United Americans of the State of New York 1848 old ireland map his fur cap and spectacles

his fur cap and spectacles doing the quiet work of a republic still arguing for its own existence

its orbital geometry traced with the reverent precision of a draftsman who suspected Saturn's bands were divine punctuation

and Beacon Hill's gas lamps glow on linen stock pressed when the harbor still smelled of molasses and tea

The image carries the weight of a South still convinced of its commanders

United Americans of the State of New York 1848 old ireland map his fur cap and spectaclesUnited Americans of the State of New York 1848 a nativist banner from the year of revolutions abroad and Free Soil agitation at home, when the Empire State's wards were already rehearsing the quarrels over immigration and loyalty that would define the coming decade. About the Source Bella Frye sources artifacts from the great American historical archive the Library of Congress, the National Archives, regional historical societies, and the lithographic