| A Rogue's Paradise: Crime and Punishment in Antebellum Florida, 1821-1861 First Edition, Edition Contributor(s): Denham, James M. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0817352368 ISBN-13: 9780817352363 Publisher: University Alabama Press OUR PRICE: $37.95 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: March 2005 Annotation: James M. Denham traces the growth and social development of this sparsely settled region through its experience with crime and punishment. Along the way, he examines such issues as Florida's criminal code, its judicial and law enforcement officers, the accommodation of criminals in jails and courts, outlaw gangs, patterns of punishment, and the attitude of the public toward lawbreakers. He tells much of this story through the lives of those who participated in Florida's criminal justice system at all levels: criminal, constable, sheriff, judge, jury member, and victim. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - 19th Century - Social Science | Criminology - History | United States - State & Local - South (al,ar,fl,ga,ky,la,ms,nc,sc,tn,va,wv) |
| Dewey: 364.975 |
| LCCN: 96024837 |
| Physical Information: 1.17" H x 6.08" W x 8.98" (1.29 lbs) 385 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1800-1850 - Geographic Orientation - Florida - Cultural Region - South Atlantic - Cultural Region - Southeast U.S. - Chronological Period - 19th Century |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Denham's study constitutes a fascinating and revealing portrait of lawbreaking and law enforcement on the Florida frontier. The pervasive influence of the frontier is fundamental to an understanding of antebellum Florida. James M. Denham traces the growth and social development of this sparsely settled region through its experience with crime and punishment. He examines such issues as Florida's criminal code, its judicial and law enforcement officers, the accommodation of criminals in jails and courts, outlaw gangs, patterns of punishment, and the attitude of the public toward lawbreakers. Using court records, government documents, newspapers, and personal papers, Denham explores how crime affected ordinary Floridians -- whites and blacks, perpetrators, victims, and enforcers. He contends that although the frontier determined the enforcement and administration of the law, the ethic of honor dominated human relationships. In this exciting and invaluable study, James M. Denham, using appropriate but neglected sources, carefully describes and analyzes violence, crime, and punishment in antebellum Florida. -- Grady McWhiney Anyone who finds state studies too narrow an approach will have to reconsider their reservations in light of this thorough, analytical, and lively study of Florida's system of criminal justice. Culling the Florida courthouse records, James Denham offers rich examples to illustrate how lawlessness flourished both inside and outside the astonishingly homicidal household. His perceptions shed light on habits of justice and mayhem along a Southern frontier that stretched beyond Florida's border to Galveston Bay. In sophisticated fashion, Denham has reaffirmed justhow violent was the Cavalier South. -- Bertram Wyatt-Brown University of Florida A fine book. The research is exhaustive, Denham's reasoning is thoughtful and instructive, and his style is lively and informative. This is a solid addition to the social history of antebellum Florida and a must read for scholars and buffs alike. -- Arch Fredric Blakey University of Florida |