The American Whig Review, 1845-1852: Its History and Literary Contents

University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-1977 The American Whig Review, 1845-1852: Its History and Literary Contents Donald Frank Andrews University of Tennessee, Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Andrews, Donald Frank, "The American Whig Review, 1845-1852: Its History and Literary Contents. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1977. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4205 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Donald Frank Andrews entitled "The American Whig Review, 1845-1852: Its History and Literary Contents." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in English. Nathalia Wright, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Kenneth Curry, Michael Lofaro, Ralph W. Haskins Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Donald Frank Andrews entitled "The· .Ameritan· Whig Review, 1845-1852: Its History and Literary Contents." I reconunend that it be accepted in partial fu lfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in English. We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Accepted for the Council: Vice Chancellor Graduate Studies and Research -- THE AMERICAN WHIG REVIEW, 1845-1852: ITS HISTORY AND LITERARY CONTENTS A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Donald Frank Andrews August 1977 For Linda ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation could not have been completed without the patient guidance of my committee. I want to express my appreciation to the members of my committee- Professors Kenneth Curry, Michael Lofaro, and Ralph Haskins--and, especially, to my director, Professor Nathalia Wright, for reading the dissertation and helping me with wise counsel concerning it. I also want to acknowledge my debt to other English professors and fellow graduate students for their support during these past four years. My debt to my wife, Linda, is without measure. Her patience and support have made my years of graduate school possible. Her enthusiasm for my work and her faith in me ha ve made this dissertation a reality; thus, the dedication of this dissertation reflects my estimate of her contribution. Finally, I must thank my . son, Clint, for his patient forbearance while his daddy was in school. iii ABSTRACT Although the American magazine market was fairly glutted in late 1844, there was room for The American Review: A Whig Journal of Politics, Literature, Art and Science since it was the official organ of the Whig party as well as a literary review. In spite of the fact that most magazines of the period perished within one or two years, the American Whig Review (a more characteristic name adopted in 1850) served as the political journal of the conservative Whigs anq as a competent literary review during eight of America's critical growing years, 1845-1852 . During these years, the magazine underwent several changes of names, editors, publishers, and contributors; however, it was able to maintain a fairly consistent and respectable quality of literary contents. The achievement of the maga zine is emphasized by the fact that it maintained its quality without the aid of prominent literary editors and without continuing contributions from influential writers. The American Whig Review, therefore, reflects the spirit of the New York magazine industry from 1845-1852. In addition, the magazine reflects the history of the Whig party since it was born during a political contest and died in the aftermath of the Whigs' defeat in the election of 1852. This study deals specifically with the history of the American Whig Review and the literary criticism, imaginative prose, and iv V poetry contained within its sixteen volumes. On the whole, the critical articles devoted to .American literature in the magazine were sound assessments. Nearly all of the critics were discriminating and vigorous in their praise and condemnation of the major American writers and works of this productive period. Similarly, the general attention given to the major British writers of this period was representatively fair. Although some British writers were given insufficient coverage, in no ·· case was the criticism capricious or malicious simply be cause of nationality. The American Whig Review printed more than one hundred and fifty pieces of imaginative prose from 1845-1852. While the magazine had no continuing contributions from major prose writers, it did, nevertheless, print several outstand ing pieces by major writers and, primarily, by lesser-known or amateur writers from all sections of the country. Two tales by Edgar Allan Poe, several Western adventure narra tives by Charles Wilkins Webber, translations by Elizabeth Ellet, travel narratives by Donald Grant Mitchell, and occasional tales, essays, and sketches by unkno.wn authors form the core of a commendable body of imaginative prose. The poems in the magazine are, with a few notable exceptions, rightly called "very minor verse. " The magazine contains nearly three hundred poems of various types and authorships which range in quality from five contributions vi by Edgar Allan Poe, including "The Raven," to such a mun dane piece as the unsigned "Sonnets to Fill Blanks. Number Three. " Whatever the individual qualities may be, when taken as a whole, the poems demonstrate the position that poetry held in the minds and hearts of American writers and readers in the period of 1845-1852. Although the American Whig Review has no unique distinction in the history of American periodicals, it is still an interesting and stable literary journal that played an active role in the promotion of American litera ture through its publicati6n of imaginative contributions from- all levels of writers. It also aided the formation of American literary criticism through its usually per ceptive critical assessments of the major American and British writers and works during the time of an American literary Renaissance. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION. 1 II. THE AMERICAN WHIG REVIEW IN PERSPECTIVE . 8 Political Perspective of The Ameri'can· Whig Review. 8 Literary Perspective of The American Whig Review. 21 Sketch of The American Whig Review. 31 III. LITERARY CRITICISM ... 43 Criticism of American Writers and Works . 43 Criticism of British Writers and Works. 74 IV. IMAGINATIVE PROSE . 103 V. POETRY. 129 VI. CONCLUS ION. 144 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 146 VITA. • . 151 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION During the 1840's and 18SO's America was on the move. It was moving at an all-time record pace on all fronts. There were more Americans than ever before; the steadily increasing native population was sw·elled by the immigration of thousands of Europeans who were fleeing the surety of old poverty for the chance of new fortune. In addition, these people were literally moving--westward. Steady streams of people moved across the fertile lands of the Great Plains and farther on to the uncertain lands of California and the Pacific Northwest. Many of these people worked their way West on the riverboats of the Ohio and the Mississippi, or on the ever-increasing miles of railroad tracks that were laid each year. These people could not move fast enough or far enough until they reached the Pacific. The advancements in mechanical technology and industry that made it possible for people and information to move great distances quickly also prompted these people to leave the rapidly growing industrial cities of the Atlantic seaboard to search for a better place to settle. Southerners, searching for new lands to grow their cotton, also swarmed to the West. With the discovery of gold in California in 1848, the migration turned into a stampede. Everyone who could--including many 1 2 who should not--planned to go to California to find his own wealth. In addition to the physical movement of the people, the country was also teeming with political problems. It was the day of the conunon man. Andrew Jackson's two terms as president had raised political consciousness in all levels of society in all areas of the country. Americans were divided on matters of national politics, especially those that dealt with the Westward expansion. The Mexican War was an important topic during this period. The legality and morality of the war was debated in Congress and on the street corner, in New York and in Memphis, by Daniel Webster and by Kentucky farmers. It was a multi-faceted and hard to-handle problem. Similarly, the Oregon boundary contro versy with England was to some Americans sufficient cause for war ("Fifty-four-forty or fight!") , while to others Oregon was too remote to be concerned about and was without the promise of gold-fortunes. The question of the annexation of Texas was another topic of the period. Many Americans wanted the huge regiorr, yet others saw no need for the vast land of desert with its outlaws, Indians, and coyotes. In addition to the border disputes and annexation questions, another political controversy began to gain momentum during this period. The issue of slavery was largely focused upon the agricultural South, which was dependent upon slave labor for its economy.

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