Emotions in the US During the Long Nineteenth Century

This collection of primary sources examines the history of emotions in the United States, spanning the years 1800-1865. This period was filled with dramatic political, social and economic changes, including the development of a new national identity, the spread of chattel slavery, the rise of capitalism, the surge of religious revivalism, military and settler expansion into Native American, Mexican, and British lands, and the Civil War. While these events have been well studied, this collection explores these upheavals using the lens of the history of emotions. The volumes bring together a rich group of primary sources demonstrating how Americans responded to these large public events. It also includes sources that trace the more private and subjective experiences of daily life during the 19th century, for the era was witness to significant transformations in ideals of family and romantic love, conceptions of honour and courage, anger and indignation, selfishness and greed. It also was a period when new emotions like homesickness and boredom appeared. This fascinating collection of materials, alongside extensive editorial commentary, will be of great interest to students of American History and the History of Emotions.

Susan J. Matt is Presidential Distinguished Professor of History at Weber State University, and serves as the University's Director of Interdisciplinary Collaborations. Her research has been supported by funding from the Mellon Foundation, Duke University, Radcliffe College, and Yale University.

Volume I 1800-1865 Introduction Bibliograph PART 1: Settler Colonialism and Native American emotions 1 Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak Describes Daily Life and How It Changed 2 On Indian Removal Andrew Jackson 3 The Choctaw's Farewell George W. Harkins 4 Address on the Present Condition and Prospects of the Aboriginal Inhabitants of North America, with Particular Reference to the Seneca Nation, Delivered at Buffalo, New York Maris B. Pierce 5 Eulogy on King Philip, as Pronounced at the Odeon, in Federal Street, Boston William Apess PART 2: Civic Emotions 6 Of the Mode of Education Proper in a Republic Benjamin Rush 7 Love of Country and The Soldier's Adieu 8 The Cincinnati Election - Disgraceful Riot 9 Fredrika Bremer Describes 'Indignation Meetings' 10 The Sumner Outrage; Indignation Meeting at the Tabernacle. Tremendous and Enthusiastic Gathering... 11 William Apess on Plymouth Rock and the 4th of July 12 What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Frederick Douglass 13 Declaration of Sentiments Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott PART 3: Managing Emotions 14 David Gouverneur Burnet, to Mattie 15 A Mother's Charge Sarah A. Campbell 16 Advice to Young Ladies on Their Duties and Conduct in Life T. S. Arthur 17 With Sabre and Scalpel: The Autobiography of a Soldier and Surgeon John Allan Wyeth 18 The First Quarrel Alice Neal 19 The Fugitive Blacksmith; Or, Events in the History of James W.C. Pennington, Pastor of a Presbyterian Church, New York, Formerly A Slave in the State of Maryland, United States James W. C. Pennington 20 My Bondage and My Freedom Frederick Douglass PART 4: Slavery and Emotion 21 The Slave's New Year's Day Harriet A. Jacobs 22 What Became of the Slaves on A Georgia Plantation? Great Auction Sale of Slaves at Savannah, Georgia, March 2d and 3d, 1859; A Sequel to Mrs. Kemble's Journal 23 Cannibals All! Or, Slaves Without Masters George Fitzhugh 24 'A Sorrowful Face' Elizabeth Keckley 25 My Bondage and My Freedom Frederick Douglass PART 5: Love 26 Spiritual Welfare of Children Bradley Miner 27 The Love Letters of Theodore Weld and Angelina Grimke 28 Advice to Young Ladies on Their Duties and Conduct in Life T. S. Arthur 29 The Family Monitor, Or a Help to Domestic Happiness John Angell James 30 Abream Scriven Writes to His Wife, Dinah Jones, Sept. 19, 1858 31 Jonathan Zimmerman's Letters to Benjamin Kenaga 32 The Diary of Albert Dodd, 1837 (excerpts) 33 Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak Describes the Crane Dance and Courting among the Sac PART 6: Grief 34 Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak Describes Mourning among the Sac 35 Comfort for the Widow Fanny Fern 36 Mother, What Is Death? 37 Green-Wood Cemetery Nehemiah Cleaveland 38 Charles Ball's Account of a Funeral of an Enslaved Child 39 'Customs of the Slaves, When One of Their Number Dies' Peter Randolph PART 7: The Market Revolution 40 The Tablet 41 The Love of Money Sets the Whole Animal Machine in Motion Benjamin Rush 42 Hasting to be Rich. A Sermon, Occasioned by the Present Excitement Respecting The Gold of California, Preached in the Cities of New Haven and Bridgeport, Jan. and Feb. 1849 E. L. Cleaveland 43 A Letter from Mary Lucinda Hovey to Elizabeth M. Stevens, August 8, 1847 44 The Spirit of Discontent Almira 45 Thomas Butler Gunn on His Love of and Loathing for Money 46 The Ruling Passion of Men 47 Singular Attempt at Suicide 48 Best Temperament for a Business Man 49 Are We a Happy People? PART 8: Emotion, Immigration, and Migration 50 Men, Manners and Things in Iowa 51 A True Picture of Emigration Rebecca Burlend 52 A Yankee Trader in the Gold Rush; The Letters of Franklin A. Buck 53 Mary Ballou's Letters to Her Son 54 The Emotional Effects of Piano Music on Gold Miners Rosana Margaret (Kroh) Blake Alverson PART 9: Technology and Emotional Life 55 A Kind and Wise Hint 56 Quick Travel Samuel Breck 57 The Atlantic Telegraph: A Discourse Preached in the South Congregational Church, Brooklyn Rufus W. Clark 58 Delia Locke on the Trans-Atlantic Telegraph 59 Daguerreotypes 60 Delia Locke on Photography 61 Abigail Mansur Pleads for Daguerreotypes PART 10: The Civil War 62 Keep Up Good Courage, E. Hill to Bruce Elmore 63 Two Brothers Fallen Hawkeye 64 The Death of Lieutenant Henry Ropes George Anson Bruce 65 Just Before the Battle, Mother Geo F. Root 66 Bruce Elmore Writes to His Wife, Libbie Elmore 67 Letter from Richmond G. H. White 68 Letter from South Carolina John Collins 69 Mary Livermore Tries to Raise Soldiers' Morale 70 The Evils of Youthful Enlistments and Nostalgia De Witt C. Peters 71 'Lincoln's Proclamation' 72 Retaliation in Camp