V. BIBLIOGRAPHY. 1835-1855 1. Primary Sources Hammond, "Political Parties in the State of New York." (To 1842.) 66 A Gazetteer of the State of New York" (1840). Holley, "The New York State Register for 1843." Gordon, "Gazetteer of the State of New York” (1836). Croswell, “Debates and Proceedings in the Constitutional Convention of 1846." State Assembly and Senate Documents. Bonney, "Legacy of Historical Gleanings," Vol. II. Barber and Howe, "Historical Collections of the State of New York." (To 1845.) Jenkins, "Lives of the Governors of the State of New York." (To 1852.) Jenkins, "History of Political Parties in the State of New York." Crockett, "Life of Martin Van Buren." Holland, "Life of Martin Van Buren." Newspapers. Haswell, "Reminiscences of an Octogenarian." Watson, "Annals and Occurrences of New York City and State." (To 1846.) Hotchkin, "A History of the Purchase and Settlement of Western United States Census for 1830, 1840, and 1850. 2. Secondary Sources Lossing, "Empire State," pp. 387-510. Randall, "History of New York State." Brooks, "Story of New York," pp. 145-219. Wilson, "Memorial History of the City of New York," III., pp. 364-447. Lamb, "History of the City of New York,” II., pp. 727–768. Roosevelt, "New York," pp. 190-201. Stiles, "History of the City of Brooklyn." Ketchum, "History of Buffalo." 2 vols. Shepard, "Martin Van Buren." Murray, "The Antirent Episode in the State of New York." Historical Magazines. Local Histories. 3. Fiction Cooper, "Satanstoe." CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY 1836. Black River and Genesee canals authorized. 1837. Van Buren President. Chenango Canal completed. 66 1840. Seward refuses to give up colored fugitives. Imprisonment for debt abolished. 66 Trouble with Virginia. 1841. Common-school law amended. 1847. Free Academy established in New York City. 66 Mexican War ended. 1848. Appropriations for canals. 66 Fish Governor. 66 66 Fillmore Vice-President. New York and New Haven Railroad opened. 1849. Free-school law passed. 66 Slavery extension condemned. 1850. Asylum for idiots founded at Syracuse. 66 Fillmore President. 66 Hunt Governor. 1851. Free-school law modified. 1852. Seymour Governor. 1853. State Agricultural and Scientific College founded. Railroad laws passed. IV. CIVIL WAR AND POLITICS CHAPTER XLIII.-FALL OF THE WHIG PARTY The Presidential Campaign of 1848 in New York was based upon personal and factional feelings and also upon the questions of the annexation of Texas and the extension of slavery. Van Buren and Wright joined the Whigs in opposing the spread of slavery, while some of the conservative Whigs united with the Democrats in denouncing opposition to an institution upheld by public law. New York objected to the introduction of slavery into territory received from Mexico. The legislature upheld the Wilmot proviso almost unanimously, and all of the New York congressmen but one voted for it. Both "Hunkers" and "Barnburners " sent a set of delegates to the national Democratic convention at Baltimore, but neither set was allowed to vote. The choice of Cass and Butler angered the radicals of New York, so they held a state convention and nominated Van Buren (May 22). The Whigs nominated General Taylor and Millard Fillmore at Philadelphia (June 7). The dissatisfied Free-soil Whigs met at Buffalo and nominated Van Buren and Charles Francis Adams. The Liberty Party also convened at Buffalo (Jan.), and named Gerrit Smith for President. It denounced slayery as sinful and asked the national government to abolish it. Smith, a native of New York, was a wealthy business man, a reformer, philanthropist, and one of the first abolitionists. Later he gave freely to make Kansas a free state, and John Brown used his money. He played a prominent part in the Civil War, and, at its close, with Horace Greeley went bail for Jefferson Davis. New York's Second President.-Again New York's electoral vote decided the national election, but this time in favor of the Whig candidates. The death of President Taylor (July 9, 1850) gave Fillmore the office, and the Empire State had a second President. The division of the Democrats in the state allowed the Whigs to elect Hamilton Fish governor over John A. Dix. Fish was well educated, wealthy, of high social position, trusted for his prudence and good judgment, and an experienced statesman. After three years' service as governor he was made United States senator, and ended his official career as Secretary of State under Grant (1869-1877). The Liberty Party urged the election of William Goodell as governor. Fugitive-slave Law.-Fillmore's term was full of exciting events. The compromise of 1850 settled for a time the question of free and slave territory. The Fugitive-slave Law was enforced and threats of secession subsided. New York City was made the headquarters for agents of futile filibustering expeditions against Cuba. Soon the struggle over Kansas and Nebraska was to appear, and with it the forerunners of civil war. The first arrest under the Fugitive-slave Law took place in New York City (1850). James Hamlet, a slave from Baltimore, was torn away from his family and returned |