The famous call of Emma Lazarus to the Old World to "give me your tired; your poor; your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" led approximately 35 million immigrants to America between 1800 and 1921. Indeed; the unique story of America is that of the interaction of the native peoples with wave upon wave of people emigrating from their homelands; including; of course; the enslavement and forced movement of millions of Africans. Chapter by chapter the book chronicles the influx of whole populations into the United States; form the earliest European settlers of the 17th century to the Asian immigration of the 20th. The tales of Chinese; Italian; Irish; Jewish; African; English; German; and Scandinavian new comers are all made more poignant by the inclusion of evocative archival photographs from the period. A New World charts the extraordinary development of a country built by an unprecedented number of different peoples.
#2497048 in Books James Henry Hammond 1997-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .85 x 5.98l; 1.35 #File Name: 157003222X380 pagesSecret and Sacred The Diaries of James Henry Hammond a Southern Slaveholder
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Look Away Dixie!By G. DexterSecret and Sacred gives an eye-opening glimpse into mid-nineteenth century South Carolina power and politics. And who better to lead the bizarre journey than wealthy planter-class James Henry Hammond? The one-time US Senator and SC Governor lets us look into his skewed view of morality; slavery; nullification and the all important states rights issues which plunged this country into its darkest hours of Civil War. Hammond's thought process is driven by greed; revenge and an exceedingly over-developed sex drive. After having been caught in an ongoing sexual triste with famous Gen. Wade Hampton's 3 under aged daughters; he incredulously manages to justify his actions and demonize the young girls! His own wife leaves Hammond after he refuses to give up his slave mistress. He eventually dumps his slave mistress to take up with her 12 year-old daughter as his new mistress! Complaining incessantly in the pages of his diary; he sees his own death and demise as often as the sun rises. It is quite amazing that this diary had not been seriously edited down by subsequent generations of Hammonds in an effort to restore some inkling of reputation. It is what it is; an incredibly candid and private look inside the life and logic of a southern statesman. At times; Hammond loses me in all of his explanations on his nullification stance; but just as quickly; lures me back in by his next rant or rave. Today; he could not hide behind his class and would be vilified in spite of his power and money. In today's world; this type of personality and resulting actions go hand in hand with serious drug abuse. With a son who died as a "morphine eater" and a daughter who also consumed morphine; I'm left wondering if much of what is written and thought by an obviously brilliant mind wasn't driven by a life-long addiction. The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree. This is a great read for anyone; period. Hollywood has yet to discover the sordid world of James Henry Hammond; for if they did; it would make for a spellbinding cinematic treat.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy ReevesGood read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Richard L. SellersInteresting book
