This book is one of many that I used in understanding Whipple Van Buren Phillips' world. Growing up in Kentucky in the late 1950's and 1960's, the Civil War was still very much alive to me. A day didn't go by when it wasn't refought. But even with years of school and college, the 19th century was very distant to me. I had to re-learn it all to understand WVP. This book is one of the best on the subject for its time period. I don't say that, those who gave it awards said it.
One thing I discovered reading this and other books was that the mail system was critical. I refer to snail-mail, of course. And truly it did seem to crawl at a snail's pace, as there were few good roads in the earliest days. The Roman Empire had a better mail system than in WVP's childhood in New England, and mail still traveled best by ship.
That changed with Andrew Jackson's presidency. He realized that if he appointed mail carriers, they would be indebted, and they would vote for him. If they did not - they were out!
If Jackson realized the benefits of patronage, Van Buren was a master of it. All presidents afterwards used it as a lethal weapon to ensure votes, and reward those who supported them.
Post Masters were not accidental. They were chosen carefully by Governors, Senators, and others to reward important individuals. Mail was often searched, and reports given to those who asked. The mail carrier was essential in distributing campaign literature, and canvassing for votes.
Howe states on page 496:
"Jackson's Third Term"
"Although the customs offices, land offices, and Indian agencies all provided federal jobs, the postal system dominated the patronage machine that made the national Democratic Party work. The expansion of the Post Office thus fostered both the communications revolution and the development of a modern party system. Even before becoming the formal head, Kendall largely controlled appointments to branch post offices ... Kendall understood the potential of the communications revolution as well as anyone in America - as he would also demonstrate later as Morse's partner in the telegraph industry."
By the time WVP got to Coffin's Corner, which was slowly becoming known as Greene, he was being seen as a young man on the move. By then, a staunch young Republican, WVP had got the governor's notice. Essentially, he was being groomed as a politician whether he realized it or not.
The mail train was as innovative as "America On Line" was at the turn of the millennium. It was a game changer, and WVP was right there at one of the most important junctions on the Hartford, Providence, and Fishkill railroad system which was being run by the powerful extended Sprague family.
These things don't just happen. From the moment WVP left Foster and went to Kent County, he was noticed. The Spagues noticed, the bankers noticd, the sprawling Tillighast clans noticed, and soon wealthy Providence men would notice as well.
Lovecraft paints a picture of WVP as owning the town of Greene. This is not right. There were already wealthy and powerful men in the neighborhood. However, WVP leveraged his charm, political and business savvy, and saw opportunities where others did not. Being postmaster, like his uncle in Illinois, was crucial for his plans.
A review of What Hath God Wrought is here.
An Amazon preview is here.
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