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“Harrison and Prosperity or Van Buren and Ruin”

Michael F. Holt

in The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War

The Whig party's choice of General William Henry Harrison instead of Henry Clay at Harrisburg has made them seem particularly opportunistic. Whigs, indeed, nominated military heroes rather than ... More

The Whig party's choice of General William Henry Harrison instead of Henry Clay at Harrisburg has made them seem particularly opportunistic. Whigs, indeed, nominated military heroes rather than civilian leaders in four of the five presidential campaigns they contested, including the only two times they won. That record has led to the illusion that the Whig party was a natural loser, triumphing only when it evaded issues and clung to the coattails of figurehead leaders who had popularity beyond the boundaries of the Whigs' normal voting constituency. The Whig victory in 1840 is, accordingly, usually attributed to the legendary “Log Cabin-Hard Cider” campaign the party ran on Harrison's behalf. In December 1839, most Whigs could not foresee what would happen to the economy and to Whig fortunes in 1840. The inverse relation between economic conditions and the Whigs' political fortunes played a major role in both Harrison's nomination and his subsequent election.Less

At Home, 1800–1840

in The Sangamo Frontier: History and Archaeology in the Shadow of Lincoln

Much of the architecture of the frontier was fleeting, temporary, or poorly built. As the Americans pushed out into the uplands north of the old French villages, most of the buildings they built ... More

Much of the architecture of the frontier was fleeting, temporary, or poorly built. As the Americans pushed out into the uplands north of the old French villages, most of the buildings they built first were of horizontal log construction—log cabins. Most log houses built in central Illinois during the 1820s and 1830s were regarded as temporary by their builders. If a family found themselves in an area that did not suit them, then a log house was a practical, minimal investment. If a family decided to remain in a community as it passed through its initial era of settlement and began to stabilize, the cabin was usually replaced by a frame house. In Illinois, a lot of log cabins were replaced during the 1830s and 1840s. In some cases, the family would simply build a new house right in front of the old one, using the old cabin for a kitchen or for storage until it finally fell down. In other cases, the log house was enlarged by successive frame additions, tripling or quadrupling the size of the house, and completely obscuring all evidence of its log core.Less

Benjamin Hubert and the Association for the Advancement of Negro Country Life

Mark Schultz

in Beyond Forty Acres and a Mule: African American Landowning Families since Reconstruction

Mark Schultz delves into the life of Benjamin F. Hubert, a rural reformer in Georgia who tried to stem the flood away from farming by establishing a viable independent black town, the Log Cabin ... More

Mark Schultz delves into the life of Benjamin F. Hubert, a rural reformer in Georgia who tried to stem the flood away from farming by establishing a viable independent black town, the Log Cabin Community. He allied with other African American agrarian reformers who urged blacks to separate themselves from white society and return to the land to live an independent life sheltered from white supremacy and unequal citizenship. Hubert's strategy based in cooperative farming, scientific agriculture, and industrial education transformed tenants into landowners, sustained rural communities, and allowed farmers to provide for their children. He founded the Association for the Advancement of Negro Country Life in 1928 and used his position as president of the black land-grant college in Georgia to promote his utopian ideal. Children raised on farms owned by their parents tended to get a better education than sharecroppers' children. The owners' children developed self-reliant habits of mind and a sense of optimism that they could succeed despite the barriers thrown up by white supremacy. Many of these children found their way into the northern urban middle class. In doing so, they demonstrated that farm owning offered both immediate security and a path out of poverty.Less

“The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane”: Fiddlin’ John Carson Okeh 4890

Tony Russell

in Rural Rhythm: The Story of Old-Time Country Music in 78 Records

This chapter discusses Fiddlin’ John Carson, “Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane,” old-time music, Okeh Records, location recording, Ralph S. Peer

Out of Range

Rane Willerslev

in On the Run in Siberia

In this chapter, the author describes his travel to a remote log cabin near the Omulevka River, close to the Kolyma mountain range, about 100 miles south of the Siberian village of Nelemnoye. There, ... More

In this chapter, the author describes his travel to a remote log cabin near the Omulevka River, close to the Kolyma mountain range, about 100 miles south of the Siberian village of Nelemnoye. There, the author was trying to elude possible arrest by the police in Zyryanka for alleged illegal trade and poaching. With help from friends such as Ivan Danilov and Yura and Slava Sinitskiy, he rode on a snowmobile with a heavily packed sled on the way to the cabin. It is a wretched, neglected log cabin. Among the Yukaghirs who lived in the area, the bear is regarded as a powerful shaman who functions as an intermediary between the spirit of the forest and the prey animals, just like the indigenous peoples’ own shamans. The bear’s special, elevated status among the Yukaghirs, as among many other northern hunting peoples, probably has less to do with its size and strength than with its special, anthropomorphic qualities. The author talks about his “bear paranoia” and the Yukaghirs’ bear-hunting ritual.Less