Analysis Of The Vicksburg Riot Of 1888

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Within the piece written by Joshua D. Rothman there is explicit historical detail provided about the Vicksburg riot of 1836. Along with the event there are also excerpts from various papers from the time with opinions about these events, with the primary paper being that of William Mills a Vicksburg resident. Mills opinions were in contradiction to many throughout the country although the events that he described echoed national feelings about the flush times and the Jacksonian era. More so the events epitomised people’s feelings of the rampant speculation throughout the country during these flush times though primarily in the antebellum southwest. These feelings though shown through opinions on professional gamblers stemmed from the decentralisation …show more content…

After this riot a summary praising the riot was written within the local paper by William Mills. This praise consisted of Mills stating that the good people of Vicksburg rightfully rid the town of the terrible plague of professional gamblers. Through this praise Mills justifies the violence that was used as merely a means to an end. This written summary by Mills was circulated on a national level. Though the country took this violent outburst as a step against the nation because it circumvented the rule of law. This opinion was echoed by many papers throughout the nation. Although in many cities throughout the country similar opinions were held on professional gamblers the rest of the country allowed the rule of law to take precedent in forcing out the gamblers. Vicksburg was a representation of the entire countries’ feelings in a physical outburst not only towards gamblers but also towards Jacksonian anti-bank policy and the culture that it produced. Jacksonian anti-bank policy had both hardline supporters and fighters. Gambling was just a way to visualise how many in 1830’s America viewed the rapidly changing …show more content…

Those in the west or who were farmers did not approve of the large banks and liked having money in their hands with the ability to try and advance. This was the belief also held by Jackson. On the other hand the wealthy and those who lived in the northeast did not like the rampant speculation encouraged by large amounts of money in private banks. This hatred of speculation also became evident in the distaste for the professional gambler. This distaste was founded on the idea that those in private banking like the professional gambler speculated as a way of life. Speculation as a way of life was not seen as a way of life as compared to a hards day work. It was seen as stealing whereas speculating by buying land in order to live and work it was seen as