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Maine’S Public Reserved Lands: A Tale Of Loss And Recovery, Richard Barringer, Lee Schepps, Thomas Urquhart, Martin Wilk Jan 2020

Maine’S Public Reserved Lands: A Tale Of Loss And Recovery, Richard Barringer, Lee Schepps, Thomas Urquhart, Martin Wilk

Maine Policy Review

The story of Maine’s public reserved lands—or public lots—is worth the telling for its own sake and for its enduring lessons. Provided for in the Maine Constitution of 1820 and neglected for more than a century, the public lots were once scattered widely across the Unorganized Territory of northern, western, and eastern Maine. Today, they are restored to public use and benefit, reassembled into large blocks of land that, in aggregate, are more than twice the size of Baxter State Park. These consolidated public lots offer a wide spectrum of extraordinary values, include many of the crown jewels of Maine’s …


Republican Ascendancy: The Gubernatorial Career Of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain And Its Consequences, 1866-1881, Michael Bailey Jan 2016

Republican Ascendancy: The Gubernatorial Career Of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain And Its Consequences, 1866-1881, Michael Bailey

Maine History

Joshua Chamberlain is a revered hero of the Civil War, an icon for both scholars and the broader public. His life after the Civil War, however, remains largely unexplored. This article uses Chamberlain’s addresses, legislative records, and other primary sources to explore his four-year career as governor of Maine. Reflecting an interesting national parallel, this article reveals Chamberlain’s rise, his policies, and the consequences of those policies. Having risen to political prominence with the Republican Party thanks to the popularity of the Civil War, Chamberlain and his party enacted a number of policies designed to promote industrialization and economic growth …


The American Dream, Equal Opportunity, And Obtaining The Vote, Benjamin Wyman Feb 2015

The American Dream, Equal Opportunity, And Obtaining The Vote, Benjamin Wyman

The Cohen Journal

The United States was founded on the principles of inalienable and natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Out of those ideals arose the ideas of an American Creed and American Dream, which have provided aspirations for millions of Americans to pursue their dreams, and, with hard work, the chance to improve their situation in life. The fundamental values of the new American Creed became “liberty, equality, individualism, populism, laissez-faire, and the rule of law under a constitution” (Jillson 2004, 4) while the idea of an American Dream which was first instilled upon the citizens of the …


Contested Memory: John Badger Bachelder, The Maine Gettysburg Commission, And Hallowed Ground, Crompton Burton Jan 2014

Contested Memory: John Badger Bachelder, The Maine Gettysburg Commission, And Hallowed Ground, Crompton Burton

Maine History

In the grim aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, John Badger Bachelder, a young artist from New Hampshire, arrived on the field with a master plan to become the preeminent historian of the battle. However, Bachelder quickly learned he could not monopolize the memorializing of those who gave all for the Union. For the next thirty-one years, his vision for remembrance would, by necessity, become a shared one with veterans who were emotionally invested in the preservation of the hallowed ground. The consequence of this collaboration was a uniquely American approach to commemoration in which individual states formed commissions to …


“We Respect The Flag But….”: Opposition To The Civil War In Down East Maine, Timothy F. Garrity Jan 2014

“We Respect The Flag But….”: Opposition To The Civil War In Down East Maine, Timothy F. Garrity

Maine History

Although Maine is commonly remembered as one of the states most supportive of the Union during the Civil War, many of its citizens were implacably opposed to the conflict, and they voiced their opposition loudly and persistently from the war’s beginning until its end. Others weighed in on the topic more quietly but just as forcefully when they refused to enlist and evaded conscription by any effective means. While many studies have explored the history of Copperheadism and associated the political movement with populations that were urban, immigrant, and Catholic, there has been almost no prior investigation of Down East …


The Transformative Power Of Work: The Early Life Of Senator Margaret Chase Smith, Jeannette W. Cockroft Jul 2013

The Transformative Power Of Work: The Early Life Of Senator Margaret Chase Smith, Jeannette W. Cockroft

Maine History

Contrary to the conventional narrative of Margaret Chase Smith’s life, her public career did not begin with her 1930 marriage to politician Clyde H. Smith. By the time of that marriage, she was already an experienced political leader and an accomplished professional. Her transformation from an uneducated, working-class girl to an ambitious, upwardly mobile, middle-class woman was the result of her employment at the local newspaper, the Somerset County Independent-Reporter, and her subsequent involvement in the Business and Professional Women’s Club. The author received her Ph.D. in history from Texas A&M University and is an associate professor of history …


“Maine And Her Soil, Or Blood!”: Political Rhetoric And Spatial Identity During The Aroostook War In Maine, Michael T. Perry Jan 2013

“Maine And Her Soil, Or Blood!”: Political Rhetoric And Spatial Identity During The Aroostook War In Maine, Michael T. Perry

Maine History

The Aroostook War was a two-month standoff during the winter of 1839 between Maine and New Brunswick. Overlapping boundary claims had created a disputed territory rich in timber but lacking organization. Troops were mobilized, but war was averted when national leaders in Washington and London recoiled at the prospect of a third war between the two nations. The “war” has been dismissed by contemporary observers and historians alike because of the lack of shots fired. What has largely been overlooked, however, is the large body of political rhetoric churned out by Maine’s Democrats and Whigs during the dispute. In examining …


The Margaret Chase Smith Library: A Unique Collection Fostered By A History Of Collaboration, David Richards Jan 2013

The Margaret Chase Smith Library: A Unique Collection Fostered By A History Of Collaboration, David Richards

Maine Policy Review

Maine is a small state with a long history of scarce resources, of “making do,” and of “helping your neighbor.” The state’s libraries are a prime example what can be achieved to maximize resources through partnerships and collaboration. David Richards discusses the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan, Maine, which he terms “a unique collection fostered by a history of collaboration.” Richards describes the vital role collaborations with multiple kinds of partners have played in helping the library fulfill its four functions: archives, museum, education, and public policy.


William King, First Governor Of Maine: His Known Portraits And Their Stories, Deanna Bonner-Ganter Jun 2008

William King, First Governor Of Maine: His Known Portraits And Their Stories, Deanna Bonner-Ganter

Maine History

This article studies the known studio portraits of William King (1768-1852), first governor of Maine, finding that the leader’s personal life and professional travels led to sittings with such noted master painters as Gilbert Stuart, Edward Greene Malbone, and Chester Harding. These living portraits reflect period styles, while later likenesses require a broad understanding of formal state portraiture and its historical elements. One portrait, having resurfaced recently, was found to have hung in the Hall of Flags in the State Capitol for almost thirty years; others required considerable research to determine their provenance. The Honorable James G. Blaine played an …


Governors Of Maine With Oxford County Ties, Stanley R. Howe Oct 2005

Governors Of Maine With Oxford County Ties, Stanley R. Howe

Maine History

Seven of Maine's seventy-two governors or acting governors were either born in what is today Oxford County or served from that county which was incorporated on March 4, 1805, two hundred years ago this year. Five of these seven left a legacy as chief executives of the state. Hannibal Hamlin, who served briefly as governor, made important contributions by holding other offices, and Sebastian Streeter Marble ably filled out his predecessor’s term, but is nearly forgotten today: Below they are described in the order of their service. Dr. Howe received his Ph.D. from the University of Maine in 1977. He …


Thomas Brackett Reed, Civil Rights, And The Fight For Fair Elections, Wendy Hazard Aug 2004

Thomas Brackett Reed, Civil Rights, And The Fight For Fair Elections, Wendy Hazard

Maine History

Few causes in American history have proved more enduring than the effort to ensure all citizens the right to vote. From the enfranchising of African-Americans after the Civil War to the granting of women’s suffrage and the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the country has struggled to live up to its image as the guardian of the ideal that every citizen has a guaranteed right to vote. The prolonged presidential election of 2000 and the vote-counting debacle in Florida once again focused national attention on the issue of enfranchisement. Democrats argued that the Florida election, whether by …


Trade And Border Security As Political Issues In Canada, Howard Cody Jan 2003

Trade And Border Security As Political Issues In Canada, Howard Cody

Maine Policy Review

On February 5, 2003 the Maine International Trade Center and University of Maine Canadian American Center co-sponsored a day-long forum on the challenges and opportunities of free trade between Canada and the United States. In this article, edited from his presentation at this forum, Howard Cody begins with passage of the Free Trade Agreement and brings readers up to the present day, where trade and border security concerns have become inextricably combined. Cody argues that Canadians will not persuade Americans to distinguish between the two concerns and, consequently, that Canadians will eventually accept some sacrifice in national sovereignty in order …


Margaret Chase Smith Essay: High School Student Essay Winners, Emily Parker, Rachel Culley, Miles Kirby Jan 2003

Margaret Chase Smith Essay: High School Student Essay Winners, Emily Parker, Rachel Culley, Miles Kirby

Maine Policy Review

Maine has benefited from the public service of many well-respected and influential national leaders over the last two centuries. One of them, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, offered her reflections on leadership at a time when the United States faced a struggle for civil rights at home and the tensions of the Cold War abroad. With the country currently confronting challenges such as the threat of terrorism, ongoing tensions in the Middle East, and the taint of corporate scandals, the Margaret Chase Smith Library annual essay contest invited Maine high school seniors to reflect on the qualities leaders will need to …


The Perils Of Voice And The Desire For Stealth Democracy, Elizabeth Theiss-Morse Jan 2002

The Perils Of Voice And The Desire For Stealth Democracy, Elizabeth Theiss-Morse

Maine Policy Review

This article is an address given at the May 2002 Maine Town Meeting sponsored by the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan. Elizabeth Theiss-Morse takes issue with each of the alleged beneficial effects of increased participation and deliberation in politics. She presents evidence from her own research with colleague John Hibbing that suggests a more participatory democracy does not necessarily result in better decisions, a better political system or better people. Rather, most Americans would prefer not to have to participate in politics at all. Theiss-Morse explains where this view comes from and, in the end, argues for a civic …


The Project Of Democracy, Alexander Keyssar Jan 2002

The Project Of Democracy, Alexander Keyssar

Maine Policy Review

This article is an address given at the May 2002 Maine Town Meeting sponsored by the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan. Alexander Keyssar chronicles the advances and contractions of democratic political rights in American history. While on balance, this is a story of progress, it is not, Keyssar argues, unilinear, nor one that is completed. Although arguably late for the world’s “greatest democracy,” by the 1970s the United States had achieved universal suffrage. Today, however, the tug between democratic and anti-democratic forces continues. The contest is no longer over voting rights but over the procedures and rules governing elections …


Principle And Expediency: The Ku Klux Klan And Ralph Owen Brewster In 1924, John Syrett Jan 2001

Principle And Expediency: The Ku Klux Klan And Ralph Owen Brewster In 1924, John Syrett

Maine History

During the early 1920s the Ku Klux Klan gained considerable support throughout the United States and in Maine. In 1924 Ralph Owen Brewster, later a senator, secured the Republican nomination for governor with the Klan’s support. The dominant issue in the election was whether the state should continue to fund parochial schools. Brewster urged that this aid be ended, and the Klan enthusiastically endorsed his candidacy. Brewster narrowly won the primary and then easily won the September election. In this article John Syrett explores the relation between Brewster and the Klan. Mr. Syrett is a Professor of History and former …


Civil-Rights Activism In Maine, 1945-1971, Charles L. Lumpkins Jan 1997

Civil-Rights Activism In Maine, 1945-1971, Charles L. Lumpkins

Maine History

Like civil-rights activists everywhere, those in Maine challenged racism and inequality in postwar America. Two factors - the size of the African-American minority in Maine, and the subtle but insidious forms of racism in the state - shaped NAACP strategies in Bangor, Lewiston, Brunswick, and Portland. Beginning with a small core group in the 1950s, the NAACP succeeded in building a basis for civil-rights legislation in Maine - a legacy, as Lumpkins points out - shared by all Mainers today. A native of Massachusetts, Mr. Lumpkins earned a M.L.S. from Simmons College in 1977 and a M.A. in history from …


Declaration Of Conscience, Margaret Chase Smith Jun 1992

Declaration Of Conscience, Margaret Chase Smith

Maine History

Text of Senator Margaret Chase Smith's address to U.S. Senate on June 1, 1950


Cuban Annexation, Slave Power Paranoia, And The Collapse Of The Democratic Party In Maine, 1850-1854, David B. Demeritt Jun 1989

Cuban Annexation, Slave Power Paranoia, And The Collapse Of The Democratic Party In Maine, 1850-1854, David B. Demeritt

Maine History

This article reviews the impact of attempts to annex Cuba to the United States prior to the Civil and also the direct impact of this issue on the politics of the State of Maine.


Who Were The Whigs And Democrats? The Economic Character Of Second-Level Party Leadership In Tidewater Maine, 1843-53, Wayne M. O'Leary Jan 1989

Who Were The Whigs And Democrats? The Economic Character Of Second-Level Party Leadership In Tidewater Maine, 1843-53, Wayne M. O'Leary

Maine History

This article analyses the religious, socio-economic and vocation characteristics of the members of the lower house of the Maine legislation during the period 1843-1853. This analysis is used to differentiate the members of the Whig and Democratic Parties in Maine at that time.


The “Plumed Knight” At Home: An Intimate Sketch Of James G. Blaine, H. Draper Hunt Jun 1988

The “Plumed Knight” At Home: An Intimate Sketch Of James G. Blaine, H. Draper Hunt

Maine History

This article is a detailed overview of the personal and political lives of Maine's James G. Blaine.


Samuel Spring Gardner, A Maine Parson In Alabama, Michael J. Daniel Apr 1984

Samuel Spring Gardner, A Maine Parson In Alabama, Michael J. Daniel

Maine History

This article recounts the experience of Samuel Spring Garner, of Maine, who moved to Alabama after the Civil War to assist in the Reconstruction effort. Emphasis is placed on Mr. Garner as an example of a “carpetbagger” who did not conform to the general stereotype of those individuals.


The Antislavery Agency System In Maine, 1836-1838, John L. Myers Sep 1983

The Antislavery Agency System In Maine, 1836-1838, John L. Myers

Maine History

The article discusses the establishment of the Maine Anti-Slavery Society in 1834 and it’s growth and influences during the next four years.


The Campaign Of 1834 And The Bank Question, Philip A. Grant Jr. Oct 1972

The Campaign Of 1834 And The Bank Question, Philip A. Grant Jr.

Maine History

This article discusses the impact of the political campaign of 1834 and the attendant Bank Question on the State of Maine.