Jackson's Influence on Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt modeled his presidency in some ways after Andrew Jackson to combat the effects of the Great Depression and World War II.
Jan 29, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Nick Taylor's American-Made: The Enduring Legacy of the WPA
Nick Taylor has written an outstanding book on the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal agency that gave jobs to millions during the Great Depression.
Jan 19, 2011 - William L. Wunder
The Caning of Charles Sumner by Preston Brooks
After his fiery anti-slavery speech, U.S. Senator Charles Sumner was badly beaten by a cane at the hands of South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks.
Jan 15, 2011 - William L. Wunder
The Iowa Election of 1846: Democrats and Whigs Argue Over Banks
In preparation for statehood, Iowa held its first election in October of 1846 for governor and other offices, with banks as the top issue.
Jan 6, 2011 - William L. Wunder
Review of James Swanson's Bloody Crimes
James Swanson has written an excellent book about the end of the Civil War, interweaving the chase for Jefferson Davis with Abraham Lincoln's funeral train.
Dec 23, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Desperate Vice Presidents of the United States
Three Vice Presidents early in American history challenged the notion that the Vice Presidency was an unimportant office.
Dec 15, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Grover Cleveland's Secret Cancer Operation
In the face of the Panic of 1993, President Grover Cleveland's operation to remove a malignant tumor was concealed.
Nov 19, 2010 - William L. Wunder
The Rivalry Between Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson
Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were involved in a heated debate that stretched from progressive politics to foreign policy in the 1910's.
Nov 12, 2010 - William L. Wunder
The Politics of American Veterans' Organizations, 1789-1932
The political influence of veterans' organizations was felt when they sought economic aid for needy members and to maintain the ideals they fought for.
Nov 6, 2010 - William L. Wunder
The Great Blizzard of 1888 in the Northeastern United States
A blizzard struck along the East Coast on a March day in 1888, paralyzing the infrastructure and economy of the region with extreme snow, cold, and wind.
Oct 29, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Impact of the Two-Thirds Rule at Democratic Party Conventions
The Two-Thirds rule, which required the Democratic Presidential nominee to lock up a supermajority of the delegates, foiled two simple majority candidacies.
Oct 23, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Wilhelmine K. Hohnsbeen: Public Health Nurse in the Early 1920s
As public health nurse of Winona County, Minnesota from 1920-1923, Ms. Hohnsbeen was a rural school nurse and tended to local and national health concerns.
Oct 15, 2010 - William L. Wunder
The Birth of Modern Politics by Lynn Hudson Parsons
Parsons' book offers not only an account of the 1828 Presidential election, but a good overview of early American political history.
Oct 5, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Image Making in the Presidential Election of 1828
The influence of universal white man's suffrage on the Presidential election of 1828 led to a battle of images between the Jackson and Adams campaigns.
Oct 1, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Review of Timothy Egan's The Big Burn
The Big Burn by Timothy Egan chronicles the Great Fire of 1910, the largest wildfire in American history, with the conservation struggle as a backdrop.
Sep 21, 2010 - William L. Wunder
The Democratic Party During the American Civil War
The Democrats faced two obstacles during the Civil War: the Lincoln government suppressed their anti-war opinions and they were divided amongst themselves.
Aug 28, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Roosevelt Recession: the Economic Downturn of 1937-38
In 1937, due to government actions, the American economy slumped after four years of recovery from the dark days of the Great Depression in the early 1930s.
Aug 12, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Rise and Fall of the Union Party in the 1936 Election
Charles Coughlin, Gerald Smith, and Francis Townsend joined forces to form the Union Party for the 1936 election, but their clashing egos doomed the effort.
Aug 6, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Economic Transformation of the Artisan in Early America
In the period between the mid-eighteenth century and the early decades of the nineteenth century, the artisan worker underwent a gradual transformation.
Jul 28, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Review of David O. Stewart's The Summer of 1787
David O. Stewart's book on the Constitutional Convention describes the delegates and the issues they wrestled with through debates, deals, and compromises.
Jul 21, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Rural Economies During the American Civil War and Reconstruction
Agriculture in the North during the Civil War and Reconstruction experienced a boom while Southern agriculture struggled.
Jul 6, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Henry Clay by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler
The Heidlers offer a human view of the politician Henry Clay, as well as a view of life in nineteenth century America.
Jul 1, 2010 - William L. Wunder
Rise and Fall of the Knights of Labor in Gilded Age America
The rise of the Knights of Labor was attributed to its inclusive membership and education but would fall due to internal and external factors.
Jun 24, 2010 - William L. Wunder
American Whig Party Convention of 1839 for the 1840 Election
At the Whig Party Convention in 1839, there was a three-way race for the presidential nomination: Henry Clay, William Henry Harrison and Winfield Scott.
Jun 17, 2010 - William L. Wunder
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