History Commons^™

Review Of Next To Godliness: Confronting Dirt And Despair In Progressive Era New York City, Mark Tebeau

Mark Tebeau

Review of Next to Godliness: Confronting Dirt and Despair in Progressive Era New York City by Burnstein, Daniel Eli.

“The Second African Synod And The Challenges Of Reconciliation, Justice, And Peace In Africa’S Social Context: A Missionary Theological Praxis Of Reconciliation—Part 2", Stan Chu Ilo

Stan Chu Ilo

No abstract provided.

[Review Of The Book Making A New Deal: Industrial Workers In Chicago, 1919-1939], Nick Salvatore

Nick Salvatore

[Excerpt] This is a superb book. Lizabeth Cohen has attempted nothing less than a major reinterpretation of how industrial workers became deeply involved with the union organizing drives of the 1930s. Rather than focusing on external stimuli such as governmental actions, Cohen explores in great detail the ways in which changes in working people's own attitudes allowed them to be participants in, indeed makers of, their New Deal. Her themes are critically important, broadly conceived, and explored with imagination and verve. Her extensive research matches her intellectual vision, and she sensitively uses such diverse sources as advertising agency memoranda, early …

Introduction To Seventy Years Of Life And Labor: An Autobiography, Nick Salvatore

Nick Salvatore

[Excerpt] Samuel Gompers remains a central figure in American history during the society's most intense capital development. The choices he made from the possibilities he perceived were of great importance at the time and still influence the organization he founded. Despite his many achievements, however, the larger aspects of the qualities of his leadership remained weak. In his search for acceptance, he jettisoned the vision of working class unity that had motivated him in the 1870s and 1880s. The K of L slogan, that "an injury to one is the concern of all," Gompers dismissed, a casualty of the polemics …

There's A Map For That, Jordana Dym, Carla Lois, Matthew Edney, Jack Crowley, Susan Danforth, Heidi Scott

Jordana Dym

A conversation about map history, Atlantic History & resources at the John Carter Brown Library

Cartographic Conversation, Jordana Dym

Jordana Dym

In 2012, the John Carter Brown Library celebrated the 50th anniversary of its fellowship program. In addition to organizing a panel for the June 2012 conference celebrating the anniversary, I curated a website of essays by former fellows working with historical cartography as a "Cartographic Conversation" engaging their research questions. My own essay addresses "Coastal Visions."

Samuel Ward And The Making Of An Imperial Subject, Jeffrey Kerr-Ritchie

Jeffrey Kerr-Ritchie

America And Political Islam, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

I received this book before 11 September 2001 and am reviewing it in the aftermath of that day. One could not imagine a more intense crucible in which to view a work on political Islam. Under the glare of the fiery collapse at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and with bombs falling on Taliban and al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan, the work of an author and a reviewer requires even greater scrutiny.

Heresy In The University, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

It would be very difficult to find a book that has generated more heat and some light in the closing decades of the twentieth century than the 1987/1991 publication of the two-volume Black Athena by Martin Bernal. The same press has been used by Jacques Berlinerblau to add still more fuel to this fire. Appropriate to the massive documentation and notes for Bernal, the book under review also has some 45 pages of notes, 30 pages of bibliography, and a helpful 13-page index. So this "clash of the academic titans" continues. Is there something new to add to this debate?

Kordofan Invaded, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

The history of Sudan still reflects the country's struggle to find its identity between Middle Eastern and African studies. Even within Sudan, there are spheres of interest ranging from the expanding ancient studies of Nubia to the protracted conflict between so-called Afro-Arab northerners and Nilotic southerners. Lost in these expanding domains are the histories of eastern Sudan and Kordofan to the west. Even the historiography of Sennar and Darfur is far better established than that of Kordofan. Thus, the very title of the book being reviewed suggests that Kordofan is an "invaded" and "peripheral" area on the edge of the …

Seed Of Redemption, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

It is hard to imagine that a single author could so consistently produce published works of the highest quality, with great creativity, on diverse subjects for a variety of audiences. Dr. Deng has made pioneering contributions to law and anthropology as well as to the analysis and practice of foreign relations and diplomacy, so perhaps it is not surprising that in writing his first novel, he should do very well again.

The Eritrean War, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

With kidnappings, major hostilities and violence the world is beginning to learn of a smoldering conflict in the Horn of Africa. Yet for those who have followed the fourteen-year guerrilla war the outbreak of heavy fighting in early 1975 comes as little surprise. The Eritrean Liberation Front has only brought greater attention to this movement for the restoration of national sovereignty. For those who have probed the history of the region, it should be clear that Eritrea has probably never been fully integrated into Ethiopia proper. In this article attention is focused initially on some geographic and historical basics.

Guinea-Bissau, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

On 24 September 1973 history was made in Africa. The first sub-Saharan African nation unilaterally declared its sovereignty from European colonialism following a protracted armed struggle. Most African nations gained their independence from colonial powers by negotiation and peaceful transfer of authority. True enough, this transfer was sometimes linked with prolonged periods of demonstrations, strikes, and nationalist propagandizing, but with the exception of Algeria (and perhaps Ethiopia) there were no wars of national liberation which led to a declaration of independence until Guinea-Bissau. The implications of this move are immense.

War Clouds On The Horn Of Africa, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

To review a book published five years ago describing a region in great turbulence is a great challenge. As one of those who has also written on aspects of the Horn of Africa it is tragically clear that the region's hostilities have brought misery and death for thousands. Resting with their remains are countless prophecies and predictions which had sought to analyze the latest events. These remarks may sound like defensive apologies of the author of this book, but I will defend him by assessing the difficulty of interpreting a dynamic and volatile region in the paroxysms of radical change.

Black Athena Writes Back, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

Martin Beral has been defending Black Athena since 1987. By now, most scholars have drawn their own conclusions in various forums. In short, Bernal seeks to overthrow the dominant paradigm about the connections of Greco-Roman civilization to Egypt and the Near East. He attacked its logic and methodology and criticized possible contamination with anti-Semitism and reluctance to see Egyptian civilization, located in Africa, as an influence upon Greek civilization. I looked forward to the logic and evidence of his defense and especially to learn of any new ideas that Beral might present.

Cry Of The Owl / Book Review, Richard Lobban

Richard A Lobban

Some may mistake this book for Francis Deng's sequel to his Seed of Redemption. True, this book builds on earlier themes and the setting has its similarities. This book is also destined to take a place of significance in Sudanese literature. Even with the thematic convergences, the issues at hand are so vital to the understanding of Sudanese culture and politics that they require deeper analysis.

Poland Since 1944: A Portrait Of Years / Book Review, Joanne Schneider

Joanne Schneider

This book examines Poland since 1944. The author maintains that post-war Polish history can only be understood by remembering the omnipresence of Soviet control. Each portrait in this study discusses Poland's foreign relations and domestic history with this theme in mind.

Schooling And Society : The Politics Of Education In Prussia / Book Review, Joanne Schneider

Joanne Schneider

Reviewed work(s): Schooling and Society: The Politics of Education in Prussia and Bavaria, 1750-1900 by Karl A. Schleunes

Schooling And Society, Joanne Schneider

Joanne Schneider

A much repeated truism credits nineteenth century Germany, especially Prussia, with the most advanced public education system in Europe. Karl Schleunes's Schooling and Society examines this notion by exploring the politics of education not only in Prussia, but also Bavaria. What emerges is an informative discussion of how the fortunes of public school reform were tied to various government leaders' goals for education, in association with the wider political and social scene.

Society For French Historical Studies, Leslie Schuster

Leslie Schuster

The Society for French Historical Studies held its thirty-eighth annual meeting on March 19-21, 1992, in El Paso, Texas. The session "Class and Identity: Representations of Urban and Rural Socio-economic Transformation in the Nineteenth Century" focused on complex issues of working-class identity.

Links On The Chain, Leslie Schuster, Robert Cvornyek

Leslie Schuster

"Links on the Chain: Labor at Century's End" encompassed a variety of events with broad appeal in the academic and labor communities. The series coordinated several diverse programs including an exhibition of labor photography; films on the life of the worker; and panel discussions on the future of enterprise compacts, European and Latin American labor movements, community organizing, and occupational safety and health. Moreover, the program featured two regional conferences. The University and College Labor Education Association (UCLEA) held its Eastern Regional conference during the month as did the New England Historical Association (NEHA). This well attended series brought labor …

American West Chronicle, Walter Nugent, William Deverell, Barton Barbour

Barton H. Barbour

No abstract provided.

Fort Union And The Upper Missouri Fur Trade, Barton Barbour

Barton H. Barbour

In this book, Barton Barbour presents the first comprehensive history of Fort Union, the nineteenth century’s most important and longest-lived Upper Missouri River fur trading post. Barbour explores the economic, social, legal, cultural, and political significance of the fort which was the brainchild of Kenneth McKenzie and Pierre Chouteau, Jr., and a part of John Jacob Astor’s fur trade empire. From 1830 to 1867, Fort Union symbolized the power of New York and St. Louis, and later, St. Paul merchants’ capital in the West. The most lucrative post on the northern plains, Fort Union affected national relations with a number …

"They Have Travailed Into A Wrong Latitude:" The Laws Of England, Indian Settlements, And The British Imperial Constitution 1726-1773, Arthur Fraas

Arthur Mitchell Fraas

In the mid-eighteenth century the British Crown claimed a network of territories around the globe as its "Empire." Through a close study of law and legal instutions in Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, as well as London, this dissertation examines what it meant to be a part of that Empire. These three cities on the Indian subcontinent were administered by the English East India Company and as such have often seemed abberant or unique to scholars of eighteenth-century empire and law. This dissertation argues that these Indian cities fit squarely within an imperial legal and governmental framework common to the wider British …

“The Second African Synod And The Challenges Of Reconciliation, Justice, And Peace In Africa’S Social Context: A Missionary Theological Praxis Of Reconciliation—Part 1”, Stan Chu Ilo

Stan Chu Ilo

No abstract provided.

Taking A Walk On The Wild Side: Experiencing The Spaces Of Colonial Latin America, Jordana Dym

Jordana Dym

The introductory essay to a special issue, which I edited, on spatial practices in colonial Latin America.

Redeeming The Time: Protestant Missionaries And The Social And Cultural Development Of Territorial Nebraska, Robert Voss

Robert J. Voss

The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in May of 1854 formally opened a new region of the United States to settlers. Hundreds came with news of the creation of Nebraska Territory, but not in comparable numbers to the major western migrations that would follow after the Civil War. Instead, the initial small waves of Nebraska settlers would cling to the Missouri River and its settlements establishing communities on the eastern edges in the newly opened territory. These first settlers set the foundations for culture and society in Nebraska. From 1854 until 1860, pioneers claimed lands near the Missouri, with few …

Paul Revere's Last Ride: The Road To Rolling Copper, Robert Martello

Robert Martello

An immigrant's son, a heroic revolutionary rider, and an eminent silversmith, Paul Revere seems to epitomize the American Dream. He has been justifiably lauded as a hardworking, practical, and ambitious patriot-citizen, yet this portrait is incomplete. Paul Revere's greatest ride, truly earning him his place in history, was his successful quest to become the first American to master the technique of rolling copper.

Memo To Pundits: Stop Calling Rick Santorum A Fascist, Michelle Nickerson

Michelle M Nickerson

Although presidential candidate Rick Santorum advocates a theocratic agenda that should concern American voters, critics should avoid adopting the framework of "fascism" as a means of characterizing his policy initiatives.

Review Ofunderwriting: The Poetics Of Insurance In America, 1722-1872, By E. Wertheimer, Mark Tebeau

Mark Tebeau

No abstract provided.