DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828) dominated the politics of New York State during the first quarter of the nineteenth century, serving as mayor of New York City and then governor of the state. At the same time, he was influential on the national scene, running for president in 1812 and only narrowly losing to James Madison. Although patrician in his sentiments, Clinton nevertheless developed new forms of party politics, including the spoils system. He was an early champion of the nomination of candidates by convention rather than legislative caucus, and as a United States Senator contributed the draft language for the Twelfth Amendment, which embedded party politics in the fabric of the Constitution. Clinton's greatest achievement was the Erie Canal, the establishment and implementation of which he championed as early as 1810. Construction of the canal began in 1817, and even before it was completed, eight years later, it had brought profound changes--economic, cultural, and social--to the state and the nation. As Evan Cornog illustrates in his detailed and compelling narrative, the Erie Canal hastened the economic expansion of the country, altered its political geography, set an example for activist government, and decisively secured New York City's position as America's foremost metropolis. It was a project unlike anything the Empire State--or the United States--had seen before, and was only the most successful of Clinton's many efforts to implement his view that government should play an active role in the economic and intellectual development of American society. The Birth of Empire chronicles not only the life of an important political leader but the accomplishments that underlay his success. As mayor of New York City, for example, Clinton was instrumental in the founding of the public-school system. He sponsored countless measures to promote cultural enrichment as well as educational opportunities for New Yorkers, and helped to establish and lead such institutions as the New-York Historical Society, the American Academy of the Arts, and the Literary and Philosophical Society. An amateur scientist of some renown, Clinton also wrote essays on geology, botany, entomology, archaeology, anthropology, and ichthyology. As shown here, Clinton's career was marked by frequent attempts to integrate his cultural and scientific interests into his identity as a politician, thus projecting the image of a man of wide learning and broad vision, a scholar-statesman of the new republic. Ironically, the political innovations which Clinton set in motion--the refinement of patronage and the spoils system, appeals to immigrant voters, and the professionalization of politics--were precisely what led to the extinction of the scholar-statesman's natural habitat. However visionary, the latter-day philosopher-king would eventually have no place in the modern world. DeWitt Clinton was born into the aristocratic culture of the eighteenth century, yet his achievements and ideas crucially influenced (in ways he did not always anticipate) the growth of the mass society of the nineteenth century. With this book, Cornog engagingly guides readers through the colorful maze of early nineteenth-century New York politics and society, illustrating both the depth of achievement and breadth of influence of one of its most important leaders. Those who wish to understand the development of American politics, the flowering of a distinctly American cultural life, the progress of the market revolution, and the growth of America's largest city will find many valuable insights in The Birth of Empire.

The Birth of Empire: DeWitt Clinton and the American Experience, 1769-1828

Biographies & Memoirs

Cornog, Evan

Historical

Oxford University Press

The Art of Making Magazines: On Being an Editor and Other Views from the Industry (Columbia Journalism Review Books)

In this entertaining anthology, editors, writers, art directors, and publishers from such magazines as Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The New Republic, Elle, and Harper's draw on their varied, colorful experiences to explore a range of issues concerning their profession. Combining anecdotes with expert analysis, these leading industry insiders speak on writing and editing articles, developing great talent, effectively incorporating art and design, and the critical relationship between advertising dollars and content. They emphasize the importance of fact checking and copyediting; share insight into managing the interests (and potential conflicts) of various departments; explain how to parlay an entry-level position into a masthead title; and weigh the increasing influence of business interests on editorial decisions. In addition to providing a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the making of successful and influential magazines, these contributors address the future of magazines in a digital environment and the ongoing importance of magazine journalism. Full of intimate reflections and surprising revelations, The Art of Making Magazines is both a how-to and a how-to-be guide for editors, journalists, students, and anyone hoping for a rare peek between the lines of their favorite magazines. The chapters are based on talks delivered as part of the George Delacorte Lecture Series at the Columbia School of Journalism. Essays include: "Talking About Writing for Magazines (Which One Shouldn't Do)" by John Gregory Dunne; "Magazine Editing Then and Now" by Ruth Reichl; "How to Become the Editor in Chief of Your Favorite Women's Magazine" by Roberta Myers; "Editing a Thought-Leader Magazine" by Michael Kelly; "Fact-Checking at The New Yorker" by Peter Canby; "A Magazine Needs Copyeditors Because...." by Barbara Walraff; "How to Talk to the Art Director" by Chris Dixon; "Three Weddings and a Funeral" by Tina Brown; "The Simpler the Idea, the Better" by Peter W. Kaplan; "The Publisher's Role: Crusading Defender of the First Amendment or Advertising Salesman?" by John R. MacArthur; "Editing Books Versus Editing Magazines" by Robert Gottlieb; and "The Reader Is King" by Felix Dennis

Business & Money

Navasky, Victor

Industries

Columbia University Press

"America suffers from a sort of intermittent fever. . . . Every fourth year there come terrible shakings, passing into the hot fit of the presidential election; then follows what physicians call 'the interval'; then the fit again." --James Bryce, The American Commonwealth, 1888 Once every four years, Americans enter into a months-long national spectacle, one with bitter battles, high drama, often hilarious blunders, and, ultimately, a victor to whom we entrust the leadership of our country. It is a process integral to the American ideals of freedom and democracy, and each election reveals a tremendous amount about where and who we are as a nation. In Hats in the Ring, Evan Cornog and Richard Whelan have created a hugely entertaining, splendidly illustrated history of every election from Washington's to Clinton's. For the first time, all the vibrancy, fanfare, and zaniness of American presidential campaigns come to life in one dazzling volume. Award-winning author Evan Cornog provides a lively narrative of the people, parties, and politics of more than two hundred years of history. Every engaging, pithy chapter is packed with fascinating information about the candidates and their campaigns. From the Wide Awakes to the Know-Nothings, fervent supporters and their candidates, including some of the greatest figures in American history--Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR--progress vividly through these pages. The visual richness of the campaigns is brought to life with more than two hundred color and black-and-white illustrations, including portraits, leaflets, cartoons, photographs, posters, campaign buttons, and other memorabilia, all selected by the eminent cultural historian Richard Whelan. He has delved deep into public and private collections to find the defining images, both classic and unfamiliar, of each election. There are portraits of heroic men beside those of also-rans, moments of triumph and shame captured by the camera, hilarious cartoons and works of art created by many of the greatest American artists, from Gilbert Stuart to Ben Shahn, Thomas Nast to Herblock. The chapter for each election provides a wonderful snapshot of United States history and culture. Short sidebars on important aspects of the development of American politics (including constitutional changes, third parties, and suffrage for blacks and women) complement the narrative throughout. There are also clear, concise charts that offer at-a-glance information on every election, including major-party candidates and electoral tallies. Presidential campaigns have provided some of the most stirring moments, poignant images, and idiosyncratic characters in our nation's annals. No matter what your political leanings are, Hats in the Ring delivers a sparkling and invaluable tour though some of the greatest episodes in American history.

Hats in the Ring: An Illustrated History of American Presidential Campaigns

History

WHELAN, Richard

Americas

Random House]

Theorizes that a president's successful election, administration, and legacy is largely due to effective image building, describing how presidents throughout history have written their own stories to maximize acceptance, in a social study that also examines the American public's susceptibility to storytelling. 30,000 first printing.

The Power and the Story: How the Crafted Presidential Narrative Has Determined Political Success from George Washington to George W. Bush

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Penguin Press HC, The

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