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8425 results

Defining "Our Position"

  • Date: 30 March 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Were we permitted to give the name of our correspondent, our readers would perceive with what propriety

who claims that the Aurora 's politics border on fanaticism in its concentration on exclusively "American

Whitman argued that the influx of foreign culture and custom was trampling "American" principles of life

And now the public can see what kind of Americanism will characterize the Aurora.

It would be affectation, were we to pretend not to understand what the instances alluded to.

Annotations Text:

defined as "[t]he principles of those who advocate extreme measures" (Noah Webster, John Walker, An American

who claims that the Aurora's politics border on fanaticism in its concentration on exclusively "American

" topics.; Whitman argued that the influx of foreign culture and custom was trampling "American" principles

editor John O'Sullivan in his article "The Great Nation of Futurity," in which O'Sullivan wrote: "The American

minute detail of conduct in a ceremony or in observance of a code" (Noah Webster, John Walker, An American

Temperance Among the Firemen!

  • Date: 30 March 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

We stood upon the steps of the City Hall about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and saw the passage of the

Thousands of people were gathered together in the Park to witness the scene.

First came a banner bearing the head of Washington, immediately after which were a body of firemen.

We question whether any city in the world can turn out a more manly set of young fellows.

Once make temperance a favorite and fashionable custom among the young men of our city, and the whole

Annotations Text:

.; The Washingtonians were an organization of reformed alcoholics, mostly made up of members of the working

Sisters': Class and Domesticity in the Washingtonian Temperance Movement, 1840–1850," The Journal of American

The Benefit of Benevolence

  • Date: 30 March 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

He obtained his wealth through selling goods to American revolutionaries as well as investing in ships

Annotations Text:

He obtained his wealth through selling goods to American revolutionaries as well as investing in ships

Scenes of Last Night

  • Date: 1 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Three persons were burnt to death.

No less than one hundred houses were destroyed, depriving one thousand persons of a home" ( The Fireman

Then there were stacks of furniture upon the sidewalks and even in the street; puddles of water, and

crushed as they were crushed!

For our own part, we were never more interested in our life. Then there was music.

Annotations Text:

Three persons were burnt to death.

No less than one hundred houses were destroyed, depriving one thousand persons of a home" (The Fireman

Wisdom, a reformed alcoholic, who helped form the Washington Temperance Society in New York City.

Dissensions of Tammany

  • Date: 1 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Tammany Hall was the Democratic Party's center of power in New York City and its headquarters.

Tammany controlled politics in New York City by means of bribery, political appointments, and securing

the support of new immigrants who were welcomed into the Party.

The fanning of flames of discord, and the attempts of a moiety According to the American Dictionary of

Morris was defeated in 1844 by the nativist American Republicans, and their candidate, James Harper.

Annotations Text:

.; Tammany Hall was the Democratic Party's center of power in New York City and its headquarters.

Tammany controlled politics in New York City by means of bribery, political appointments, and securing

the support of new immigrants who were welcomed into the Party.

Morris was defeated in 1844 by the nativist American Republicans, and their candidate, James Harper.

Burrows and Mike Wallace, Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (Oxford: Oxford University Press

[We have read with attention]

  • Date: 1 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

The "school question" refers to the controversy surrounding early 1840s public schooling in New York City

By the 1840s, over a full third of the population of New York City consisted of immigrants, nearly half

of which were Irish.

"Where" asks the writer, "are the thunders of the American press?"

Alas, were we to publish what he has written, we should hear enough of those, with not enough of American

Annotations Text:

The "school question" refers to the controversy surrounding early 1840s public schooling in New York City

Irish Catholics were by far the most vocal and politically influential group opposing the teaching methods

of New York City consisted of immigrants, nearly half of which were Irish.

with having to subject their children to the teachings of a Protestant curriculum, where educators were

directly opposed those of the largely Democratic working class and immigrant population (James Grant

[On stepping into the ground]

  • Date: 1 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

See Carolee Inskeep, The Graveyard Shift: A Family Historian's Guide to New York City Cemeteries (New

It may possibly not be known to all our readers that in the eastern section of the city great excitement

We were thrilled at reading the anecdote given above.

Annotations Text:

See Carolee Inskeep, The Graveyard Shift: A Family Historian's Guide to New York City Cemeteries (New

Dickens and Democracy

  • Date: 2 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

For further reading, see: Sean Wilentz, The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln (New York

We read it with pleasure through three or four pages, when, all of a sudden, how were our eyes startled

Dickens, and that it expresses the utmost satisfaction with the complimentary course pursued by the Americans

—this loathsome agent of damnation claims the additional merit of having been spawned, not in an American

Annotations Text:

For further reading, see: Sean Wilentz, The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln (New York

"Black and White Slaves."

  • Date: 2 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

slavery is demonstrated in Leaves of Grass by the way in which he consistently includes African Americans

, various Whitman texts show that he had little tolerance for abolitionism, that he thought blacks were

It would be well if the English abolitionists were to reflect upon it.

has been used less often to portray the UK ("John Bull and Uncle Sam: Four Centuries of British-American

In England, nine-tenths of the population do not enjoy the common comforts of life.

Annotations Text:

slavery is demonstrated in Leaves of Grass by the way in which he consistently includes African Americans

, various Whitman texts show that he had little tolerance for abolitionism, that he thought blacks were

has been used less often to portray the UK ("John Bull and Uncle Sam: Four Centuries of British-American

The School Question

  • Date: 2 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Whitman and the Aurora were strongly opposed to the bill, and despite Whitman's optimism here that the

Annotations Text:

Whitman and the Aurora were strongly opposed to the bill, and despite Whitman's optimism here that the

The Park Meeting

  • Date: 2 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, a collection of people began to congregate in the Park, Most likely City

Hall Park, near the intersection of Broadway and Park Row in lower Manhattan, just south of New York City

Purdy (birth and death dates unknown) served on the New York City council as President of the Board of

Valentine, Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York for 1853 [New York City: McSpedon & Baker

A great portion of the audience were women.

Annotations Text:

.; Most likely City Hall Park, near the intersection of Broadway and Park Row in lower Manhattan, just

south of New York City Hall.; Elijah F.

Purdy (birth and death dates unknown) served on the New York City council as President of the Board of

Valentine, Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York for 1853 [New York City: McSpedon & Baker

In 1842, he was listed in the New York City directory as being a coal inspector or coal measurer, but

"Marble Time" in the Park.

  • Date: 4 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Whitman is likely referring to "City Hall Park."

In October 1842, Croton Fountain was unveiled in City Hall Park, which celebrated the completion of the

For a moment he waits, taking aim, as it were—leans his head slightly one side, cocks his eye with a

And here, were we disposed to be philosophical, we might expatiate at full length on the propriety of

Were it amiss to look on them, engaged as they are so earnestly—as but mimics of the strife that occupies

Annotations Text:

.; Whitman is likely referring to "City Hall Park."

In October 1842, Croton Fountain was unveiled in City Hall Park, which celebrated the completion of the

The exact measurement of a rod is five and a half yards (Noah Webster, John Walker, An American Dictionary

More Humbug

  • Date: 4 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Jonathan" stood for the "common" people and embodied conflicting views such as egalitarianism and American

Postal Guide and Official Advertiser 1, no. 1 [Washington D.C., 1850]: 163; Winifred Morgan, An American

Icon: Brother Jonathan and American Identity [London: Associated Press, 1988], 34–36). came out with

However, "Zanoni" was an expanded version of "Zicci," and both were written by Lytton.

Duyckinck, Cyclopedia of American Literature; Embracing Personal and Critical Notes of Authors [New York

Annotations Text:

Jonathan" stood for the "common" people and embodied conflicting views such as egalitarianism and American

Postal Guide and Official Advertiser 1, no. 1 [Washington D.C., 1850]: 163; Winifred Morgan, An American

Icon: Brother Jonathan and American Identity [London: Associated Press, 1988], 34–36).; Zanoni (1842

However, "Zanoni" was an expanded version of "Zicci," and both were written by Lytton.

Duyckinck, Cyclopedia of American Literature; Embracing Personal and Critical Notes of Authors [New York

[We proceed this morning to]

  • Date: 5 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

yard in Chrystie street—that have caused so much excitement of late in the eastern section of the city

graves, possibly in search of cadavers for medical education, a phenomenon not unusual in New York City

If we were asked the particular trait of national character from which might be apprehended the greatest

But it has been reserved for our city to put the damning climax to these deeds that disgrace humanity

the very wickedest criminal at Sing Sing Sing Sing was a prison located 32 miles north of New York City

Annotations Text:

graves, possibly in search of cadavers for medical education, a phenomenon not unusual in New York City

no. 2 (2003): 55–71, especially 66–67.; Sing Sing was a prison located 32 miles north of New York City

see: Lee Bernstein, "The Hudson River School of Incarceration: Sing Sing in Antebellum New York," American

The Fourth of April

  • Date: 5 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

.— At most of the whig head quarters, yesterday, throughout the city, the flags were displayed at half

constitutional successor assumed his seat, elected precisely on the same grounds—yet, "ere those shoes were

Smiling

  • Date: 4 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

We were represented there each day.

Both novels, however, were written by Lytton.

lemonade, and then drove home, where we arrived in abundant season to see that the friends of the Aurora were

Annotations Text:

Both novels, however, were written by Lytton.

Heart Rending

  • Date: 5 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Americans, who have revelled in the lap of plenty, can have but a faint conception of the horror of the

instituted an enquiry into the actual state of the case, A number of organizations in England at the time were

Brettell), 1840, 3–8. and persons were appointed to the sad duty of visiting the regions of distress,

Think of these things, Americans!

In "Black and White Slaves" he writes, "In England, nine-tenths of the population do not enjoy the common

Annotations Text:

.; A number of organizations in England at the time were attempting to repeal Great Britain's Corn Laws

In "Black and White Slaves" he writes, "In England, nine-tenths of the population do not enjoy the common

[Reader, we fear you have]

  • Date: 6 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Vol. 1 [New York: The American News Company, 1864], 7–11).

Meenagh, "Archbishop John Hughes and the New York Schools Controversy of 1840–43," American Nineteenth

Matsell (1811–1877) was a Democrat who, in 1840, was appointed police commissioner of New York City at

When we came up, they were just in the crisis of their game, and occupying clear across the walk.

And so we concocted this foregoing (what were you about, at half past 8, last night, dear reader?)

Annotations Text:

Vol. 1 [New York: The American News Company, 1864], 7–11).

Meenagh, "Archbishop John Hughes and the New York Schools Controversy of 1840–43," American Nineteenth

Matsell (1811–1877) was a Democrat who, in 1840, was appointed police commissioner of New York City at

31 years old, making him the youngest individual to ever receive the appointment (William Hunt, American

was noted that the plagiarized piece went "word for word, and line for line; occasionally patches were

Tammany Meeting Last Night

  • Date: 6 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Tammany Hall was a Democratic Party organization in New York City (Hon. William C.

Gover, The Tammany Hall Democracy of the City of New York [New York: Martin B. Brown, 1875], 5–6).

He was a Democrat and resided in New York City much of his life.

a master of procedure of the common law system ( Report of the Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the American

Meenagh, "Archbishop John Hughes and the New York Schools Controversy of 1840–43," American Nineteenth

Annotations Text:

.; Tammany Hall was a Democratic Party organization in New York City (Hon. William C.

Gover, The Tammany Hall Democracy of the City of New York [New York: Martin B.

.; Daniel Dudley Field II (1805–1894) was a lawyer and a long-standing influential member of the American

He was a Democrat and resided in New York City much of his life.

Sedgwick (1812–1868), who practiced law in New York City and served in the state legislature.; Likely

The Mask thrown off

  • Date: 7 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

John's Hall is now one of the four residence halls at Fordham University in New York City.

They knelt to the Pope himself; Americans , to the abjectest menials of the Pope.

has usurped Anglo-American power. they are content to be thus servile!

Let them act as men —come out, as American patriots, and defy the priest Hughes to do his worst.

It were better that all should be lost, than such a precedent established.

Annotations Text:

John's Hall is now one of the four residence halls at Fordham University in New York City.

John's College, was founded in 1841 by Hughes (Richard Panchyk, Catholic New York City [New York: Arcadia

pots and kettles, and does other menial services in the kitchen" (Noah Webster, John Walker, An American

For more on Tammany Hall, see: Terry Golway, Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American

has usurped Anglo-American power.; From Scene II, Act III of William Shakespeare's Macbeth.; Most likely

Something Worth Perusal

  • Date: 7 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

and Rector, a church that has stood at that location since 1808 ("History," Grace Church in New York City

The first cannons were placed there in defense of New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) when it

Annotations Text:

and Rector, a church that has stood at that location since 1808 ("History," Grace Church in New York City

The first cannons were placed there in defense of New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) when it

The Latest and Grandest Humbug

  • Date: 8 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

They were as follows. President: James Tallmadge (NY).

Bartlett (MA) ( The American Laborer [New York: Greeley & McElrath, 1843], 1: 35).

We hope the American nation will not allow these hypocrites to deceive them.

The Home League are in favor of strong measures to protect American manufactures.

It would be far better, were the national expenses paid by direct taxation.

Annotations Text:

.; The "great guns" were likely the leaders of the Home League speaking at the National Home Industry

They were as follows. President: James Tallmadge (NY).

Bartlett (MA) (The American Laborer [New York: Greeley & McElrath, 1843], 1: 35).; A Protective Tariff

They were a common policy of the early nineteenth century until the Compromise Tariff of 1833, which

called for a "gradual reduction of duties until the year 1842, when they were to be 20 percent, or under

The School Bill

  • Date: 8 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Tammany Hall, founded in 1786, was the New York City headquarters of the Democratic Party that played

a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics.

From the 1840s onward, Irish Catholics that resided in the city held the majority of power.

Gover, The Tammany Hall Democracy of the City of New York (New York: Martin B. Brown, 1875), 5–6.

Annotations Text:

.; Tammany Hall, founded in 1786, was the New York City headquarters of the Democratic Party that played

a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics.

From the 1840s onward, Irish Catholics that resided in the city held the majority of power.

Gover, The Tammany Hall Democracy of the City of New York (New York: Martin B.

We

  • Date: 9 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

It is almost needless to add that our mind swells with gratitude to those inhabitants of our city, and

over our heads, encourages us more and more in our determination to render Aurora the paper of the city

We glory in being true Americans . And we profess to impress Aurora with the same spirit.

We have taken high American ground—not the ground of exclusiveness, of partiality, of bigotted bias against

prospects cloudless and aspirations lofty, and evidences of public favor which, we proudly boast, were

Annotations Text:

However, Whitman also opposed the Native American Party, which explicitly opposed Irish Catholic immigration

The Bloody Sixth!

  • Date: 9 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

— A great fight came off last evening between Mike Walsh's Spartans The Spartans were a nativist group

of American-born and Irish Protestants that feared the rise of the Irish Catholics in New York.

Centre Street, in the Lower Manhattan area of New York City, extends from Park Row to the intersection

In the nineteenth century, it was less than a block from the Five Points intersection in the city's 6th

True, they are occasionally rather fond of a "muss," but they are imbued with the true blue American

Annotations Text:

The Spartans were a nativist group of American-born and Irish Protestants that feared the rise of the

of Rebellion (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2005).; Centre Street, in the Lower Manhattan area of New York City

In the nineteenth century, it was less than a block from the Five Points intersection in the city's 6th

[On Saturday night]

  • Date: 11 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Maclay, who was the chair of the Committee on Colleges, Academies, and Common Schools for New York City

In 1841, before the Maclay Bill was proposed, two senate and 13 assembly seats were up for reelection

The Democratic Party also ran three candidates who were not endorsed by the Catholic Association and

We were in hopes that there were some remnants of spirit in the bosoms of the democratic leaders at Albany—remnants

through the means of votes from men who have any American feeling.

Annotations Text:

Maclay, who was the chair of the Committee on Colleges, Academies, and Common Schools for New York City

Liberty 3 (2008): 267.; In 1841, before the Maclay Bill was proposed, two senate and 13 assembly seats were

The Democratic Party also ran three candidates who were not endorsed by the Catholic Association and

Pratt, "Religious Conflict in the Development of the New York City Public School System," History of

Meenagh, "Archbishop John Hughes and the New York Schools Controversy of 1840-43," American Nineteenth

Tomorrow

  • Date: 11 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

See Joann Krieg, Walt Whitman and the Irish (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press), 40-45.

Morris (1808–1855) was the Democratic candidate and the incumbent for the New York City Mayoral election

Its Religious Discontents, 1805-1840," American Education History Journal 37, no. 2 (2010): 455–471.

Belohlavek, "John Tyler: The Accidental President," The Journal of American History 93, no. 4 (2007):

According to the 1841 Journal of the American Temperance Union , regular meetings were held at Washington

Annotations Text:

See Joann Krieg, Walt Whitman and the Irish (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press), 40-45.

Morris (1808–1855) was the Democratic candidate and the incumbent for the New York City Mayoral election

Its Religious Discontents, 1805-1840," American Education History Journal 37, no. 2 (2010): 455–471.

Belohlavek, "John Tyler: The Accidental President," The Journal of American History 93, no. 4 (2007):

According to the 1841 Journal of the American Temperance Union, regular meetings were held at Washington

Last Evening

  • Date: 12 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

The first patterings of the tempest—the reveille —the portents of the coming battle—were to be seen and

Belohlavek, "John Tyler: The Accidental President," The Journal of American History 93, no. 4 (2007):

About six o'clock, we stepped over in front of the City Hall to see what was going on.

Smith The 1842-43 New York City Directory lists James M.

We presume respectable Americans would not grieve much were the "whole hog" Irish.

Annotations Text:

laufen, "to run," as "an idle man who seeks his living by sponging or expedients" (Noah Webster, An American

Belohlavek, "John Tyler: The Accidental President," The Journal of American History 93, no. 4 (2007):

Allen, The Tiger: the Rise and Fall of Tammany Hall (Addison–Wesley, 1993).; The 1842-43 New York City

=V000028; Whitman here is referencing Bishop John Hughes (1797–1864) who led the fight in New York City

Its Religious Discontents, 1805–1840," American Education History Journal 37, no. 2 (2010): 455–471.

[It is a fearful thing]

  • Date: 12 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

with public funds, and therefore had the support of many Irish-Catholics in New York, most of whom were

We are sure that there must be such men as American democrats in Tammany.

Where were they while this abominable game was going on?

Let them—we beseech them as American republicans —let them not cast away self respect and self rights

There is no candidate in the field who has the least claim upon a true American voter .

Annotations Text:

with public funds, and therefore had the support of many Irish-Catholics in New York, most of whom were

stance on the bill to avoid a split Democratic vote.; This refers to the Democratic candidates who were

More Catholic Insolence!

  • Date: 12 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

For more information see Terry Golway, Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American

public printing to an Irishman named Denman, who publishes a Catholic paper, the Truth Teller , in this city

The Corporation Attorney was the individual tasked with handling the city's legal affairs, and at the

Ellison History of the Office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York (New York: Martin B.

They threatened, unless these things were promised them, still to stand out, or throw their votes in

Annotations Text:

For more information see Terry Golway, Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American

The Corporation Attorney was the individual tasked with handling the city's legal affairs, and at the

Ellison History of the Office of the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York (New York: Martin B.

[When the list of names]

  • Date: 12 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

the passage of a heavily amended Maclay bill in the state senate, hastily passed before the New York City

elections to give Democratic candidates for city positions an edge over their Whig counterparts.

This shady deal ensured that two no-votes were absent while only one yes-vote was absent, leaving the

See Diane Ravitch, The Great School Wars: A History of the New York City Public Schools (Baltimore: The

He has posted himself to the whole city as an unprincipled liar!

Annotations Text:

the passage of a heavily amended Maclay bill in the state senate, hastily passed before the New York City

elections to give Democratic candidates for city positions an edge over their Whig counterparts.

This shady deal ensured that two no-votes were absent while only one yes-vote was absent, leaving the

See Diane Ravitch, The Great School Wars: A History of the New York City Public Schools (Baltimore: The

Democratic Party and, more specifically, Tammany Hall, the center of Democratic political power in New York City

Playing in the Park

  • Date: 12 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

southern tip of Manhattan, the Battery was formerly a system of gun emplacements for defense of New York City

Annotations Text:

southern tip of Manhattan, the Battery was formerly a system of gun emplacements for defense of New York City

Result of the Election

  • Date: 13 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Morris is re-elected mayor of the city. Robert H.

Morris (1808–1855), 64th mayor of New York City, was first elected mayor in 1841, and in 1842 was running

city's politics.

Is it not a pleasant spectacle for an American to look upon?

Has it come to be, that Irishman is a better title to office, here, than American ?

Annotations Text:

Morris (1808–1855), 64th mayor of New York City, was first elected mayor in 1841, and in 1842 was running

Morris was also reelected mayor in 1843, and subsequently served as Postmaster of the city and then as

Wards became less important in mayoral politics after the consolidation of New York City in 1898 into

city's politics.

(New York: Oxford University Press, 1999).; The New York City Council, often referred to during this

Incidents of Last Night

  • Date: 13 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

The democratic head quarters, Tammany Hall, and the whig head quarters, National Hall, were filled with

nineteenth-century America, the Five Points neighborhood, the Tombs was a colloquial name for New York City's

America's Greatest Criminal Barracks': The Tombs and the Experience of Criminal Justice in New York City

mass of people—some attracted by curiosity, but most of them anxious to hear the returns, as they were

all sick , and were going home for the night," we did not think it judicious to attempt an entrance.

Annotations Text:

nineteenth-century America, the Five Points neighborhood, the Tombs was a colloquial name for New York City's

America's Greatest Criminal Barracks': The Tombs and the Experience of Criminal Justice in New York City

word bogtrotter had been applied specifically to the Irish as far back as 1682 (Noah Webster, An American

Sharpe, 2015], 254).; Bishop John Hughes (1797–1864) led the fight in New York City for parochial schools

Pronunciation, And Definitions Of Words [White and Sheffield, 1839], 106).; The Washington Grey's were

Sentiment and a Saunter

  • Date: 13 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Broadway borders City Hall Park on the west.

Near the City Hotel The City hotel was located at 123 Broadway "between Cedar and Thames streets."

See Thomas Longworth, Longworth's American Almanac, New-York Register, and City Directory (New York:

The Globe Hotel was located at 66 Broadway in New York City.

He wrote, "The chief street of a great city is a curious epitome of the life of the city; and when that

Annotations Text:

was located at 162 Nassau Street in New York's so-called "Newspaper Row," just across Park Row from City

It had several features that were unheard of in contemporary hotels. According to Edwin G.

See Thomas Longworth, Longworth's American Almanac, New-York Register, and City Directory (New York:

Gideon, 1841), 14.; The Globe Hotel was located at 66 Broadway in New York City.

He wrote, "The chief street of a great city is a curious epitome of the life of the city; and when that

The House of Refuge

  • Date: 13 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

yesterday, to see the humors of election, Whitman is referring to the recent elections for New York city

such children as shall be taken up or committed as vagrants, or convicted of offences in the said city

salle à manger," French for "dining room." they took their places, standing at the table, until all were

recognised by their countenances as having been paraded in the Sessions and before the Police, and were

The male portion of the establishment—which is the only portion we were permitted to see—appears to be

Annotations Text:

.; Whitman is referring to the recent elections for New York city council.; The "Society for the Reformation

such children as shall be taken up or committed as vagrants, or convicted of offences in the said city

Plots of the Jesuits!

  • Date: 14 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

The Spartans were able to take control of Tammany Hall nominating conventions in 1842 and named their

For further reading, see Sean Wilentz, Chants Democratic: New York City and the Rise of the American

Flood, The Encyclopeia of New York City, Second Edition (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2010).

The windows and blinds were completely smashed.

But singularly enough, there were numerous objects totally uninjured, (we were informed that all was

Annotations Text:

The Spartans were able to take control of Tammany Hall nominating conventions in 1842 and named their

For further reading, see Sean Wilentz, Chants Democratic: New York City and the Rise of the American

Flood, The Encyclopeia of New York City, Second Edition (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2010).

Norton and Company, 2014), 33–38.; Located in the Five Points neighborhood in New York City, the Sixth

For further reading, see: Kevin Kenny, New Directions in Irish-American History (Madison: University

[According to the best authenticated]

  • Date: 14 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

We were never brought up to rejoice at the defeat of democratic candidates.

Tammany Hall, the headquarters of the Democratic political machine in New York, dominated the city's

For it is little that the presiding officer of the city is of her side, while all the essentials of power

Annotations Text:

.; Tammany Hall, the headquarters of the Democratic political machine in New York, dominated the city's

Over the Ocean.

  • Date: 14 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

drained Europe of her blood and her treasures, that the nations sympathetically, mechanically as it were

England, in spite of her debt, and the miseries of a vast portion of her population, has increased her

From 1839–1842 England and the Qing dynasty of China were engaged in what was known as the First Opium

The United States and England were, at this time, engaged in an ongoing dispute over the border between

See Howard Jones, To the Webster-Ashburton Treaty: A Study in Anglo-American Relations, 1793–1843 (Chapel

Annotations Text:

From 1839–1842 England and the Qing dynasty of China were engaged in what was known as the First Opium

A line from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1, line 270.; The United States and England were

See Howard Jones, To the Webster-Ashburton Treaty: A Study in Anglo-American Relations, 1793–1843 (Chapel

The Late Riots

  • Date: 15 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Whitman comments on the fraught politics of selecting the New York City legislative body in the April

A lazy person; a sluggard" (Noah Webster, John Walker, An American Dictionary of the English Language

Their shouts and howls were perfectly terrific; and we are told the residents in that quarter of the

The Irish drew up a threatening front; but so indignant were the Americans who had been witnessing the

citizens were concerned in the affair, we can see nothing in their conduct to condemn.

Annotations Text:

Whitman comments on the fraught politics of selecting the New York City legislative body in the April

The Spartans were a Democratic faction lead by Mike Walsh (1810–1859) that was known for their working-class

For further information, see: Tyler Anbinder, Five Points: The Nineteenth-Century New York City Neighborhood‬

A lazy person; a sluggard" (Noah Webster, John Walker, An American Dictionary of the English Language

The Sixth Ward, also called "Five Points," was a poor, predominantly Irish, neighborhood in New York City

Where Will Tammany Have to Stop?

  • Date: 15 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

For more information, see Amy Bridges, A City in the Republic: Antebellum New York and the Origins of

For the honor of American principle and feelings, our birthrights by inheritance, we should hope not.

Next fall if Tammany yields, her ascendency in this city is lost forever.

Krieg, Walt Whitman and the Irish (Iowa City: Iowa University Press), 16.

The Five Points was a region of the city where Worth, Baxter, and Park streets all intersected.

Annotations Text:

Tammany Hall was the central organization of the Democratic Party in New York City during the antebellum

period, and Irish Democrats increasingly influenced the city's politics, a fact that Whitman, as editor

For more information, see Amy Bridges, A City in the Republic: Antebellum New York and the Origins of

of New York City, of which the Five Points is the center.

The Five Points was a region of the city where Worth, Baxter, and Park streets all intersected.

[Italian Opera in New Orleans]

  • Date: 15 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Ireland, Records of the New York Stage, from 1750 to 1860 (New York: T. H.

By 1845, Sefton had played Jemmy Twitcher 360 times in New York City.

He achieved fame in New York City in the 1820s for his forceful and aggressive style of acting.

Intensely American himself, he Americanized the stage in this country."

the "first American actress of any importance to play major roles in England."

Annotations Text:

.; The Park Theater was located on Park Row, near City Hall Park, before burning down in 1848.; Arthur

Ireland, Records of the New York Stage, from 1750 to 1860 (New York: T. H.

By 1845, Sefton had played Jemmy Twitcher 360 times in New York City.

Intensely American himself, he Americanized the stage in this country."

the "first American actress of any importance to play major roles in England."

The Catholic Rows not ended

  • Date: 16 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Meenagh, "Archbishop John Hughes and the New York Schools Controversy of 1840-43,"  American Nineteenth

Before long, as many as two hundred were out, and arranged in rude, military style—most of them carrying

The inhabitants of the neighborhood were kept up till morning, without sleep, in very fear that the next

All this occurred in the vicinity of the Cathedral, which, the Irish were told, was in danger of attack

from American Protestants.

Annotations Text:

Meenagh, "Archbishop John Hughes and the New York Schools Controversy of 1840-43," American Nineteenth

About Children

  • Date: 16 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Founded as a fraternal order on May 12, 1789, the group became a growing Democratic power in New York City

We were about waking the youngster, when a watchman who, unseen by us, had been leaning against the iron

Prior to the works of authors like Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll, children were viewed primarily

How true their notions of the subject were, bear witness poor Oliver, and crazed Barnaby, and pathetic

Dickens's social criticisms were not always well received in the United States, but Whitman adored his

Annotations Text:

Founded as a fraternal order on May 12, 1789, the group became a growing Democratic power in New York City

Prior to the works of authors like Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll, children were viewed primarily

Dickens's social criticisms were not always well received in the United States, but Whitman adored his

Barnaby Rudge is the main character of Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty, an American Revolution-era

Newspaperial Etiquette

  • Date: 18 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Webster Dictionary (1840), "plume" means "to pride; to value; to boast" (Noah Webster, John Walker, An American

Whitman's sarcastic comment is poking fun at the self-perceived influence of New York City sixpenny dailies

, which were the more expensive subscription newspapers.

deign to notice the pennies, and two pennies At this time, the sixpenny dailies, or six-penny papers, were

Penny papers, however, were small, poorly printed, and sold on the street.

Annotations Text:

Webster Dictionary (1840), "plume" means "to pride; to value; to boast" (Noah Webster, John Walker, An American

1840], 753).; Whitman's sarcastic comment is poking fun at the self-perceived influence of New York City

sixpenny dailies, which were the more expensive subscription newspapers.; At this time, the sixpenny

dailies, or six-penny papers, were often distributed through subscription.

Penny papers, however, were small, poorly printed, and sold on the street.

Old Land Marks

  • Date: 18 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

the purpose of practically exercising their rights—rights which they claim under the great Bill of American

Were we a resident of Rhode Island, we should be a revolutioniser, in the front rank.

[The Aurora has been roaring]

  • Date: 18 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

Aurora has been roaring very loudly and ably, though somewhat savagely, on behalf of the Native Americans

"Native American" here refers to a nativist party of American-born Protestants whose policies were primarily

The first native American party in New York appeared under the name "American Republican Party" in 1843

Immigrant Identity and the Politics of Citizenship: A Collection of Articles from the Journal of American

Let us have a Native American party.

Annotations Text:

.; "Native American" here refers to a nativist party of American-born Protestants whose policies were

The first native American party in New York appeared under the name "American Republican Party" in 1843

Immigrant Identity and the Politics of Citizenship: A Collection of Articles from the Journal of American

The Schools' Holiday

  • Date: 18 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

.— Few days in the week are more interesting for a promenade in our stirring city than Saturday, for

tip of Manhattan, by the 1840s, the Battery had become a promenade and park for New Yorkers. hosts were

Here a group were gazing upon the tempting array in the toy shops; there, others were feasting their

[Yesterday was dull]

  • Date: 19 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

For further reading on laudanum, see: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, American Journal

Annotations Text:

For further reading on laudanum, see: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, American Journal

The English troubles in India, and our difficulties with Great Britain

  • Date: 19 April 1842
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Text:

The place where this bloody massacre occurred is Cabool Cabool (Kabul) was an Afghani capital city with

a population of 60,000 (circa 1831–1833).

Whitman mentions the city's fortification; the city is built of sun-dried bricks and wood.

Journal Of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies 33, no. 3 (2010): 1–21. , a fortified city, situated

between the northern United States and British North American colonies.

Annotations Text:

.; Cabool (Kabul) was an Afghani capital city with a population of 60,000 (circa 1831–1833).

Whitman mentions the city's fortification; the city is built of sun-dried bricks and wood.

Whitman brought this to light because the relations between Britain and the United States were still

tense after the War of 1812, and the Britain and the US were in the middle of negotiations of borders

between the northern United States and British North American colonies.

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