1830 to 1831

Literature

Little Tragedies. Aleksandr Pushkin. Russian. 1830. Poetic Drama. Four plays. "Essays of dramatic investigation": characters in four varied situations. Covetous knight : effects of avarice. Feast during the plague: evil effects on human behavior of imminent death. Mozart, Salieri: depicts Salieri's jealousy of Mozart's artistic genius, legendary poisoning. Stone guest: retelling of the Do Juan legend.

Wild Ass's Skin. Honore de Balzac. French. 1830. Novel. Magic skin grants wishes but it and the owner's life grow shorter with each wish.

The Red and the Black. Stendahl. French. 1830. Novel. Plot is romantic. Portrait of hero's inner state is realistic.

Tales of Belkin. Aleksandr Pushkin. Russian. 1830. Stories. Stationmaster is one of the first characters in Russian literature who is not a member of the nobility.

"Old Ironsides." Oliver Wendell Holmes. American. 1830. Poetry. Written when Holmes read of the Navy's plans to scrap the old frigate.

Society

1831. The French Foreign Legion created March 9 serves largely in North Africa, the Middle East and Indo-China. The Legion will attract renegades and fugitives from justice for more than 160 years.

1831. Irish Catholics resort to violence in an armed protest against enforcement of tithes to support the established Episcopal Church.

1831. The Supreme Court rules that an Indian tribe may not sue in federal courts since the tribes are not foreign nations.

1831. Nat turner's rebellion brings panic to the South as whites learn that the Virginia slave has murdered his master and all his master's family in their sleep the night of August 21.

1831. A new London Bridge opens across the Thames to replace the 10th-century structure now being demolished.

1831. English naturalist Charles Darwin embarks on a voyage to South America and the Galapagos Islands aboard the HMS Beagle.

1831. Telegraphy is pioneered by Joseph Henry who sees that an electromagnet can be used to send messages over great distances by wiring the magnet to a switch, turning it on and off to attract and release a piece of iron, and thus producing a pattern of clicks. He does not patent the device or put it to any practical use.

1831. The Barbizon school of French painters holds its first exhibition at Paris. Their rural scenes are based on direct observation of nature.

1831. The McCormick reaper that enables one man to do the work of five is demonstrated by Virginia farmer Cyrus Hall McCormick.

Literature

Eugene Onegin. Aleksandr Pushkin. Russian. 1831. Verse Drama. Byronic hero. Bored. In duel kills friend. Hollow, artificial. Ironic narrator. Not interested in woman when she is interested in him. When he is interested in her, she will have none of him.

"The City in the Sea." Edgar Allan Poe. American. 1831. Poetry. Grim landscape. Description of shrine. Melodic.