USA

In the belief that either Britain or France was about to wrest California from Mexico, writes G.G. Hatheway, an American Commodore in 1842 attempted the venture himself, with some ludicrous results.

On May 14th, 1787, a Convention met in Philadelphia to draw up the articles of “ a more perfect union”. Alexander Winston describes how the problem was “government or anarchy”.

In 1836, after a short but violent struggle, conspicuously mismanaged on both sides, Texas wrested its independence from Mexico, which had itself secured its independence from Spain only fifteen years earlier.

Esmond Wright offers the second part of his study of the early 20th century American president and moralist.

Esmond Wright offers a study of the steps by which the political moralist, who was President of the United States between 1912 and 1920, found himself reluctantly drawn from high-principled neutrality into a crusading intervention on behalf of democracy.

Arnold Whitridge on the former Senator from Mississippi, who led the Government of the South during the Civil War in the United States.

It is not the least tragedy of a tragic life that Lincoln was obliged to face the most terrible decision of all, before he had grown to the full height of his Presidential stature. 

In the autumn of 1776 Benedict Arnold, whose name in American annals is now synonymous with treachery, saved the embattled Colonies from a crushing British-Canadian blow by his gallant naval delaying action upon the waters of Lake Champlain. By John A. Barton.

It fell to Shelburne in his public offices to wrestle with the problems of the American colonies. During his Prime Ministership in 1782-83, writes W.O. Simpson, Shelburne concluded the treaty of peace that recognized their independence.

Twenty years after the Declaration of Independence, writes Louis C. Kleber, the Americans, now at peace with Britain, were involved in tortuous negotiations with the Directory of the French Republic.