As My Father’s Child Has: The Political Culture of the Ohio Valley in the Nineteenth Century

As My Father' s Child Has": The Political Culture of the Ohio Valley in the Nineteenth Century Nic(, le Etches( in In IRI6, Thomas Lincoln moved his wife : ind two children across the Ohic, River from Kentucky into Indi: ina. Linci,] n followed the path of many other settlers. 19(, rn in Virginia during the Revolution, his family had moved to Kentucky when he was five. There Indians killed his father. With only 1 minimum of education, but able to sign his own naing Thomas worked : B n hired laborer, a skilled carpeliter, : ind eventiially bolight his (, wn farm. That purchase garnered him political rights as well as prlitical cihi,re w. is open to bc,th the liativeh ved his family to Pike Cc, unty, Illinois. Such : 1 move did not bring equality. Illinois fiec blacks, like free blacks in many ncirthern states, c() uld ncit vote, serve as jurors or as witnesses against Il white, serve iii tlic niilitia, In or Gustav Koerner, but it was not : is coercive as slavery. Frank prcived adept at exploiting tiny oppi,i·tunity and he ic, und ( ine iii the 1: iws 011 est,lblishing towns: Illinois did not prohibit Afric: in Americans fr( 3111 founding tc) wns. Frank, wlio " never hesitated tc)take advantage of state and federal laws, especially when the pi, ssibility existed that additional money could be earned to buy his family fri,m slavery," platted a town in Pike County. But town founding did 11(, t endow Ficitik with 1]le lobbying p(, wer tc) s:i dev(, ted mother, ccincerned with the education cif her children. But her talents C(, Uld ( inly find i) utlet through the career (, f others, her father: ind lii,slAnd, mid hei· Bditjcal MALence declined with her scandalous ( liv(irce. Like many other woliten of her time, Kate Chase Sprague found herself destitute without a male hreadwinner because there were few occupations wc, men, especially women c,1 her class, cciuld profitably pursue. Ellen Cart,11) ul; ois has documented why the demand for full politic: 11 rights was tix) radical fc,r 111: iny ninetectithcelitury men ind wc,meri t{) Accept. But there is i gr(, winst anticipated events of Washingtcm society. Ahrah: im Lincoln had ccime far fr nimittijty: Migratjim tind l' Olltice 111 Antebellum () lim 1(] ambridge, Enx.,198,81. 2 Warren, 1.in,·, 3111 ' s Ycilith, 1 2-14, 1 5859 , INVgo , 206, 8486 . 3 1(} lin 1). 11:irnhart, Valley id Democnic,·: The F Trin [ i (, 1 VClIN lic ]> lililitituni ill the ()] lil)L r. Like his tither, Abraham Linci,In flarboated down the Mississippi as a comincm riverman, an experience sh: ired : ind boasted (, f by other politicians such iis Alidrew ]: ickstin and Henry Clay. Warren, Lim·Valley tch: irel Ilill, 19981, 1 17-50. Ftir t,Ider studies of the frontier period, see Thc, mas D. Clark, The Ranipilging Frcintier:Mannei and Humor, il Pit, neer 1), i\'* in rhe Sritith ailil Mid, Ne West ( Indianapt) lis, 19391;Evercll [) ick, t' lie lain FI, 11:· C, t, itithintxc aiil Slcite/ JI)! lic' in the l1111) 21 Sozith. INf 01860 ( Kmixville, 19751 discusses upland southern political culture. For superb ccimmunity studies, see John Mack Faragher, Stigar Creek· Life 3 the /// i,] uii /' rairie ( New Haven, 1 986, 1 aind [)( in 11:irribtin 1) tiyle, The Socitil Oider of a AMHM ( {) 1711111111\'icks , invilic. Ilhnois, / 82 i- TR70 1Url,; ina, i 9781. Studic5 (, t the Midwest in the Civil War have frequently mited the regional h,) si ry (> flhe (; r) 1} 1111[! flix Se{ ticmeit[ (, f thi· (/ Ii,{ cd States ( New Ycirk. 1 961 1 ; ind M. ildwyii Allen jones, Amenum tnlinigniti,) 11 ICilica,$ 148,sec Carl Wittkc, Refugees·cif ARAMAH:T] c Amno) Fc, rtvEighter , 113 Ainericia 11' hiladelph[: i, 1952) And A. E. Zucker, iii.,Thi' /·' firtv-/' ighk·r. /' c,/ itical R f 1/ Je C: crintu} Revi,hilic, 11 iii-IA'*/ S INew Y,} rk, 19501. () 11 the Irish. see Lnwrence J. Mc(: Affrey, 7' exf[In'* rif M, h Anknt·o 1SyraCLise, 1902);Joseph P. ()' Grady, How the 1041 1{ ccime Americanx INew York, 19711; Willi, lin V. Shanmin, The American...