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de Tocqueville, Alexis,
DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA. (New American Library, 2004). NEW copy. Remainder mark on bottom edge of book. TRADE PAPERBACK.
376 pages.
~~~ In this landmark work, de Tocqueville vividly describes the unprecedented social
equality he found in America and explores its implications. His book provides enduring insight
into the political consequences of widespread property ownership, the potential dangers to
liberty inherent in majority rule, the importance of civil institutions in a culture dominated by
the pursuit of self-interest, and the vital role of religion in American life, while prophetically
probing the deep divide between free and slave states.
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Wilkinson, David Marion,
OBLIVION'S ALTAR: A Novel of Courage. (New American Library, 2002). NEW copy. Remainder mark on bottom edge of book. TRADE PAPERBACK.
376 pages.
~~~ From Publisher's Weekly: "All men were not always created equal in the eyes of the federal government, and the Cherokee fared
particularly badly in the 19th century. In his passionate third novel, Spur Award-finalist Wilkinson (Empty
Quarter; Not Between Brothers) spans six decades-from 1776 to 1839-in addrressing the plight of Ridge, a
great Cherokee chieftain. Ridge was originally called Kah-nung-da-tla-geh, the Man Who Walks the
Mountaintops.
He was born in Georgia, where the Cherokee were known as the Civilized Tribes because they adapted
easily to the white man's customs of dress, language and farming, with a parallel government and their own
constitution. Ridge, a warrior and chief, is also a rich Cherokee farmer who believes in the strength of the
treaties and the words of Pres. Andrew Jackson. What he does not understand is that the treaties are merely
paper and that Jackson will not raise a finger to help the Indians in a vicious land dispute with the states.
Ridge encourages education as a means to beat the whites at their own game. His son becomes a lawyer and
represents the Cherokees in court. Even when the Cherokees win the court cases, however, the government ignores
the law and the Cherokees are driven from their lands by force, following the Trail of Tears westward. Ridge is
a tragic hero, a good man who did everything he could to protect his people, but who is ultimately betrayed by
both the whites and his Indian brothers. Solidly based on historical fact, Wilkinson's tale packs a strong
emotional punch and cannot help but make readers wonder which side was the most civilized after all."
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Bordewich, Fergus M.,
BOUND FOR CANAAN: The The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America.
NEW copy, hardcover with dust jacket.
(Armistad Press). 540 pages.
~~~
The Civil War brought to a climax the country's bitter division. But the
beginnings of slavery's denouement can be traced to a courageous band of
ordinary Americans, black and white, slave and free, who joined forces to
create what would come to be known as the Underground Railroad, a movement
that occupies as romantic a place in the nation's imagination as the Lewis
and Clark expedition. The true story of the Underground Railroad is much more
morally complex and politically divisive than even the myths suggest. Against
a backdrop of the country's westward expansion arose a fierce clash of values
that was nothing less than a war for the country's soul. Not since the American
Revolution had the country engaged in an act of such vast and profound civil
disobedience that not only challenged prevailing mores but also subverted
federal law. Bound for Canaan tells the stories of men and women like David
Ruggles, who invented the black underground in New York City; bold Quakers
like Isaac Hopper and Levi Coffin, who risked their lives to build the
Underground Railroad; and the inimitable Harriet Tubman. Interweaving personal
stories with the politics of slavery and abolition, Bound for Canaan shows how
the Underground Railroad gave birth to this country's first racially integrated,
religiously inspired movement for social change.
$25.00
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Calarco, Tom,
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN THE ADIRONDACK REGION.
NEW copy, trade PAPERBACK. (McFarland, 2004).
94 photos, maps notes, bibliography, index, 303 pp.
~~~~
The story of the Underground Railroad is one of national significance and its success depended on the participation of hundreds of areas throughout the country that operated in unique and independent ways. Each area was distinctive in its geographic location and landscape as well as its societal framework. This work focuses on the contributions of the Adirondack region to the accomplishments of the Underground Railroad, including its collaboration with operatives from Albany to New York City.
~~~
Using what he discovered in more than 10 years of extensive research, Tom Calarco has been able to take, what in northern New York, for years has been considered “legend” and transform it into history. The author utilized abolitionist newspapers such as Friend of Man, Liberator, Pennsylvania Freeman, Emancipator, National Anti-Slavery Standard, and the little known Albany Patriot, that were published weekly from 1841–1848. Combining facts from these published accounts with details uncovered while searching local archives, conferring with community, and collecting unpublished legends, a clear picture emerged of Abolition as a hotly contested, combustible issue in this area commencing in the mid–1830s. With extensive maps, photographs and appendices, key contributors to the cause are identified, abolition meetings and conventions described, maps of the Underground Railroad stations by county provided and the story of blacks and whites working together for justice and righteousness told.
$55.00
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Frazier, Harriet C.,
RUNAWAY AND FREED MISSOURI SLAVES AND THOSE WHO HELPED THEM, 1763-1865.
NEW copy, hardcover. (McFarland, 2004).
Photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index, 224 pp.
~~~~
From the beginning of French rule of Missouri in 1720 through this state’s abolition of slavery in 1865, liberty was always the goal of the vast majority of its enslaved people. The presence in eastern Kansas of a host of abolitionists from New England made slaveholding risky business. Mennonites and Quakers had voiced their detestation of human bondage long before the United States existed. A number of devout persons served time in the Missouri state penitentiary for “slave stealing.”
~~~
Based largely on old newspapers, prison records, pardon papers, and other archival materials, this book is an account of the legal and physical obstacles that slaves faced in their quest for freedom and of the consequences suffered by persons who tried to help them. It looks at the widely held belief in slave states that African Americans thoroughly enjoyed being owned and that they only left their owners because they were enticed by abolitionists. It is an overview of attitudes toward slavery in early American abolitionist writings and the institution’s protection in both the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. It discusses the experiences of particular individuals such as Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave and seamstress who became Mary Todd Lincoln’s best friend after President Lincoln’s assassination. It also examines the Underground Railroad on Missouri’s borders. Four appendices provide details from two Spanish colonial census reports, a list of abolitionist prison inmates with details about their time served, and the percentages of African Americans still in bondage in 16 jurisdictions from 1820 to 1860.
$55.00
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Hudson, J. Blaine,
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
NEW copy, hardcover. (McFarland, 2006).
Appendices, bibliography, index, 316 pp.
~~~~
Born November 10, 1818, John Todd grew up in the rural area surrounding Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The most formative experience of his life was attending college in Oberlin, Ohio. A one-of-a-kind educational institution, Oberlin College was fully integrated—allowing men and women, black and white, to attend the same classes—at a time when the entire country was in a racial upheaval. As a result, Oberlin turned out a group of men and women almost devoid of racial prejudice. It was from this pool of graduates that many of the founders of Tabor, Iowa, were drawn. They were determined to found an Oberlin-like college in the westernmost territory of the United States, so it was no surprise that this group quickly became active in the Underground Railroad and other abolitionist activities.
~~~
This biography details the life of the Reverend John Todd and presents the story of the Underground Railroad Station in Tabor. With the life of Todd as a common thread, the book explores how the station began and the noble purposes behind its birth. From the beginning of Todd’s career at Oberlin College, the book follows him from an unsatisfying first pastorate to the site of his life’s work in Tabor, where he would provide spiritual guidance and leadership, along with friend George Gaston, for the settlement. The work covers the prewar construction of the Tabor Literary Institute, which was beset by financial and administrative difficulties from the beginning. With a singleness of purpose spurred on by Todd and Gaston, the residents of Tabor joined in the abolitionist movement through participation not only in the Underground Railroad but in the Jim Lane Trail and Kansas Free State Movement as well. John Brown was in and out of Tabor on many occasions, bringing escaped slaves with him. Todd’s service in the Union Army and jubilation with the Federal victory are also discussed. An appendix contains various letters and documents pertaining to the Todd family, the Underground Railroad and other abolitionist activities.
$75.00
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Hudson, J. Blaine,
FUGITIVE SLAVES AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN THE
KENTUCKY BORDERLAND
NEW copy, trade PAPERBACK. (McFarland, 2002).
Illustrations, maps, appendices, bibliography, index, 215 pp.
~~~~
Between 1783 and 1860, more than 100,000 enslaved African Americans escaped across the border between slave and free territory in search of freedom. Most of these escapes were unaided, but as the American anti-slavery movement became more militant after 1830, assisted escapes became more common. Help came from the Underground Railroad, which still stands as one of the most powerful and sustained multiracial human rights movements in world history.
~~~
This work examines and interprets the available historical evidence about fugitive slaves and the Underground Railroad in Kentucky, the southernmost sections of the free states bordering Kentucky along the Ohio River, and, to a lesser extent, the slave states to the immediate south. Kentucky was central to the Underground Railroad because its northern boundary, the Ohio River, represented a three hundred mile boundary between slavery and nominal freedom. The book examines the landscape of Kentucky and the surrounding states; fugitive slaves before 1850, in the 1850s and during the Civil War; and their motivations and escape strategies and the risks involved with escape. The reasons why people broke law and social convention to befriend fugitive slaves, common escape routes, crossing points through Kentucky from Tennessee and points south, and specific individuals who provided assistance—all are topics covered.
$55.00
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Morgans, James Patrick,
JOHN TODD AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD:
Biography of an Iowa Abolitionist.
NEW copy, trade PAPERBACK. (McFarland, 2006).
Photos, appendix, bibliography, index, 224 pp.
~~~~
Born November 10, 1818, John Todd grew up in the rural area surrounding Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The most formative experience of his life was attending college in Oberlin, Ohio. A one-of-a-kind educational institution, Oberlin College was fully integrated—allowing men and women, black and white, to attend the same classes—at a time when the entire country was in a racial upheaval. As a result, Oberlin turned out a group of men and women almost devoid of racial prejudice. It was from this pool of graduates that many of the founders of Tabor, Iowa, were drawn. They were determined to found an Oberlin-like college in the westernmost territory of the United States, so it was no surprise that this group quickly became active in the Underground Railroad and other abolitionist activities.
~~~
This biography details the life of the Reverend John Todd and presents the story of the Underground Railroad Station in Tabor. With the life of Todd as a common thread, the book explores how the station began and the noble purposes behind its birth. From the beginning of Todd’s career at Oberlin College, the book follows him from an unsatisfying first pastorate to the site of his life’s work in Tabor, where he would provide spiritual guidance and leadership, along with friend George Gaston, for the settlement. The work covers the prewar construction of the Tabor Literary Institute, which was beset by financial and administrative difficulties from the beginning. With a singleness of purpose spurred on by Todd and Gaston, the residents of Tabor joined in the abolitionist movement through participation not only in the Underground Railroad but in the Jim Lane Trail and Kansas Free State Movement as well. John Brown was in and out of Tabor on many occasions, bringing escaped slaves with him. Todd’s service in the Union Army and jubilation with the Federal victory are also discussed. An appendix contains various letters and documents pertaining to the Todd family, the Underground Railroad and other abolitionist activities.
$35.00
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Calarco, Tom,
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN WESTERN ILLINOIS.
NEW copy, hardcover. (McFarland, 2008).
Photos, maps notes, bibliography, index, 199 pp.
~~~~
Fugitives fleeing from slavery in Kentucky, Missouri, and points farther south traversed the entire state of Illinois while moving northward. But they were most likely to receive help from Underground railroad operators if they passed through western Illinois, where a good number of Underground Railroad agents lived.
~~~
This book briefly discusses the Underground Railroad throughout the United States and all of Illinois. It addresses at length the activities of Underground Railroad operators, both black and white, in western Illinois. The compelling efforts of these people have been surprisingly neglected; this book examines in detail their significant contributions to this heroic chapter in American history.
$45.00
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Peters, Pamela R,
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN FLOYD COUNTY, INDIANA.
NEW copy, trade PAPERBACK. (McFarland, 2001).
Photos, maps appendices, bibliography, index, 224 pp.
~~~~
Floyd County, Indiana, and its county seat, New Albany, are located directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville was a major slave-trade center, and Indiana was a free state. Many slaves fled to Floyd County via the Underground Railroad, but their fight for freedom did not end once they reached Indiana. Sufficient information on slaves coming to and through this important area may be found in court records, newspaper stories, oral history accounts, and other materials that a full and fascinating history is possible, one detailing the struggles that runaway slaves faced in Floyd County, such as local, state, and federal laws working together to keep them from advancing socially, politically, and economically. This work also discusses the attitudes, people, and places that help in explaining the successes and heartaches of escaping slaves in Floyd County. Included are a number of freedom and manumission papers, which provided court certification of the freedom of former slaves.
$50.00
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(Webster), Shewmaker, Stevens, McGunn & Berolzheimer (eds),
THE PAPERS
OF DANIEL WEBSTER: DIPLOMATIC PAPERS I & II.
University Press of New England for Dartmouth College., First Edition. NEW,
pristine condition. Two volumes: DIPLOMATIC PAPERS 1, 1841-1843 (960 pages) and
DIPLOMATIC PAPERS 2, 1850-1852 (820 pages).
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Wilentz, Sean,
THE RISE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: Jefferson to Lincoln.
NEW copy. Hardcover with dust jacket.
(NY: WW Norton & Co, 2005). 75 plates, many in color.
Extensive notes, index, 1044 pages.
~~~ From Kirkus Reviews:
"Is the U.S. a democracy, or a republic? As Wilentz (History/Princeton
Univ.) shows in this sprawling account, Americans debated the issue from
the post-revolutionary era to the Civil War. In classical terms, a
republic is governed 'through the ministrations of the most worthy,
enlightened men,' whereas a democracy 'dangerously handed power to the
impassioned, unenlightened masses.' One-time revolutionary firebrand
Noah Webster so mistrusted the mob that, he thundered, had he foreseen
popular rule, he would never have fought for freedom; even Thomas
Jefferson, that most impassioned of democrats, allowed that given a free
choice, the public chose wrongly more often than not. Democracy as such
was an oxymoron, Wilentz observes, with power limited to white propertied
men in the early days of the republic; the extension of rights throughout
the 19th century to a wider polity was a matter of fierce fighting, and
eventually war. The battle over just who was to be in charge began
almost as soon as national freedom was achieved, an early test,
Wilentz writes, being the Whisky Rebellion of 1794, fought by country
people against an excise tax on distilled liquor imposed by urbanite
arch-republican Alexander Hamilton. As the contest expanded, Wilentz
notes, some of the differences between country and city people gave
way to other divisions, and by the time Andrew Jackson ran for office
in 1824, the gulf between North and South was beginning to widen (as,
for a time, was that between those who believed in a cash economy and
those who argued for the merits of credit). Abraham Lincoln, though
deeply committed to democratic values, would insist on the supremacy
of federal over states' rights, while thenominally democratic leaders
of the South meant to exalt 'the supreme political power of local elites.'
Wilentz shows that none of these battles was new when Lincoln took office;
in some respects, they are still being fought today. Wilentz's book, though
very long, wastes no words. A well-crafted, highly readable political history.
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