Ep. 75: The Cords of Union: Slavery vs The Telegraph

Historians usually mark off the years, about 1815 to 1845 as the Jacksonian era and for Americans, and many other people across the planet, these were years of singularity. This period of time is remembered for many inventions and innovations. Most notably was Samuel Morse’s magnetic telegraph. His magnetic telegraph “eliminated the greatest problem plagued by all republics since the ancient days of Rome” because it was able to connect the states through rapid communication. Originally, Congress thought that the telegraph would be used as an extension of the Postal Service, but they could find no way for it to be profitable, so they left it up to the private sector to decide how to best utilize the service.

When was the Jacksonian era? How did the way Americans travelled change through the Jacksonian era? What was the most impressive innovation of that era? How did the magnetic telegraph affect the way Americans communicated?

Feller, Daniel. The Jacksonian Promise: America, 1815-1840. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 1995. Howe, Daniel Walker.

What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2007.

Calhoun’s “Cords of Union” Speech

There’s No Excuse for Slavery, Liberty Chronicles Episode

Defenses of the Right of Secession, written by George H. Smith

Why Did the Southern States Secede?, written by Anthony Comegna

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.