b. Jan. 21, 1821, near Lexington, Ky., U.S. d. May
17, 1875, Lexington U.S. vice president (1857-61), unsuccessful
presidential candidate of Southern extremists (November 1860), and
Confederate officer during the Civil War (1861-65).
Descended from an old Kentucky family distinguished in law
and politics, Breckinridge, an attorney, began his political career in
1849 as a member of the state legislature. In 1851 he was elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives. During this troubled antebellum period, he
established his reputation as a faithful Democrat, and when his party
nominated James Buchanan of Pennsylvania for president in 1856,
Breckinridge was a natural choice to "balance the ticket" between North
and South. Once in office, however, Buchanan and Breckinridge were unable
to fend off the sectional conflict. Challenged by the newly formed
Republican Party, which resisted extension of slavery into the
territories, the Democrats broke apart at their national convention in the
summer of 1860. The Northern wing nominated Stephen A. Douglas on a
platform favouring popular sovereignty (local option), while the
Southerners chose Breckinridge on a separate ticket demanding federal
intervention in behalf of slave property in the territories. Breckinridge
insisted that he was not anti-Union but held that slavery could be banned
in a territory only after it had become a state. Defeated in the November
election by Republican Abraham Lincoln, Breckinridge succeeded John J.
Crittenden as U.S. senator from Kentucky in March 1861, but he resigned
later that year. He never ceased working for accommodation and compromise,
but after the firing on Ft. Sumter, S.C. (April 12), he maintained that
the Union no longer existed and urged Kentucky to feel free to secede (it
temporarily remained neutral).
His formal expulsion from the Senate in December was a
meaningless gesture because he had already been commissioned a brigadier
general in the Confederate Army in November. After the Battle of Shiloh
(April 6-7, 1862), in which he commanded the reserve, he was promoted to
the rank of major general and thereafter took part in many campaigns,
including Vicksburg (June 1863), the Wilderness (May 1864), and Shenandoah
Valley (1864-65). In the final months of the war, Breckinridge served as
Confederate secretary of war, and at the end of hostilities he fled to
England. After a self-imposed exile of three years, he returned to resume
his law practice in Lexington, where he died seven years later.
PAST VEEPS
of
the UNITED
STATES
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson Aaron Burr George
Clinton Elbridge Gerry Daniel D Tompkins John C Calhoun
Martin Van Buren Richard M Johnson John Tyler George M
Dallas Millard Fillmore William R King John C
Breckinridge Hannibal Hamlin Andrew Johnson Schuyler
Colfax Henry Wilson William A Wheeler Chester A Arthur
Thomas Hendricks Levi P Morton Adlai E Stevenson Garret A
Hobart Theodore Roosevelt Charles W Fairbanks James S Sherman
Thomas R Marshall Calvin Coolidge Charles G Dawes Charles
Curtis John N Garner Henry A Wallace Harry S Truman Alben W
Barkley Richard M Nixon Lyndon B Johnson Hubert Humphrey
Spiro T Agnew Gerald Ford Nelson Rockefeller Walter Mondale
George Bush Dan Quayle Al Gore
Walch, director of the Herbert Hoover
Presidential Library, has gathered together papers presented
at a recent conference on the vice presidency in the 20th
century. (Kirkus reviews)
Information on the 45 individuals is readily available in a
variety of sources, but the current work succinctly brings
together a wide range of material in an engaging way. Each of
the 7-to 12-page profiles has been written by a historian who
has previously published on the person or was responsible for
his official papers. Entries are alphabetically arranged.
Preceding each entry is a portrait or photo, and references at
the end identify the source material. Appendixes include a
chronology, an alphabetical list of vice presidents with years
of service, a list of vice presidents by state (New York has
supplied the most), a chronological list of unsuccessful
candidates, and a bibliography of general sources. (from
booklist)
Pronunciation: 'l&k-sh(&-)rE,
-zh(&-)rE Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural
-ries Etymology: Middle English luxurie, from
Middle French, from Latin luxuria rankness, luxury, excess;
akin to Latin luxus luxury, excess Date: 14th
century 1 archaic : LECHERY, LUST 2 : a
condition of abundance or great ease and comfort : sumptuous
environment <lived in luxury> 3 a :
something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely
necessary b : an indulgence in something that provides
pleasure, satisfaction, or ease.
The
Idea of Luxury : A Conceptual and Historical
Investigation by
Christopher J. Berry In this
far-ranging and innovative study Christopher Berry explores
the meanings and ramifications of the idea of luxury. Insights
from political theory, philosophy and intellectual history are
utilised in a sophisticated conceptual analysis that is
complemented by a series of specific historical
investigations. Dr. Berry suggests that the value attached to
luxury is a crucial component in any society's
self-understanding, and shows how luxury has changed from
being essentially a negative term, threatening social virtue,
to a guileless ploy supporting consumption. His analytic focus
upon the interplay between the notions of need and desire
suggests that luxuries fall into four categories--sustenance,
shelter, clothing and leisure--and these are exemplified in
sources as diverse as classical philosophy and contemporary
advertising.
Luxury
Fever by Robert H. Frank "a serious examination of the
long-term costs associated with our society's
ever-accelerating spiral of conspicuous consumption, followed
by a far-reaching remedy that will intrigue anyone concerned
with related fiscal issues. Robert Frank, a Cornell University
professor of economics, ethics, and public policy, who
previously coauthored The Winner-Take-All Society,
believes neither foolishness nor greed is really responsible
for our relentless desire to own flashier household
appliances, bigger sport-utility vehicles, and fancier
suburban houses; rather, he contends, it is the ongoing
behavior of our peers which ultimately determines how much we
spend and how we spend it. Frank goes on to claim, however,
that this knowledge alone may actually point us toward an
alternative that is both acceptable and practical. "By a
simple and easily achieved rearrangement of our current
consumption incentives," he writes, "we can effectively enrich
ourselves by literally trillions of dollars a year." He then
goes on to discuss the recent boom in luxury spending, its
potential implications for those at all income levels, his
suggestions for altering current consumption patterns, and the
reasons that redirecting these funds could benefit everyone."
- review.
Carrie says: If you can't find your dream home in
this book, it may not exist in any book! While it only
contains 50 plans, every one is beautiful and unique.
Each home is covered in four or more pages, with color
photos of the front and back of the home, inside, and of
course, the floor plans. I would recommend this book to
anyone looking for a luxury home to build. Each one has
many details and there are homes ranging from 3,000 to
almost 10,000 square feet.
A list of references selected for contribution towards a
just, Pareto-oriented, self actualization. If you are ready for
serious matters, get a glimpse via the links and treat yourself to
