65 pages • 2 hours read
Daniel Walker HoweWhat Hath God Wrought
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Key Figures
Daniel Walker Howe
Daniel Walker Howe is a historian specializing in early American history, with a focus on the antebellum era. His notable contribution to historical scholarship includes What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848, awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History. This work is part of the Oxford History of the United States series. Howe’s academic background, including his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his tenure as a professor at institutions such as UCLA and Oxford University, equips him with a credentialed understanding of the period.
Howe’s approach to writing What Hath God Wrought reflects a commitment to detailing the multifaceted developments of the era. Through an examination of events and figures, both prominent and lesser-known, he constructs a narrative that highlights the interconnectedness of societal changes. This methodological approach allows for a critical analysis that contributes to a broader understanding of the period’s significance in shaping modern America. The themes Howe explores, including technological advancement, political reform, and the implications of expansionist policies, are presented in a manner that emphasizes their impact on the American social fabric.
In What Hath God Wrought, Howe’s objective is to chronicle historical events and to interrogate their implications for American identity and development. By situating individual stories within larger social and political contexts, he elucidates the complexities of the antebellum United States. His work considers the legacy of this era, including both its achievements and its contradictions, particularly regarding issues of racial injustice and the moral dilemmas posed by expansionism.
Howe’s work is distinguished by its expansive scope, covering technological innovations, political developments, and the evolution of social and cultural dynamics that have significantly influenced the shaping of modern America. Howe employs an analytical methodology, weaving together political, social, and cultural threads to offer a nuanced perspective on the era. This approach not only delves into the consequences and underpinnings of historical events but also illustrates the complex interplay between different forces shaping the country.
Additionally, Howe underpins his research with a diverse array of sources, ranging from official documents and personal letters to contemporary newspapers and literary works. This diverse source material allows Howe to construct a multi-faceted narrative, bringing to light the experiences and voices of a broad spectrum of individuals. By integrating both primary and secondary sources, he seeks to offer a narrative that is both researched and engaging, providing a comprehensive understanding of the period.
Daniel Walker Howe’s role as the author of What Hath God Wrought is central to the book’s dynamics. His scholarly rigor and analytical depth enable a comprehensive examination of a transformative period in American history. The narrative structure he employs offers insights into the era’s influence on the trajectory of the United States, making a significant contribution to the field of American historical scholarship.
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel F. B. Morse emerges as a seminal figure in Daniel Walker Howe’s narrative, embodying the zenith of American ingenuity and the shift towards a connected nation during the antebellum period. As an inventor and painter, Morse’s transition from the arts to science epitomizes the era’s spirit of innovation and interdisciplinary exploration. His invention of the telegraph and the development of Morse code, culminating in the 1844 transmission of the message “WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT” from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, mark a watershed in communication technology. This breakthrough significantly diminished the temporal constraints on information dissemination, revolutionizing news reporting, commerce, and personal communication across distances previously insurmountable.
Morse’s impact on the dynamics of the era extends beyond technology; it encapsulates the broader themes of progress and connectivity that Howe explores throughout What Hath God Wrought. The telegraph redefined the parameters of human interaction, facilitating the expansion of markets and enabling more immediate governance and military coordination. It also played a crucial role in the acceleration of the pace of life and the conception of a national identity that was more cohesive yet complex. Howe adeptly situates Morse within this transformative landscape, highlighting how his contributions mirrored the societal shifts towards an interconnected America, laying the groundwork for the modern information age.
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, occupies a central role in the book as a figure emblematic of the era’s tumultuous political landscape and the paradoxes of American democracy. Jackson’s presidency, marked by its populist ethos and aggressive policies, such as the Indian Removal Act, illustrates the period’s blend of democratic expansion and ethical conflicts. His staunch defense of the Union against nullification, coupled with his advocacy for the “common man,” showcases the evolving nature of American political engagement and the shifting locus of power towards a more inclusive electorate.
However, Jackson’s tenure also highlights the contentious issues of the era, particularly the treatment of Indigenous tribes and the extension of slavery. His policies and actions regarding the displacement of Indigenous peoples and his support of slavery underscore the complex legacy of his leadership, juxtaposed against the backdrop of American ideals of liberty and justice. Howe navigates the multifaceted dimensions of Jackson’s influence with depth, portraying him as a figure who significantly shaped the American political and social fabric, for better or worse. Through Jackson’s narrative, Howe elucidates the ongoing struggle to reconcile the ideals of American democracy with the realities of inequality and dispossession, offering a critical lens through which to view the era’s advancements and contradictions.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton stands as an important figure in What Hath God Wrought, representing the burgeoning women’s rights movement and the broader quest for social reform that characterized the period. Stanton’s intellectual prowess, advocacy, and leadership in organizing the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 were instrumental in galvanizing the movement for women’s suffrage and equality. Her role in drafting the Declaration of Sentiments, which demanded equal rights for women and challenged the legal and societal constraints of the time, marks a seminal moment in the history of American civil rights.
Howe presents Stanton not merely as a reformer but as a revolutionary thinker who dared to question and redefine the gender norms of her day. Her efforts, in collaboration with figures like Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony, laid the foundation for a sustained campaign that would eventually lead to significant legal and social advancements for women. Howe’s portrayal of Stanton and the women’s rights movement within the broader context of antebellum reform movements underscores the interconnectedness of the era’s push for democracy and equality. Through Stanton’s story, Howe explores the evolving notions of citizenship, rights, and identity in America, illustrating the dynamic and often contentious process of expanding the nation’s democratic ideals to include all its inhabitants.
