Sam Haselby

I found this book to be quite informative.
Sam Haselby is a student of the early interplay between the evangelical protestants of the Old Northwest, and the New England Protestants with their less democratic stance to popular religion. Beginning with the intellectual roots of the Northern Founding fathers, he traces the way that the gradual movement towards the populist Jacksonian Presidency was reinforced by the Methodist preachers of the Ohio valley, and their gradual movement from an arms-length relationship with political activity to a more hands-on approach.
I found his short account of the relationship of the Shaker frontier traders and the Shawnee brothers, The Prophet, and Tecumseh, a fascinating detail.
There's also a good discussion of the relationship between the Methodist's reluctance to embrace unregulated capitalism, and the writings of Adam Smith. Haselby has found that Smith warned that "...banking, canals aqueducts and insurance companies are the only ventures that deserve corporate status. Awarding the privileges of corporation to other enterprises," Smith warned,"...would scarce ever fail to do more harm than good." A very interesting stance to pursue.
Into the bargain Mr. Haselby has come to the conclusion that in political and economic life Americans have continued the Puritan concept that the community has a very serious right to inquire deeply into the private lives of those in public life, with a great relish in publishing shortcomings.
So, I'm in favour of this and his other publications as they serve to broaden and illuminate American public life.… (more)