1852, Scott vs. Pierce: Bursting at the Seams

American Elections: Wicked Game

Airship

History

4.8 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 January 2020

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the wake of President Zachary Taylor’s sudden death, Millard Fillmore signs into law the Compromise of 1850, the so called “final settlement” on the issue of slavery. But the Compromise has unintended consequences. As regional interests trump party loyalty, the second Two Party System begins to crumble giving rise to five third parties and two nearly indistinguishable candidates from both sides of the aisle: Whig candidate General Winfield Scott and Democrat candidate Franklin Pierce.

Created, hosted and executive produced by Lindsay Graham for Airship. Sound design by Derek Behrens. Co-Executive produced by Steven Walters in association with Ritual Productions. Written and researched by Steven Walters. Fact checking by Gregory Jackson and Cielle Salazar from the podcast History That Doesn’t Suck. Music by Lindsay Graham.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	It's March 10, 1849, on Second Street in St. Louis, Missouri.
0:16.9	It's a damp, drizzly day, but the rain has mostly subsided and the streets are bustling.
0:22.5	Two men, Francis Blair, a writer for the Missouri Republican and his brother Montgomery, weave
0:28.0	their way through the crowd with umbrellas in hand.
0:31.2	Frank is all smiles, but his brother can't hide his scowl.
0:35.2	Speak your mind, Montgomery.
0:36.2	It's not going to do me any good.
0:38.7	You have something to say, so say it.
0:40.8	You should be more careful with your words, Frank.
0:43.3	I should be.
0:44.3	That man called me a coward, a liar, and a slanderer, and black and white.
0:48.8	You weren't exactly kind to Mr. Pickering either.
0:51.7	Pickering is a blowhard.
0:54.2	It's lowering Pickering, writer for the Daily Union, a rival newspaper.
0:58.8	The two journalists are embroiled in a feud over a Missouri politician, Senator Thomas
1:03.4	Hart Benton, a Democrat who recently came out against the expansion of slavery.
1:08.3	If Pickering can use the Daily Union to attack Senator Benton, I can certainly use the Republican
1:13.3	to defend him and his views on limiting the expansion of slavery.
1:17.4	You started this, you attacked Pickering first, and then you challenged him to a duel.
1:21.8	And he refused me.
1:23.2	He refused me because your weapon of choice was a bowing knife.
1:27.8	Oh man, and his right mind would have accepted such a challenge.
	...

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