1860 USS Saratoga Naval Action v Mexico St. Louis Breach of Promise Trial Mar 31

🗞️ HARPER'S WEEKLY · March 31, 1860
Complete Issue · New York

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A varied Antebellum issue — the USS Saratoga in naval action against two Mexican steamers during Mexico's Reform War, a St. Louis breach of promise trial, scenes aboard the E.A. Johnson, and a Missouri congressman. Strong content for naval history collectors, Mexican history enthusiasts, and Victorian legal history buffs.

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⚓ USS SARATOGA — NAVAL ACTION AGAINST MEXICO
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💥 HALF PAGE — "NAVAL ACTION BETWEEN THE U.S. SLOOP 'SARATOGA' AND TWO MEXICAN STEAMERS"
A half-page illustration of the naval action between the USS Saratoga and two Mexican steamers — a significant piece of American naval and Mexican history. The USS Saratoga was a 22-gun sloop of war that patrolled the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean during Mexico's bloody Reform War (1857-60), and her encounters with Mexican vessels — both conservative and liberal factions — were among the most dramatic moments of American neutrality enforcement in the region. The Reform War was a devastating civil conflict that would eventually bring Benito Juárez to power, and American naval vessels like the Saratoga were tasked with protecting American commercial interests while maintaining neutrality between the warring Mexican factions. A significant piece of American naval history and Mexican Reform War history.

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⚖️ BREACH OF PROMISE — ST. LOUIS
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💍 HALF PAGE — "TRIAL OF THE BREACH OF PROMISE CASE, CARSTANG VS. SHAW, ST. LOUIS"
A half-page illustration of the breach of promise trial of Carstang vs. Shaw in St. Louis — one of the great Victorian legal entertainments, in which a woman sued a man for failing to follow through on a marriage proposal. Breach of promise cases were among the most widely followed legal dramas of the Antebellum era, combining romance, scandal, social convention, and courtroom theater in a way that guaranteed packed galleries and extensive press coverage. A vivid piece of Victorian American legal and social history.

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🚢 THE E.A. JOHNSON
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🛳️ TWO SCENES — "CABIN AND DECK OF THE 'E.A. JOHNSON'"
Two scenes of the cabin and deck of the E.A. Johnson — a vivid piece of Antebellum American river or coastal steamship life, capturing both the passenger accommodations and the working deck of a mid-19th century American vessel. A significant piece of Victorian maritime and transportation history.

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🖼️ INSIDE THE ISSUE
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🏛️ ILLUSTRATION — "HON. JOHN S. PHELPS OF MISSOURI"
A portrait of John Smith Phelps — the Missouri congressman and future Civil War general and governor of Missouri, a significant Unionist figure in a border state that would be bitterly divided by the coming conflict. A significant piece of Missouri and Civil War history.

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📋 CONDITION
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I photograph every page of every issue so you can inspect the condition closely before purchasing. Please review all images carefully and don't hesitate to ask any questions — I'm happy to provide additional detail or close-up shots of any page, illustration, or area of concern before you buy.

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📌 DETAILS
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Publication ········ Harper's Weekly
Date ··············· March 31, 1860
City ··············· New York
Format ············· Illustrated newspaper, complete in 16 pages

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📦 SHIPPING & PRESERVATION
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• Stored in an acid-free protective bag and flat-shipped in a padded envelope with heavy cardboard reinforcement
• Fully tracked for your peace of mind

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🔍 SEO TAGS
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