• "Old Des Moines Awake!" Newspaper Article, July 23, 1840

    "Old Des Moines Awake!" Newspaper Article, July 23, 1840

    This newspaper article was the minutes of the Whig party meeting in Des Moines County, Iowa Territory in 1840.
    Courtesy of Library of Congress, "Old Des Moines Awake!" The Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot, pp. 2, 23 July 1840

    Description

    This newspaper article is the written record of a meeting of the Whig Party in Des Moines County in the Iowa Territory in 1840. The minutes of the meeting address the dissatisfaction with the Democratic administration. Iowa was not yet a state. This article gives a glimpse into the development of political parties as Iowans looked toward statehood.

    Transcript of "Old Des Moines Awake!" Newspaper Article

    Printable Excerpt of "Old Des Moines Awake!" Newspaper Article

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • According to the Whigs, what led to the formation of parties in Iowa?
    • Based on the text, how do the Whigs feel parties will affect Iowa. How do you know?
    • How do the Whigs describe the "party in power," i.e. the Democrats led by President Martin Van Buren?
    • What do the Whigs predict will happen if William Henry Harrison wins the presidency?
    • One of the speakers at this 1840 meeting was James Grimes, who, in 1856, wrote a letter to Iowans inviting them to start the Republican Party. What factors do you think would influence someone to change their loyalty from one political party to another?

    Citation Information 

    "Old Des Moines Awake!" The Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot, pp. 2, 23 July 1840. Courtesy of Library of Congress

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