Wednesday, October 24, 2007

1834 to 1836

Literature
The Last Days of Pompeii. Edward Bulwer-Lytton. British. 1834. Novel. Eruption of Vesuvius allows young Greek lovers to escape to happiness.

Society
1835. A new Seminole War against the whites in Florida Territory begins following the arrest and imprisonment of Osceola.

1835. Democracy in America by French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville notes that "all classes meet continually and no haughtiness at all results from the differences in social position." However, he also warns that the tyranny of the majority is a hazard to democracy.

1835. New York loses 674 buildings Dec. 16 in a $15 million fire that rages out of control.

Literature
The Yemassee. Wm. Gilmore Simms. American. 1835. Novel. Conflict between South Carolina Yemassee Indians and British in 1715. Son betrays tribe and is killed by his mother. Helplessness of Indians as they lose their lands to advancing white civilization.

Taras Bulba. Nikolay Golgol. Russian. 1835. Novel. Seventeenth-century wars between Poles and Cossacks in the Ukraine Russian son falls in love with a Pole and deserts; killed by father. Other son and the father are killed by the Poles.

Don Alvaro o la fuerta del sino. Angel Saavedra Rivas. Spanish. 1835. Play. Alvaro accidentally kills father of girl he loves and her two brothers. Before he dies, one brother kills the girl. Alvaro commits suicide.

"Berenice." Edgar Allan Poe. American. 1835. Story. Love for epileptic cousin. Has her teeth drawn when she is presumed dead. She comes to life.

Danton's Death. Georg Buchner. German. 1835. Play. Starkly realistic. Tired, apathetic in beginning; idealistic commitment when he defies Robespierre.

"Young Goodman Brown." Nathaniel Hawthorne. American. 1835. Story. Young Puritan discovers that all his respected townsmen, even his wife, are in league with Satan.

Kalevala. Elias Lonnrott (compiler). Finnish. 1835/49. Epic Tradition. Finnish national epic. Origin of the world. Adventures of three sons of Kaleva.

Society
1836. The Alamo at San Antonio falls March 6 to a 4,000-man army commanded by Gen. Santa Anna after an 11-day siege. James Bowie and Davy Crockett are among those killed.

1836. "Remember the Alamo" is the battle cry of U.S. Army Col. Sidney Sherman as he helps former Tennessee governor Sam Houston defeat Santa Anna at the b=Battle of San Jacinto.

1836. A new Republic of Texas claims all land between the Rio Grand and Neuces Rivers. Sam Houston is sworn in as president.

1836. Vice-President Martin Van Buren is elected to the presidency with support from outgoing President Jackson.

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