HarpWeek: Features

Arkansas and the Civil War

his website features primary source descriptions of Arkansas battles – written between 1860 and 1865 – which have been extracted from HarpWeek’s digital collection of 49 Civil War newspapers and 600 Civil War letters and diaries (compiled into a database called Lincoln and the Civil War.com). It is enhanced with background material on Arkansas politics and economics, as well as by contemporary scholarly articles and maps on the Arkansas Civil War battles (included here with permission from North & South magazine).

The 13th Amendment site

arpWeek is pleased to present “The End of Slavery: The Creation of the Thirteenth Amendment” as a public service for students, teachers, and interested citizens who wish to explore the nation’s transition from slavery to freedom.

The 14th Amendment site

he end of the Civil War in April 1865 brought defeat to the Confederacy, and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in December 1865 put an end to slavery in the United States. Serious questions remained, however, concerning the fate of former Confederates and the newly freed slaves in the restored Union.

The 15th Amendment site

n the aftermath of the American Civil War, slavery was abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment and black Americans were granted citizenship, equal protection, and other rights by the Fourteenth Amendment. However, voting was still limited at the federal level and in all but five states to white men.

Russian American Relations site

o highlight an important focus of Harper’s Weekly, this website contains news, feature stories, editorials, illustrations, and cartoons showcasing Russian-American relations over the
43-year period from 1863 through 1905.

Presidential Elections site

n informative and entertaining look at how the fourteen presidential elections of 1860-1912 were depicted in the political cartoons and prints of the nineteenth century. Current elections pale by comparison.

Political Prints and Cartoons, 1766 - 1876

his site provides Internet access to one of the most important collections of American political prints. The Library of Congress collection has been catalogued and extensively annotated by Bernard F. Reilly, Jr. This catalog, which HarpWeek has the privilege of bringing to the public in electronic format, is an unmatched source of information on American political prints.

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

rom the leading weekly newspaper of its time, HarpWeek presents exclusive on-line access to Harper's Weekly coverage of the historic 1868 Andrew Johnson Impeachment — with over 200 excerpts from 1865-1869 — selected specifically for this site.

The Electoral College Controversy of 1876-1877

amiliarize yourself with the historic events of the Electoral College controversy of 1876-1877. The organization of the site allows users to follow events day by day, to acquire a more in-depth understanding by reading the overview, and to gain insight into the press’s coverage by looking at the numerous period cartoons (most by Thomas Nast), along with corresponding explanations of their historical meaning.

Nast on Broadway:
The Grand Caricaturama of 1868

he 33 paintings of Nast's Grand Caricaturama, a moving panorama shown on Broadway, are featured on this website, along with commentary on the content and context of each panel. Background information is provided on the popular entertainment of moving panoramas, how Nast entered the field, and what became of his paintings.

Thomas Nast vs. Horace Greeley:
The Election of 1872

he story of the presidential campaign of 1872 is told through Thomas Nast's Harper's Weekly cartoons, which lampoon the Liberal Republican-Democratic candidacy of Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune. Each cartoon is accompanied by commentary explaining its context and identifying its figures. A special section focuses on how Nast mastered the serial cartooning techniques of symbols and slogans.

Nast and Literature

xplore the 117 cartoons in this website. Robinson Crusoe, Don Quixote, Aesop's Fables, and other literary works find new expression in nineteenth-century America through the Harper's Weekly cartoons of Thomas Nast.

Nast and Shakespeare

xplore the 119 cartoons in this website, and how the literary genius of William Shakespeare, the world's most popular playwright, sparked the creative genius of Thomas Nast, America's best-known political cartoonist.

The World of Thomas Nast

n the country’s political warfare, the illustrious cartoonist of Harper’s Weekly, whose genius overthrew the "Tweed Ring, and for years waged a memorable fight…

A Sampler of Civil War Literature

his site provides online access to 15 Civil War stories from the pages of Harper's Weekly: Experience military and civilian life during the Civil War as the 500,000 readers of Harper's Weekly did…and be sure to look at the related news articles, illustrations, cartoons, and commentary — selected specifically for this site.

Business Machines: 1857 - 1912

look at the business machines that have enabled instantaneous, worldwide communication and facilitated truly multinational corporations and global enterprises. This website describes the ancestry of many of these products.

The Tobacco Controversy

s a public service, HarpWeek has compiled a 50-plus year history of tobacco controversy and criticism as shown in the editorials, articles, news briefs, cartoons, illustrations, poetry, and advertisements of Harper’s Weekly.

The American West

his site provides a look into some of the stories and pictures which kept 19th-century readers informed and entertained, thus preserving a unique documentation of life west of the Mississippi.

Black America: 1857 - 1874

valuable resource that provides an important perspective on the multifaceted history of black Americans, generates a deeper understanding and respect for the subject, and sparks further interest in its study and discussion.

Immigrant and Ethnic America

detailed look at the various immigrant and ethnic groups that were a vital part of American culture during the second half of the 19th century.

19^th Century Advertising History

rom the advertising pages in Harper's Weekly, over 40,000 advertisements appeared in the publication from 1857 to 1871.

Education at HarpWeek

his site brings 19th century history to life in the classroom utilizing our latest series of educational activities and simulation games.

October 3, 2023

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