United States History - 19th Century - General & Miscellaneous, Executive Branch, United States History - General & Miscellaneous, U.S. - Political Biography, U.S. Politics - History, United States History - 18th Century - General & Miscellaneous, U.S. El

America Afire

Name: America Afire
Author: Bernard A. Weisberger
ISBN: 9780380977635

by Weisberger, Bernard

Write a review

Overview

"Bernard Weisberger has once again brought the past to life. If you want to experience the crossfire of intellectual and political ferment at the dawn of our Republic, open these pages and start ducking."
—Bill Moyers

America Afire is the powerful story of the election of 1800, arguably the most important election in America's history and certainly one of the most hotly disputed. American self-government was still an endangered experiment seventeen years after the War of Independence had been won. As 1800 dawned, the sacrifices and fraternity of "the spirit of '76" had vanished, replaced by bitter and angry rivalries. Former allies Adams and Jefferson, president and vice president, now Federalist versus Republican, squared off in a vicious contest to win the fourth presidential election under the Constitution.

The Constitution was still new and untried. The young republic lacked a cohesive national identity, the strength to confront aggressive foreign powers in a world racked by war and revolution, and a stable system for working out political differences electorally. Political parties were new, unforeseen, and unwelcome creations. Small wonder that no one was prepared for the partisan warfare that threatened to rage out of control. Or for the broken friendships, scandals, riots, slanders, beatings, and jailings — elements of a crucial and perilous election that sparked a constitutional crisis and threats of civil war.

Ultimately, the surprise is not that problems arose, but that the United States emerged from them a stronger nation. For when Adams stepped down from the presidency peacefully in 1801, it was the first time in modern history that a leader had voluntarily turned over power to his political enemy. This was truly a revolution and a triumph for democracy "made in America."

Scrupulously researched and eminently readable, America Afire tells the tale of a watershed event in American history and lends a valuable new perspective on the early years of the United States, as well as the genesis and nature of our political system.

About the Author, Bernard A. Weisberger

Bernard A. Weisberger is a distinguished teacher and author of American history. He has been on the faculties of the University of Chicago and the University of Rochester, is a contributing editor of American Heritage for which he wrote a regular column for ten years, has worked on television documentaries with Bill Moyers and Ken Burns, and has published some dozen and a half books as well as numerous articles and reviews. He lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

From Barnes & Noble

Bookseller's Report
One imagines Harry S. Truman and Richard Nixon enjoying this robust book. Both of these avid readers of presidential history would have appreciated its vivid portrayals of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams in the throes of the savage election fight that destroyed their friendship. American Heritage columnist Weisberger presents the 1800 presidential election as it unfolds degenerating from an civilized exchange of position papers into a war of slanderous words. Rich in detail, American Afire tells a cautionary tale: If such great men can descend to such actions, what will we do?

From The Critics

The election of 1800, which established the party system, marked the first time that candidates—in this case, sitting president John Adams, the Federalist, and challenger Thomas Jefferson, the Republican—represented two distinctly different viewpoints. The Federalists, who were considered more conservative, stood for strong government and "social order" while the Republicans favored less government and claimed to be dedicated to the people. This book is as much a detailed recounting of the early Republic's history as it is about the election of 1800. Focusing on the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Washington administration and Adams' term as president, the author highlights many definitive moments in American history. Ultimately, according to Weisberger, the election of 1800 was pivotal because it was the first time that the nation had experienced a smooth and peaceful transition from one party to another. One comes away from the book with an enhanced appreciation for the American democratic experiment and the genius of the founding fathers.
—Glenn Speer

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Being released in time to mark the 200th anniversary of the election of 1800 won't be much of a selling point for this disappointing volume. It relates what Weisberger describes as one of the most mud slinging and divisive elections in American history: Jefferson versus Adams, two old friends pitted against each other for the highest office in the land. However, that dramatic claim is not borne out by Weisberger's account, most of which is devoted to the 13 years leading up to the election. The thread of Weisberger's narrative is the emergence of divisive factionalism--from which the framers of the Constitution believed, mistakenly, they had adequately protected the new nation. But in his attempt to follow this thread through the early years of American history, Weisberger, a columnist for American Heritage, tells readers little they didn't learn from their high school history textbooks. He begins with the Constitutional Convention of 1787, rehashing familiar details of the debates (big states threatened the small states, and the North tangled with the South over slavery). Offering a snapshot of America at 1790, Weisberger reveals little more than that the nation was "already an empire"--that is, it was geographically huge, and home to an increasingly diverse mix of religious groups, from French Huguenots to Jews to Moravians to Congregationalists and Episcopalians. Weisberger relates Aaron Burr's launching of a "well-oiled" political machine in New York and suggests that sectional discord reared its ugly head as early as the 1790s, yet never does his story really come alive. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

The election of 1800 was revolutionary because it allowed for the first peaceful transfer of power under our Constitution, argues Weisberger, the author of ten books and longtime columnist for American Heritage. This exchange of power, from the Federalist to Republican party, was atypical for the dominant European powers of the time. Included here are skillful accounts of the fragile diplomatic efforts to prevent Great Britain, France, and Spain from carving up the new country and lucid narratives about the differences between New England and the South, whose interests were represented respectively by the Federalists and the Republicans (not to be confused with the later party of Lincoln). In the national election, Republican Jefferson defeated Federalist Adams but was tied by fellow Republican Aaron Burr, since the Constitution did not yet provide for separate votes for President and Vice President. A split in the Federalist Party between Adams and Alexander Hamilton, whom Adams attacked as "the most indefatigable and unprincipled intriguer in the United States," aided Jefferson. When the election was thrown into the House of Representatives, it took 36 ballots before Jefferson was finally declared the winner. This classic political drama celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. Weisberger's able retelling is recommended for public and academic libraries and young adult collections.--Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Booknews

Tells the story of the election of 1800, when former allies Adams and Jefferson, president and vice president, now Federalist versus Republican, squared off in a vicious contest to win the fourth presidential election under the Constitution. The election took place in a young republic that lacked a cohesive national identity, where political parties were unforeseen and unwelcome creations. When Adams stepped down from the presidency peacefully in 1801, it was the first time in modern history that a leader had voluntarily turned over power to a political enemy. Weisberger has written more than a dozen books. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)