| Excursion Through the Slave States, from Washington on the Potomac to the Frontier of Mexico: With Sketches of Popular Manners and Geological Notices Contributor(s): Featherstonhaugh, George William (Author) |
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ISBN: 1108032818 ISBN-13: 9781108032810 Publisher: Cambridge University Press OUR PRICE: $46.54 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: September 2011 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Travel | Essays & Travelogues - Social Science - History | United States - 19th Century |
| Dewey: 917 |
| Series: Cambridge Library Collection - North American History |
| Physical Information: 0.92" H x 5.5" W x 8.5" (1.15 lbs) 412 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 19th Century |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The English geologist George William Featherstonhaugh (1780-1866) was commissioned to undertake a survey of the Arkansas territory in America, and spent 1834-5 travelling through the southern slave states to reach his destination. He was shocked by the slave system of the south, saying he 'had never seen so revolting a sight'. When he began to write about his experiences, Featherstonhaugh was urged not to publish his work in the US, as his opinions might 'irritate a powerful interest', and his manuscript remained unpublished until 1844, after his return to England. His lively two-volume account of his adventures contains a fascinating mixture of scientific and sociological detail. It is a closely observed record of Southern society in the period before the Civil War that candidly documents the violence experienced by Black slaves, Native Americans and frontier settlers. Volume 2 describes the geography and inhabitants of Arksansas and New Orleans. |