In this engagingly written biography; Tamara Plakins Thornton delves into the life and work of Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838); a man Thomas Jefferson once called a "meteor in the hemisphere." Bowditch was a mathematician; astronomer; navigator; seafarer; and business executive whose Enlightenment-inspired perspectives shaped nineteenth-century capitalism while transforming American life more broadly. Enthralled with the precision and certainty of numbers and the unerring regularity of the physical universe; Bowditch operated and represented some of New England's most powerful institutions—from financial corporations to Harvard College—as clockwork mechanisms. By examining Bowditch's pathbreaking approaches to institutions; as well as the political and social controversies they provoked; Thornton's biography sheds new light on the rise of capitalism; American science; and social elites in the early republic.Fleshing out the multiple careers of Nathaniel Bowditch; this book is at once a lively biography; a window into the birth of bureaucracy; and a portrait of patrician life; giving us a broader; more-nuanced understanding of how powerful capitalists operated during this era and how the emerging quantitative sciences shaped the modern experience.
#909042 in Books Brett Rushforth 2014-02-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.18 x 1.09 x 6.36l; 1.36 #File Name: 1469613867424 pagesBonds of Alliance Indigenous and Atlantic Slaveries in New France Published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and the University of North Carolina Press
Review
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Interesting; thought provoking; and well writtenBy JessicaThis book is good read for anyone interested in the interactions between Europeans and Native Americans in North America. Rushforth discusses practices that have long been ignored. This book takes an in depth look at the practice of slavery in New France (Eastern North America; Great Lakes region) among indigenous groups as well as Europeans.He ties these practices to supposed practices conducted circa AD 1250 (the time of Cahokia); which is much farther back than most go. While I find his discussion on archaeological interpretations somewhat sketchy (he largely only uses one of the prominent viewpoints); I applaud his effort. You rarely find historians willing to venture out of their field.He also nicely links these North American actions with the larger Atlantic World. A point that I'm not sure I completely agree with is his linkage between the marriages "in the custom of the country" to slavery; which is a much stronger interpretation than most have had. Whether you agree with his interpretation or not; it is well worth the read. It provides thought provoking questions on the nature of the relationships between various indigenous groups; as well as between the French; the British; and the various Native Americans.As an archaeologist; I cannot vouch for the accuracy of some of his statements. However; much like archaeology; he can see the evidence in one way where others see it differently.21 of 25 people found the following review helpful. You Can't Please EveryoneBy BRNJTake a look at the reviews (the professional reviews) of this book. Allan Greer; Jim Merrel...I'm inclined to trust the experts over anonymous screeds via product review. Rushforth is a world-class scholar and the Omohundro Institute's publication process is the cream of the crop. Every footnote and source is checked (no other publisher of academic history does this). The charge that one of their books has been "rushed to press" is ridiculuous.If you purchase this book with a realistic idea of what it is trying to accomplish--synthesizing an immense amount of primary sourcework to illuminate an academically neglected part of North America's colonial era--then you will be very pleased with your choice.11 of 14 people found the following review helpful. Groundbreaking treatment of Native slaveriesBy Samuel Brown_Bonds of Alliance_ is a compelling and illuminating treatment of the patterns of Indian slavery in New France. Rushforth treats in great detail the patterns of slavery among Native groups as well as the ways in which French colonizers incorporated versions of those slavery practices. Rushforth treats his subjects with great respect; especially the Natives forced to participate in the systems of slavery. While this work forces a reconsideration of previous ideas about the ways slavery operated in New France; it does so in a coherent; powerful way that leaves little room to doubt his interpretation. I look forward to further work by Rushforth on these fascinating topics. A note to readers with weak stomachs--life in these systems of slavery was brutal and in the process of honoring the lives and suffering of slaves; Rushforth does not hide the dark realities of life in slavery.
