|
Books > History > History of specific subjects > Local history
Once called the Place de Negres, Congo Square fostered the growth
of jazz and modern dance, while boosting the local economy. Nestled
at the foot of the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium on Rampart
Street, just outside the French Quarter, the Square is an iconic
component of the city. This insightful examination details the
history of the area from its roots in the French Colonial period to
the present day. Sections of the book discuss Congo Square's origin
as a public market, which began to take shape in the 1740s and
1750s. Because slaves were exempt from work on Sundays, they
gathered along the edge of the City Commons to sell goods. This
also became the site for the Congo Circus, which featured
carousels, acrobats, and other amusements. The author also notes
the factors that brought an end to Congo Square activities,
including competition from the Treme Market, the 1834 construction
of a parish prison nearby, and the prohibition of public dances in
1856. The book includes a map depicting the plan for Congo Square;
drawings of such instruments as a congaa and an ogororo, which were
used during the public gatherings; and illustrations of the
dancers. In-depth explanations accompany each drawing.
It's not the economy, stupid: How liberal politicians' faith in the
healing powers of economic growth-and refusal to address racial
divisions-fueled reactionary politics across the South. From FDR to
Clinton, charismatic Democratic leaders have promised a New South-a
model of social equality and economic opportunity that is always
just around the corner. So how did the region become the stronghold
of conservative Republicans in thrall to Donald Trump? After a
lifetime studying Southern politics, Anthony Badger has come to a
provocative conclusion: white liberals failed because they put
their faith in policy solutions as an engine for social change and
were reluctant to confront directly the explosive racial politics
dividing their constituents. After World War II, many Americans
believed that if the edifice of racial segregation, white
supremacy, and voter disfranchisement could be dismantled across
the South, the forces of liberalism would prevail. Hopeful that
economic modernization and education would bring about gradual
racial change, Southern moderates were rattled when civil rights
protest and federal intervention forced their hand. Most were
fatalistic in the face of massive resistance. When the end of
segregation became inevitable, it was largely driven by activists
and mediated by Republican businessmen. Badger follows the senators
who refused to sign the Southern Manifesto and rejected Nixon's
Southern Strategy. He considers the dilemmas liberals faced across
the South, arguing that their failure cannot be blamed simply on
entrenched racism. Conservative triumph was not inevitable, he
argues, before pointing to specific false steps and missed
opportunities. Could the biracial coalition of low-income voters
that liberal politicians keep counting on finally materialize?
Badger sees hope but urges Democrats not to be too complacent.
While canvassing for the Scottish independence referendum in 2014
Neil Findlay made a discovery. Visiting the home that used to be
his grandparents', he was shown a plywood panel where John 'Jock'
Findlay, his grandfather, had written his life's tale. This is
Jock's story. Jock grew up and grew old in the West Lothian village
of Pumpherston - a village dominated by one industry, shale oil
mining. In his own words he describes the good times, and the hard
times, of living and working in Pumpherston. This is a story about
a Scottish industry, a village and, most of all, a community.
The African American Community in Rural New England is the often
heroic tale of a small group of African Americans who founded and
have maintained their church in a small New England town for nearly
140 years. The church is the Clinton African Methodist Episcopal
Zion Church and the town is Great Barrington, Massachusetts - the
hometown of the leading African American scholar and activist W. E.
B. Du Bois. Du Bois attended the church as a youth and wrote about
it; these writings are one source for this history. The book gives
readers a broad view of the details of the church's history and
recounts the story of its growth. Du Bois plays a crucial role in
the national fight for social justice, of which the church was and
remains an important part.
Audubon Park's journey from farmland to cityscape The study of
Audubon Park's origins, maturation, and disappearance is at root
the study of a rural society evolving into an urban community, an
examination of the relationship between people and the land they
inhabit. When John James Audubon bought fourteen acres of northern
Manhattan farmland in 1841, he set in motion a chain of events that
moved forward inexorably to the streetscape that emerged seven
decades later. The story of how that happened makes up the pages of
The Neighborhood Manhattan Forgot: Audubon Park and the Families
Who Shaped It. This fully illustrated history peels back the many
layers of a rural society evolving into an urban community,
enlivened by the people who propelled it forward: property owners,
tenants, laborers, and servants. The Neighborhood Manhattan Forgot
tells the intricate tale of how individual choices in the face of
family dysfunction, economic crises, technological developments,
and the myriad daily occurrences that elicit personal reflection
and change of course pushed Audubon Park forward to the cityscape
that distinguishes the neighborhood today. A longtime evangelist
for Manhattan's Audubon Park neighborhood, author Matthew Spady
delves deep into the lives of the two families most responsible
over time for the anomalous arrangement of today's streetscape: the
Audubons and the Grinnells. Buoyed by his extensive research, Spady
reveals the darker truth behind John James Audubon (1785-1851), a
towering patriarch who consumed the lives of his family members in
pursuit of his own goals. He then narrates how fifty years after
Audubon's death, George Bird Grinnell (1849-1938) and his siblings
found themselves the owners of extensive property that was not
yielding sufficient income to pay taxes, insurance, and
maintenance. Like the Audubons, they planned an exit strategy for
controlled change that would have an unexpected ending. Beginning
with the Audubons' return to America in 1839, The Neighborhood
Manhattan Forgot follows the many twists and turns of the area's
path from forest to city, ending in the twenty-first century with
the Audubon name re-purposed in today's historic district, a
multiethnic, multi-racial urban neighborhood far removed from the
homogeneous, Eurocentric Audubon Park suburb.
The first and fullest account of the suppressed history and
continuing presence of Native Americans in Washington, DC
Washington, DC, is Indian land, but Indigenous peoples are often
left out of the national narrative of the United States and erased
in the capital city. To redress this myth of invisibility,
Indigenous DC shines a light upon the oft-overlooked contributions
of tribal leaders and politicians, artists and activists to the
rich history of the District of Columbia, and their imprint-at
times memorialized in physical representations, and at other times
living on only through oral history-upon this place. Inspired by
author Elizabeth Rule's award-winning public history mobile app and
decolonial mapping project Guide to Indigenous DC, this book brings
together the original inhabitants who call the District their
traditional territory, the diverse Indigenous diaspora who has made
community here, and the land itself in a narrative arc that makes
clear that all land is Native land. The acknowledgment that DC is
an Indigenous space inserts the Indigenous perspective into the
national narrative and opens the door for future possibilities of
Indigenous empowerment and sovereignty. This important book is a
valuable and informational resource on both Washington, DC,
regional history and Native American history.
'Since man uttered his first word he has been telling stories for
entertainment, to serve as warnings and to simply pass the time.'
Huddled up against the end of Hadrian's Wall, the county of Tyne
and Wear is known for its wealth of historical sites, for castles,
the Venerable Bede, and stotty cakes. But did you know about
Sunderland's brush with the greatest liar on earth, or the
widespread mesmerism of the Victorian era? And what's the
connection with all these Americans? This is an eclectic collection
of local characters and historical oddities, of short (and tall)
tales that perfectly illustrate just how weird Tyne and Wear can
truly be.
These folk tales reflect the wild and secret character of between
two countries and two worlds. The book other magical characters
such as the Netherwitton worm who guards a secret well and the
Hedley Kow that plays audacious tricks on humans. Accompanying
these, there is the sound of human feet; saints seek refuge,
ancient kings fight for land and salvation, and border folk pit
themselves against one another with both wit and sword. Illustrated
with thirty beautiful and evocative drawings by Rachel Edwards,
this panoply of characters, together with ghosts, witches and the
land itself, is brought to life by professional storyteller Malcolm
Green.
This book examines the many ways in which the New Deal revived
Texas's economic structure after the 1929 collapse. Ronald Goodwin
analyzes how Franklin Roosevelt's initiative, and in particular,
the Work Progress Administration, remedied rampant unemployment and
homelessness in twentieth-century Texas.
For readers of Laura Hillenbrand's "Seabiscuit" and "Unbroken," the
dramatic story of the American rowing team that stunned the world
at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics
"
"Daniel James Brown's robust book tells the story of the University
of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an
Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed
the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers,
shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first
from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew
rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.
The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a
teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but
to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call
home. The crew is assembled by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a
visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in
each other that makes them a victorious team. They remind the
country of what can be done when everyone quite literally pulls
together--a perfect melding of commitment, determination, and
optimism.
Drawing on the boys' own diaries and journals, their photos and
memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, "The Boys in the
Boat "is an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding
hope in the most desperate of times--the improbable, intimate story
of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the
depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit
really meant. It will appeal to readers of Erik Larson, Timothy
Egan, James Bradley, and David Halberstam's "The Amateurs."
The story of how one ethnic neighborhood came to signify a shared
Korean American identity. At the turn of the twenty-first century,
Los Angeles County's Korean population stood at about 186,000-the
largest concentration of Koreans outside of Asia. Most of this
growth took place following the passage of the Hart-Celler Act of
1965, which dramatically altered US immigration policy and ushered
in a new era of mass immigration, particularly from Asia and Latin
America. By the 1970s, Korean immigrants were seeking to turn the
area around Olympic Boulevard near downtown Los Angeles into a
full-fledged "Koreatown," and over the following decades, they
continued to build a community in LA. As Korean immigrants seized
the opportunity to purchase inexpensive commercial and residential
property and transformed the area to serve their community's needs,
other minority communities in nearby South LA-notably Black and
Latino working-class communities-faced increasing segregation,
urban poverty, and displacement. Beginning with the early
development of LA's Koreatown and culminating with the 1992 Los
Angeles riots and their aftermath, Shelley Sang-Hee Lee
demonstrates how Korean Americans' lives were shaped by patterns of
racial segregation and urban poverty, and legacies of anti-Asian
racism and orientalism. Koreatown, Los Angeles tells the story of
an American ethnic community often equated with socioeconomic
achievement and assimilation, but whose experiences as racial
minorities and immigrant outsiders illuminate key economic and
cultural developments in the United States since 1965. Lee argues
that building Koreatown was an urgent objective for Korean
immigrants and US-born Koreans eager to carve out a spatial niche
within Los Angeles to serve as an economic and social anchor for
their growing community. More than a dot on a map, Koreatown holds
profound emotional significance for Korean immigrants across the
nation as a symbol of their shared bonds and place in American
society.
This classic, illustrated book tells the story of the famous
faithful Skye terrier, Greyfriars Bobby, who watched over his
master's grave for 14 years in Greyfriars Churchyard, Edinburgh.
The Corbies series brings the heroes and rogues, triumphs and
tragedies of Scottish history vibrantly into life.
With bountiful salmon and fertile plains, the Duwamish River has
drawn people to its shores over the centuries for trading,
transport, and sustenance. Chief Se'alth and his allies fished and
lived in villages here and white settlers established their first
settlements nearby. Industrialists later straightened the river's
natural turns and built factories on its banks, floating in raw
materials and shipping out airplane parts, cement, and steel.
Unfortunately, the very utility of the river has been its undoing,
as decades of dumping led to the river being declared a Superfund
cleanup site. Using previously unpublished accounts by Indigenous
people and settlers, BJ Cummings's compelling narrative restores
the Duwamish River to its central place in Seattle and Pacific
Northwest history. Writing from the perspective of environmental
justice-and herself a key figure in river restoration
efforts-Cummings vividly portrays the people and conflicts that
shaped the region's culture and natural environment. She conducted
research with members of the Duwamish Tribe, with whom she has long
worked as an advocate. Cummings shares the river's story as a call
for action in aligning decisions about the river and its future
with values of collaboration, respect, and justice.
An affectionate, light-hearted and nostalgic look back at the Isles
of Scilly of the 20th Century through the photographs of Ena
Reseigh.
Major General Lewis A. Grant was one of Vermont's greatest heroes
in the Civil War. He organized the Fifth Vermont in 1861 and led
the First Vermont Brigade from February 1863 to June 1865. He
participated in 22 battles; most notable were Savage's Station in
1862, Marye's Heights and Bank's Ford in 1863, the Wilderness,
Spotsylvania Court House, and Cedar Creek in 1864, and the
breakthrough of the Confederate lines in 1865. He was selected by
General Meade to lead the brigade to suppress the Draft Riots in
New York after Gettysburg, and also, to defend the Brock Road in
the Battle of the Wilderness. He personally discovered the weak
point in the confederate lines at Petersburg and was honored by
having his brigade lead the assault on April 2, 1865, action which
quickly led to the end of the war.
A rare and evocative memoir of a respected constitutional scholar,
dedicated public servant, political reformer, and facilitator of
peace in the land of his ancestors. John D. Feerick's life has all
the elements of a modern Horatio Alger story: the poor boy who
achieves success by dint of his hard work. But Feerick brought
other elements to that classic American success story: his deep
religious faith, his integrity, and his paramount concern for
social justice. In his memoir, That Further Shore, Feerick shares
his inspiring story, from his humble beginnings: born to immigrant
parents in the South Bronx, going on to practice law, participating
in framing the U.S. Constitution's Twenty-Fifth Amendment, serving
as dean of Fordham Law, and serving as President of the New York
City Bar Association and chair of state commissions on government
integrity. Beginning with Feerick's ancestry and early life
experiences, including a detailed genealogical description of
Feerick's Irish ancestors in County Mayo and his laborious quest to
identify them and their relationships with one another, the book
then presents an evocative survey of the now-vanished world of a
working-class Irish Catholic neighborhood in the South Bronx.
Feerick's account of how he financed his education from elementary
school through law school is a moving tribute to the immigrant work
ethic that he inherited from his parents and shared with many young
Americans of his generation. The book then traces Feerick's career
as a lawyer and how he gave up a lucrative partnership in a
prestigious New York City law firm at an early age to accept the
office of Dean of the Fordham School of Law at a fraction of his
previous income because he felt it was time to give back something
to the world. John Feerick has consistently shown his commitment to
the law as a vocation as well as a profession by his efforts to
protect the rights of the poor, to enable minorities to achieve
their rightful places in American society, and to combat political
corruption. That Further Shore is an inspiring memoir of how one
humble and decent man helped to make America a more just and
equitable society.
There is a history of Leicester that is hidden from view, or simply
not recognised today because it is so familiar. There are Norman
and medieval arches below landmark buildings, mosaics beneath the
Central Ring Road and the remains of the town's first railway
station just minutes away from a major hotel. 'Secret Leicester'
goes behind the facades of the familiar to discover the
lesser-known artefacts of Leicester's fascinating past, brought to
life through revealing images of the past and the present.
The Hoo Peninsula is located on the north Kent coast 30 miles east
of Central London. This book raises awareness of the positive
contribution that the historic environment makes to the Hoo
Peninsula by describing how changing patterns of land use and
maritime activity over time have given this landscape and seascape
its distinctive character. It uses new information, which involved
historic landscape, seascape and farmstead characterisation, aerial
photographic mapping and analysis, area assessment of the
buildings, detailed survey of key sites and other desk-based
research. It takes a thematic view of the major influences on the
history and development of the Hoo Peninsula and demonstrates the
role that the Peninsula plays in the national story. The book is an
important step towards changing the perception that the Hoo
Peninsula is an out-of-the-way area, scarred by past development,
where the landscape has no heritage value and major infrastructure
can be developed with minimum objection.
|
|