1876 (novel)
Encyclopedia
Gore Vidal
's 1876 is the third historical novel in his Narratives of Empire
series. It was published in 1976 and details the events of a year described by Vidal himself as "probably the low point in our republic's history."
The novel (written in the form of a journal) is narrated by a fictional writer, Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler, who has returned to the USA after more than 30 years in Europe, where he married into minor Napoleonic nobility; he is accompanied by his beautiful young widowed daughter Emma, the Princesse d'Agrigente, who immediately becomes the darling of New York high society
. Despite his fame and affluent image, Schuyler is obliged to solicit journalistic assignments because his capital has been wiped out in the 1873 monetary crisis and his daughter's late husband has left her penniless, so he worries constantly about their future. Schuyler also supports the Democratic candidate, Samuel J. Tilden
, Governor of New York, because he hopes to secure himself a diplomatic position with the incoming administration that will enable him to return to Europe.
The early chapters detail the Schuylers' introduction into New York society and the engagement between Emma and John Day Apgar, a wealthy but rather dull young lawyer and scion of a leading New York family. The later chapters chronicle Schuyler's sojourn in Washington, DC and Emma's growing friendship with the wealthy Denise Sanford and her boorish husband William (whom Charles greatly dislikes). Emma and Denise become close friends but after Denise dies in childbirth Emma breaks off her engagement to Apgar and marries Sanford instead.
The political backdrop to the story is the 1876 U.S. presidential election
, a close run contest between Tilden and the Republican Rutherford B. Hayes
. Tilden won the popular vote, but there was a dispute over the results in four states, including Florida
. In Florida, the Republican leaders of the State initially reported a victory for Tilden, before deciding that in fact Hayes had won. Vidal builds up to this historic crisis through the activities of a mixed cast of historical and fictional characters, some of the latter having previously appeared in Burr
, or having descended from characters in that novel.
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
's 1876 is the third historical novel in his Narratives of Empire
Narratives of Empire
The Narratives of Empire series is a heptalogy of historical novels by Gore Vidal. Published between 1967 and 2000, they chronicle the history of Vidal's "American Empire", from dawn to decay, by interweaving the private stories of two fictional American families with the public stories of...
series. It was published in 1976 and details the events of a year described by Vidal himself as "probably the low point in our republic's history."
The novel (written in the form of a journal) is narrated by a fictional writer, Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler, who has returned to the USA after more than 30 years in Europe, where he married into minor Napoleonic nobility; he is accompanied by his beautiful young widowed daughter Emma, the Princesse d'Agrigente, who immediately becomes the darling of New York high society
High society (group)
High society refers to a category of people deemed to have greater social status or prestige, and their related affiliations, social events and practices which together define a group variously referred to as "Society" or high society. Such groups are defined by certain key events and cultural...
. Despite his fame and affluent image, Schuyler is obliged to solicit journalistic assignments because his capital has been wiped out in the 1873 monetary crisis and his daughter's late husband has left her penniless, so he worries constantly about their future. Schuyler also supports the Democratic candidate, Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel Jones Tilden was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency in the disputed election of 1876, one of the most controversial American elections of the 19th century. He was the 25th Governor of New York...
, Governor of New York, because he hopes to secure himself a diplomatic position with the incoming administration that will enable him to return to Europe.
The early chapters detail the Schuylers' introduction into New York society and the engagement between Emma and John Day Apgar, a wealthy but rather dull young lawyer and scion of a leading New York family. The later chapters chronicle Schuyler's sojourn in Washington, DC and Emma's growing friendship with the wealthy Denise Sanford and her boorish husband William (whom Charles greatly dislikes). Emma and Denise become close friends but after Denise dies in childbirth Emma breaks off her engagement to Apgar and marries Sanford instead.
The political backdrop to the story is the 1876 U.S. presidential election
United States presidential election, 1876
The United States presidential election of 1876 was one of the most disputed and controversial presidential elections in American history. Samuel J. Tilden of New York outpolled Ohio's Rutherford B. Hayes in the popular vote, and had 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165, with 20 votes uncounted...
, a close run contest between Tilden and the Republican Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
. Tilden won the popular vote, but there was a dispute over the results in four states, including Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In Florida, the Republican leaders of the State initially reported a victory for Tilden, before deciding that in fact Hayes had won. Vidal builds up to this historic crisis through the activities of a mixed cast of historical and fictional characters, some of the latter having previously appeared in Burr
Burr (novel)
Burr , by Gore Vidal, is a historical novel challenging the traditional iconography of United States history via narrative and a fictional memoir of Aaron Burr. Burr was variously the third US vice president, a US Army officer in and combat veteran of the Revolutionary War, a lawyer and a U.S....
, or having descended from characters in that novel.