The Newest Keepsake for 1840: Containing the Best Account of the March of Mind, Together With the Speeches, Circumstances, and Doings of the . at the Marlboro Chapel, January 8, 1840

Discover "The Newest Keepsake For 1840," a satirical pamphlet by Richard Ely Selden that offers a mock chronicle of the fictional Trundle-Bed Convention held in Boston. This engaging work lampoons the reform movements, clergy, abolitionists, and social reformers of the time. It features a combination of a Preface, Introduction, and a series of Doings, presenting a humorous report, speeches, letters, and a dramatic procession known as the March of Mind. Through witty caricature, Selden critiques the clash between idealistic reform and the constraints of public opinion in early 19th-century America, delivering a playful yet sharp commentary on a culture in search of moral direction.