The successful conclusion of the War of 1812 ushered in a new age of American history: the Jacksonian era. This book explores the background, motives, and goals of political and social leaders who dominated this era. Divided into three categories-Whigs, Democrats, and Writers and Reformers-biographies of Henry Clay, Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Knox Polk, Andrew Jackson, and others are included. Debates over such issues as westward expansion, the Second Bank of the United States, Indian policies, and slavery are discussed from opposing viewpoints. Americans of the Jacksonian era upheld traditions and values of their forefathers, while also embracing the unlimited opportunity of the future. During this era, profound political divisions emerged within the nation, with the core debate focused on the extent of the federal government's power. Americans debated such issues as the degree to which the federal government could compel states to implement federal legislation, administer expansion policy, regulate trade, and manage the economy. Interwoven within these debates were questions about the legitimacy of slavery. This book explores the background, motives, and goals of political and social leaders who dominated this era. Debates over such issues as westward expansion, the Second Bank of the United States, Indian policies, and slavery are discussed from opposing viewpoints. Students and general readers will find this reference tool useful in describing the lives and views of individuals who directed the course of the nation during the Jacksonian era.

The two pennant winners in 1926, the National League's Cardinals and the American League's Yankees, were a study in contrasts. The Yankees were heavily composed of first- and second-generation Americans and based in New York, the epicenter of baseball; the Cardinals, on the other hand, were mostly a collection of farm boys playing at the western fringe of the major leagues. But both teams arrived battle-tested, St. Louis having fought a long, close race with Cincinnati, New York having survived a dramatic late-season run by Cleveland. Their classic World Series meeting went seven games and produced one of the legendary pitcher-batter confrontations in baseball history.