Down to Earth: The Territorial Bond in South China

Book Description

Bringing local history to bear on major questions in Chinese social history and anthropology, this volume comprises a series of historical and ethnographic studies of the Pearl River Delta from late imperial times through the 1940’s.

Down to Earth: The Territorial Bond in South China.(Brief Article): An article from: Pacific Affairs

Average customer rating:

Down to Earth: The Territorial Bond in South China.(Brief Article): An article from: Pacific Affairs
Diana Lary
Manufacturer: University of British Columbia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00096QDII
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by University of British Columbia on December 22, 1996. The length of the article is 506 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Down to Earth: The Territorial Bond in South China.(Brief Article)
Author: Diana Lary
Publication: Pacific Affairs (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 1996
Publisher: University of British Columbia
Volume: v69 Issue: n4 Page: p569(2)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

The memoir of a former top tennis player who dedicated her life, and the entirety of her immense fortune, to helping disadvantaged children. In the 1980s, Andrea Jaeger was a tennis phenomenon -- she turned pro at the age of 14 and was the #2 ranked female tennis player in the world. But, despite her success, she was unfulfilled. After an injury ended her career early, Jaeger began to answer her true calling: following the Word of God. Listening to His voice ultimately led Jaeger to put the entire fortune she had amassed on the tennis court into developing The Silver Foundation, a non-profit camp for children with cancer, and dedicating her life to bringing joy to others. This is the story of how she went from tennis great to her second service and the story of the incredible kids she's helped along the way.

Customer Reviews:

A great example of Loving your Neighbor........2004-11-05

Arthur K. Dugan, an avid reader.

Andrea Jaeger's book " FIRST SERVICE " is one of the finest I have ever read on personal spirituality and I have read many. Her life of service to God through the giving of all her great amount of money to develop a place for children with cancer called The Silver Foundation. As I read through her book she reminds me of dedicated people like Mother Teresa in her work with the poor. I will read the book again and highly recommend it to others and how each of us needs to be aware of the less fortunate.

Wholesome Inspiring Book.......2004-10-30

Andrea is defintely an exceptional person, first as a tennis pro, then as a philanthropist. The latter is easily her passion and her excelling service to God.

She relates this story as it unfolds in personal memoir of her life and its turns, each one very much influenced by experiential leadings by God. This continues to develop as she senses signs which she responds to which eventually culminate in the founding of her magnificent work with cancer children.

Puzzling and of concern is her admission that she was babe in the Scriptures and still seems to be convinced by outward confirmation of rather bizarre happenings, rather than clear fountain of God's Holy Word. For example, her story in Detroit with the key to the kingdom is more poignantly given in Scripture repeatedly said to be Christ crucified for sins, e.g. Luke 24 et al.

While truly a model for all, but especially young and talented, to serve humanity, her tendency to follow outward occurrences and inward emotions to the exclusion and reduction of clearly revealed Word of God is dangerous and suspicious.

Don't let any of this reviewer's spiritual concerns detract anyone from this fine read and inspiration to all to get involved and serve.

The Inspirational Autobiography of a Former Tennis Champ.......2004-05-17

In the early 1980s, Andrea Jaeger was a household name, even among people who had little or no interest in tennis, the sport that catapulted her into the limelight. One of the youngest players ever to turn pro, Jaeger at 14 was everywhere --- in newspapers and magazines, on television. Her signature long, blonde pigtails made her immediately recognizable. She was the media darling of the tennis world.

Her career was cut short by an injury, prompting her to pursue a dream she had had since childhood --- not all that long ago, at the time --- to work with children. After spending several years acquiring business skills and other related experience, Jaeger and a friend moved to Aspen, Colorado, where they eventually set up a foundation and started a ministry to reach out to cancer-stricken children at a place now known as the Silver Lining Ranch. Jaeger's entire $1.4 million in lifetime earnings provided the seed money for the organization.

That's the straightforward account of what happened. In FIRST SERVICE, Jaeger fills in the details, the often remarkable, behind-the-scenes story of a woman whose childlike faith in God never questioned that He would bring to pass the hopes and dreams she held out for the future --- a future she always knew would not find its center in professional tennis. In her telling of the story of her life, her faith and her ministry, Jaeger clearly demonstrates that what was once considered to be her youthful exuberance is instead who she really is, because her energy, excitement and enthusiasm for life is every bit as much a part of her personality today, at the age of 38, as it was when she was a celebrity teenager.

Throughout her life, as well as the pages of the book, God plays the dominant role. From an early age, Jaeger sensed the presence of God even though she did not grow up in a strong faith environment. Many of her experiences with God have been nothing short of mystical; as a child, she had a vision of the Children's Crusade long before she ever knew anything about the actual event in history. Her narrative is sprinkled with accounts of dreams and visions that are bound to make believers shiver with supernatural delight and skeptics question her grounding in reality. But much of what she saw in those dreams and visions has come to pass and has contributed to the success of the ranch, so the skeptics may have to look elsewhere for something to disbelieve.

True to her nature, which apparently is an extraordinarily generous one, Jaeger is donating all of her proceeds from sales of FIRST SERVICE to help hurting children. In addition to the Silver Lining Ranch, Jaeger and the Silver Lining Foundation (www.silverliningfoundation.org) support children's charities in the U.S. and around the world.

First Service -- Finding a Purpose to Life.......2004-04-06

This book by Andrea Jaeger is ideal for anyone who wants to get insight into finding out what is important in life. Andrea was a great tennis player but she has found joy and purpose off the court -- helping others and being close to her faith. She tells her story in a way that makes it clear how others, too, can find joy. The book is also excitng to read as you learn about miracle after miracle that has helped her build a beauitful ranch in Aspen, CO, where children with cancer go to have great days of peace and joy. Andrea rocks! This book is a perfect gift for anyone you love.

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Most 31-year olds can't boast of being the instigator of a revolution. But then again, the world's leading promoter of open source software and creator of the operating system Linux does humbly call himself an accidental revolutionary--accidental being the operative word here. Just for Fun is the quirky story of how Linus Torvalds went from being a penniless, introverted code writer in Helsinki in the early 1990s to being the unwitting (and rather less than penniless) leader of a radical shift in computer programming by the end of the decade.

OK, perhaps "story" in the traditional sense of the term is stretching it a bit. This whole book is more like a series of e-mails, an exercise in textual communication for someone more used to code language than conversation: choppy sentences packed into short paragraphs, and sometimes just one-liners. The pace is fast, but the quippy tone can get somewhat tiring, though it definitely suits the portrayal of a computer-dominated life. And like an e-mail conversation, the tense often changes, the topics jump back and forth, and the narrators occasionally change, mostly alternating between the Linux man himself and Red Herring executive editor David Diamond, who convinced the difficult-to-pin-down Torvalds to write his story (or at least allow Diamond to poke, prod, and pull it out of him, all the while giving his own impressions and interpretations). But Torvald's tale contains enough informative and entertaining tidbits--on growing up in dark, strangely silent but communication-gadget-obsessed Finland (which boasts more cell phones per capita than anywhere else), on what makes passionate code writers tick, on making the transition from unknown computer geek to world-famous computer geek, on the convergence of technology and ideology, on his work for Transmeta and involvement (or lack thereof) with all the players worth mentioning in Silicon Valley - to keep more than just computer programmers engrossed in his story. For the latter, of course, Just for Fun will be required reading.

If you pick up this book as a geek's guide to the meaning of life (which, believe it or not, Torvalds does ramble on about at the beginning and the end), then you're in for a bit of a shallow take on the whole thing. But if you're interested in the idea of technological development as a global team sport, and how a nerdy Finnish transplant to California got the whole game going in the first place, check out Linus's story... just for fun, of course. --S. Ketchum

Book Description

"I was a nerd. Geek. From fairly early on. I didn't duct-tape my glasses together, but I might as well have, because I had all the other traits. Good at math, good at physics, and with no social graces whatsoever. And this was before being a nerd was considered to be a good thing."

In this witty and engrossing narrative, Linus Torvalds, the brilliant mastermind behind the latest Internet revolution, in collaboration with writer David Diamond, chronicles his transformation from a pale, skinny Helsinki college kid to an international folk hero. What began as a childhood hobby soon became the astonishing phenomenon known as the LINUX operating system.

LINUX was created because Linus was curious to see if he could improve upon the operating systems already out there, such as UNIX. How could he create a system that could run all of his favorite software with fewer crashes and faster productivity? Linus posted his early versions of LINUX on the Internet and called upon the most brilliant minds in computer science to enhance his system. What happened next took the world by storm.

Linus wasn't the first to use the power of the open source movement, but the excitement he generated when he offered his system to the world was unprecedented. What made LINUX revolutionary was its journey to become the marvel it is today -- and how the system grew from the meeting of thousands of minds around the world. Suddenly, Linus's creation was available for everyone to use, for free! Anyone could improve LINUX at whim. No monopolies, no trade secrets, no whispering behind closed doors. LINUX wasn't controlled by a select few -- this remarkable creation was accessible to absolutely anyone -- and still is. The LINUX system is still constantly evolving and improving every day a decade after its inception. Linus describes the history of LINUX in graspable terms and details how the system itself works, without lapsing into mindboggling technical jargon.

Part autobiography and part business philosophy, Just for Fun brims with biographical detail about the radical spirit and creativity of Linus Torvalds. It offers a unique glimpse into the mind of an accidental revolutionary and how the altruistic creation of LINUX flourished so successfully in the open source movement.

For general readers, Torvalds spins a witty tale of his fascinating life. Here is the story of a young man who, as a still-rising star, keeps his feet on the ground through a combination of self-deprecating humor and the realization that life is simply about having a good time. Linus's narrative teems with clever anecdotes and his captivating opinions on the future of competition in the computer world. Linus even reveals his own take on the meaning of life.

For techies, this is a candid glimpse at the life of this honored, yet unintentional hero. Linus offers a compelling look at how he sees the road ahead for LINUX and the computer industry. He also divulges how LINUX began as a small spark and spread like wildfire across the world.

Although he's the first to admit that roaring down the freeway in his shiny new BMW has its benefits, Linus never intentionally sought fame and fortune. Yet both found him when Linus Torvalds radically changed the world of technology for one selfish reason: He did it just for fun.

Customer Reviews:

Eye Opening.......2007-09-27

This is really eye opening stuff. If you are even remotely interested in Open Source Software, this will give you some insight into the mind of Linus Torvalds. On top of being informative it is a really fun read.

Non Fiction.......2007-09-03

An interesting look at an archetypal geek, amd a man who isn't in it for the money, fame, or power, just wanting to have software that did want he wanted it to do. He also saw building linux as an intellectual exercise that he could learn a lot from, working from one computer, to saving up to buy another from a catalogue.

A reasonably reticent and retiring type, it was well done by the author to get this book published.

Great Read.......2007-08-12

This book was fun to read. It would make a great movie. Nerdy little kid makes good - in fact becomes the figurehead for an historically important movement worldwide.

A Great Read.......2007-07-05

A great, honest, humorous, read about the history of Linux and it's creator.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A funny book.......2007-04-19

One wouldn't expect with a title "Just for Fun" that you would find a complete autobiographical analysis of the authors mind, a treatise on open source or tome on an operating system. The book delivers exactly what Linus says he hopes for in the beginning pages, a fun time. If that's not what you're interested in, then don't read it.

A friend loaned this book to me while taking a Linux class. I wasn't too enthused, thinking it would be some arrogant "how great I am" story, being a guy writing it you know. I was pleasantly surprised.

Throughout the pages, one gets a glimpse into the life of Linus in a sometimes revealing, down to earth journey from his childhood to the present. Along the way, Linus pokes fun at his looks, his nose, his lack of social skills and his inescapable "geekiness". At times it is hilarious.

He talks about growing up in Helsinki, how he came about developing Linux, getting married, getting involved in the open source community, the rise to fame and riches and his take on the meaning of life.

David Diamond adds humor and interest to the story by recording his observations and conversations with Linus and members of his family.

Now I have a little more knowledge about open source and a remarkable "Joe" from Helsinki who created the large sticky snowball of a very cool operating system and shared it with the world.
This book is just a fun read that I enjoyed very much.

Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary

Average customer rating:

Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary
Linus; Diamond, David Torvalds
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LNN11Q

Average customer rating:

Just for Fun : The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary
Linus; Diamond, David Torvalds
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFGTWY

Average customer rating:

Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary
Linus, and Diamond, David Torvalds
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFF97U

Customer Reviews:

The Disciples After Calvery.......2007-02-22

I had always wondered what happened to the Disciples after Calvery and this book was very enlightening and an easy read. It cleared up a lot of questions I had.

Perfect book for beginning Chistians 1-3 yrs........2006-01-14

This book is a fast and easy read, perfect for beginners (1-3 years) who have studied some of the bible/new testament and start asking "who were they?" questions. It's not too long of a book, I read it in under a week, and it's a "pass along" book for a friend. (I would never pass along a book I thought bad or boring). Book is not a heavy end all on the subject, but answers enought questions and legends/historical footnotes to put a pretty good idea of what might have happened to the twelve we read about in the NT.

The Twelve Apostles of Christ.......2004-08-28

_The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary_ is an interesting book by a Catholic author, C. Bernard Ruffin. It catalogues the lives, travels and evangelical exploits of the twelve apostles from the New Testament, the writings of the Fathers and various apocryphal historical novels. The first problem about writing about the apostles, as Ruffin explains, is to differentiate between "the disciples," "the apostles" and "the Twelve." Disciple refers to any full-fledged follower of Christ and especially to the seventy (or seventy-two) missionaries sent to the villages of Judea during Christ's lifetime. Apostle refers to a special office within the Church that was instituted by Christ to officially declare the Gospel and later on ordain bishops, deacons and presbyters. "The Twelve" encompasses the twelve men explicitly named in the Gospels as those whom Jesus called and taught during his lifetime in this world. A number of saints in Christian history, notably St. Paul, have attained the status of "apostle" or "equal to the apostles" even though they were obviously not in Christ's original entourage. Ruffin does not address the issue of why twelve were called, but it is obviously an Old Testament metaphor of the Twelve Tribes of Israel who originated from Jacob (Israel) and his twelve sons. A problem exists in identifying exactly who the Twelve were because many of them went by multiple names and many figures in the New Testament shared the same name. Ruffin provides an authoritative list: Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, James the Less, John, Philip, Bartholomew (a.k.a. Nathaniel), Thomas, Matthew, Simon, Jude (a.k.a. Thaddeus), and Judas Iscariot whose place was later filled by Matthias. James the Greater and James the Less are both to be distinguished from James the Righteous who was Bishop of Jerusalem and author of the Epistle of James. Most suffered martyrdom for Christ having lived lengthy lives spreading the Gospel of Christ, except for John who died of an illness in old age. Peter of course founded the episcopacy of Rome and Andrew at Constantinople. Many were active in Judea, Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Some of the apostles are held to have traveled as far as Britain, Iran/Persia, Ethiopia, Armenia, Scythia/southern Russia, Spain, India and even China and Southeast Asia. The most extensive traditions exist regarding "Doubting Thomas." He is reputed to have traveled to the Punjab region of India, southward along the Malabar Coast and onward to what is today Burma and Malaysia. Thomas is considered the founder of the Indian Orthodox Church dating back to the first century. Ruffin examines the status and motives of Judas and what made him a traitor to Christ. More space in this book is devoted to Peter than to the other apostles and in some instances Ruffin argues for an interpretation of the New Testament accounts of Peter in order to justify papal supremacy over the Church. However, this book remains an excellent, easy to read introduction to early traditions regarding the apostles and their mission to the ends of the earth.

The Twelve Apostles of Christ........2004-08-20

Taking a Stab at Apostolic History.......2003-01-28

Bernard Ruffin has written a delightful explanation of the history of each of the twelve apostles. I found this book to be very easy to read. The topic, however, is a bit difficult to grasp considering the question of the reliability of many of the source documents upon which Ruffin must rely.

Several apocryphal works are cited in support of Ruffin's chronicle of the Apostles' lives. The validity of the story depends upon the reliability of the source documents. To that end, there is much in this book that is speculation. We simply are not in a place to accurately judge these apocryphal works, except to say that the early Church Fathers (for reasons of their own) did not adopt these works into the canon of the New Testament. Because the rule of canonicity excludes these works, they must be looked at with some hesitance.

Ruffin makes this point himself. The value in his work is its honesty in this regard. Ruffin reports merely what has been set forth in these apocryphal works. He makes no judments about their reliability because his intent is to simply report what they say. In short, whether they are reliable or not is not Ruffin's focus nor can he be faulted for not coming to definite conclusions.

This being said, I find that this work is more of a chronical of what has been said before. Its value is that Ruffin has put these materials in one handy reference for the reader. This being his goal, he has succeeded marvelously.

I recommend this work to anyone interested in the question of "What happened to the Twelve?" You won't be disappointed.

Book Description

The only history of U.S. armed forces from the advent of the tank in battle during WWI to the campaign to drive Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991, Camp Colt to Desert Storm chronicles the impact of mechanization on the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps.

Despite its primitive beginnings, the tank revolutionized the battlefield in World War II. In the years since, additional technological developments—including nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, computer assisted firing, and satellite navigation—have continued to transform the face of combat.

Every opportunity offered by advances in technology demands two things: the intellectual capacity to understand the opportunity and the courage to move in new directions. And each advancement has created the need for new countermeasures, further increasing the speed of technological innovation.

In each chapter the authors focus on milestone events in armored force history, and each chapter is written by an expert with a unique, often personal, viewpoint on the topic at hand.

Customer Reviews:

Much needed book!.......2000-12-03

Three points about this volume are of particular positive interest. First, the editors decision to have contributors discuss not only history, but also doctrinal and technological development of American armor. This makes for a volume which will be of interest to both amateurs and professionals. Second, the choice of contributors could not, in my opinion, have been much better. Lastly, the inclusion of chapters dealing with the history and development of armor in the U.S. Marine Corps is an often overlooked area of discussion.

In such an excellent volume, my criticisms are few, but relate to what the editors and the individual contributors have decided to exclude. For example, though there is a fine chapter on U.S. Army tank operations in Europe (Chapter 5), there is no corresponding chapter on U.S. Army tank operations in the Pacific. Instead, the editors have included a chapter on U.S. Marine Corps tank operations in the Pacific (Chapter 6). This decision is rather curious in that, at its peak strength, the U.S. Marine Corps only had 6 tank battalions and 6 amphibious tractor battalions (one of each per division), while the U.S. Army had 18 tank battalions, 10 tank destroyer battalions, and 19 amphibious tank and tractor battalions, and a cavalry mechanized reconnaissance squadron in the Pacific. Unfortunately, this sort of omission might lead the amateur reader to believe that the U.S. Army's commitment to the Pacific War was so minuscule that it was not worth mentioning, which is absolutely not the case.

Two other items received only scant mention in this volume - tank destroyers and the M113. While the whole concept of tank destroyers ultimately proved unsuccessful, the amount of resources devoted to them during the war certainly necessitates more discussion than the half dozen or so pages in this volume. The other odd omission is the M113 armored personal carrier. This venerable workhorse of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps from the 1950s to the 1980s, receives only scant mention, while the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle, a relative newcomer, receives much more extensive coverage.

A must-read for armor specialists........1999-10-07

Anyone interested in tanks and mechanized infantry in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps ought to read this collection of historical essays. The emphasis is upon technical and doctrinal development, and while most of these topics have been treated elsewhere, their compilation here makes for a nice (if uneven) survey. Strengths: the discussion of armor use in the Marine Corps, the recognition that U.S. tank destroyers were as significant as tanks during WWII, the development of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and the relationship of doctrinal development and the use of armor in the 1970s and 1980s. This reviewer faults an emphasis on post-WWII developments, a lack of discussion on armored artillery or the seemingly-immortal M113 and its variants, glossing over survivability criticisms of the M2/M3, a lack of tabular comparative technical data, and limited discussion of armored and mechanized tables of organization and equipment. That said, highly recommended for any modern military collection.

Virtually without precedent in scope and canor.......1999-09-16

I submitted a review on this format on 3 September (8 working days ago). I really worked hard on the review etc. Should I resubmit..or are just just a little bit behind and I should be patient. Thanks. Charles

Customer Reviews:

A Lasting Legacy: Northern Slavery and Emancipation.......2005-04-24

Joanne Pope Melish's, Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and Race in New England, 1780-1860, examines free blacks in the Antebellum north with a particular focus on Connecticut and Rhode Island. Melish's monograph addresses three central themes: northern slavery as an institution, the psychology of racist whites, and white's counteraction to free blacks.

Melish begins her monograph by examining northern slavery as an institution. Melish contradicts common interpretations among historians, arguing that northern slavery did indeed generate a significant impact on the northern economy. She argues that blacks performed common household responsibilities, that enabled slave owners to pursue a career, in which they could not have done without the assistance of slave labor. Lastly, she differentiates northern slavery to southern slavery, as being a system of indentured servitude, rather than a system of market production.

Melish's second theme analyzes the psychology of northern racists. Despite emancipation, many whites and even anti-slavery activists, believed free blacks to be a social threat. Many whites could not embrace the transformation of blacks becoming free, and accept what Melish calls, "black role reversal". Many believed, free blacks could not comprehend the ideals of "white republicanism". They argued blacks are limited to mindless labor, and are incapable of social mobility and conformity. The most common argument among northern whites is that blacks were perceived as being social misfits. Blacks were commonly associated with stealing, prostitution, laziness, excessive drunkenness, etc., which forced white citizens to serve the role as "social babysitters".

Post emancipation witnessed the substantial rise of theoretical perspectives and popular literature pertaining to race and race relations. Theories such as the environmental theory, explored the physical and psychological structure of persons of color, and their destiny in white society. The emergence of free blacks, Melish argues, placed the issue of race relations on the front burner in all spectrums of society.

Melish's final theme address the counteraction by northern whites to the emergence of free blacks. The failed agenda of the American Colonization Society, and the success of immediate abolition movement, compelled northern racists to forge what Melish calls, "legal bondage", and place free blacks in the social status of, "slaves of the community". In 1784, both Connecticut and Rhode Island passed legislation known as the post nati emancipation bills. The legislation mandated that children of blacks born after the first of March 1784, will continued to be held in bondage until a specified age (usually between the ages of 18 and 25). In several cases, whites successfully extended the manumission age through legislative reform and loopholes. Northern racists further employed legislative tactics to maintain black social control. Some legislation included the regulation of housing, curfews, leisure activities, and especially, sexual race mixing. Melish explains how sexual relationships and especially child production between races, was viewed as the ultimate sin.

In addition to legislative reaction to control the emerging free black population, white resistance increased dramatically. Race riots, attacks on black neighborhoods, symbolic degradation through popular literature, etc., attempted to "abolish the black man", and preserve the stability of "white America".

Melish's monograph provides insight to the issues regarding the emergence of free blacks in the antebellum north. Melish exposes the attempts of northern whites to control free blacks, and in essence, transform them from slaves to, "slaves of the community".

Disowning Slavery is an interesting,informative read. Her extensive research provides the reader with a clear interpretation on free blacks in the north. Sometimes the book becomes highly unorganized and sloppy. Overall, I would recommendend this monograph to anyone interested in this topic.

Brian R. DeDentro
Rhode Island College

The legacy of northern slavery.......2001-10-16

In Disowning Slavery, Joanne Pope Melish strongly refutes the myth of a free New England, untainted by slavery and racial disharmony. While slavery did not exist in either quantity or duration on a scale comparable to the South, Melish conclusively shows that it existed in the northern states well into the 19th century, and argues that it was an important component of New England's economic success. Like feminist historians who have argued that women's domestic labor was crucial if men were to be able to engage in economic activity outside the home, Melish shows that as domestic servants and agricultural laborers, slaves performed the drudgework that Yankee entrepreneurs would otherwise have been employed in. Because such urban entrepreneur slaveowners were a small (though influential) percentage of the population, slavery was allowed to gradually die out in New England, most often through judicial interpretation. Gradual emancipation meant that there were few great political battles over ending slavery in the North, allowing New Englanders to erase their memories of its very existence.

However, because slavery was allowed to die without the benefit of public debate and legislative control, freedmen's legal and social status was never clearly defined, nor was the means by which former slaves were to be integrated into free society. Whites were able to congratulate themselves on their moral superiority as free societies without having to concern themselves with the welfare of now-emancipated slaves. In turning their backs on the problems of freedmen trying to adjust to their new status, they prevented blacks from becoming full members of their communities. They saw proof of blacks' inability to provide for themselves as an insurmountable racial characteristic even as whites refused to provide economic or legal opportunities that would have allowed former slaves to improve their condition. Over time such self-reinforcing racial attitudes grew into a fully developed philosophy of racism, embellished by exaggerated depictions of black caricatures in the popular culture of the North.

Indeed, Melish cites a vast array of cultural documents (popular literature, newspaper editorials, plays, and pop art) to demonstrate New Englanders' racist attitudes. Her narrative also amply demonstrates how the process of gradual emancipation allowed the North to forget that slavery had ever been part of their society, leading to their smug moral superiority. However, neither her evidence nor her reasoning adequately explains why it was necessary for Northerners to adopt racist attitudes. It does not seem that the limited number of freed blacks in the North were a significant economic or social threat to whites; there seem to be no concrete reasons for the development of racist attitudes, especially considering how committed many northern whites were to ending slavery in the South for moral reasons. Melish seems satisfied to accept that people have a natural need to define themselves by creating an "other" as a point of (negative) comparison; her work would be greatly enhanced by exploring the reasons that this might be so.

Average customer rating:
Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and "Race" in New England, 1780-1860.: An article from: Journal of Southern History
Steven M. Stowe
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008I8MKY
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on August 1, 2001. The length of the article is 679 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and "Race" in New England, 1780-1860.
Author: Steven M. Stowe
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2001
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 67 Issue: 3 Page: 651

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books