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Book Review: IMPERFECT UNION by Steve Inskeep “How Jessie and John Fremont mapped the west, invented celebrity, and Helped cause the Civil War.” Penguin Press, 2020 Many remember that John Charles Fremont was an American explorer of the mid 19th century. In this book you will not only read about his explorations, but you’ll also learn much about politics, especially the 1856 presidential election, which was the first election for the new political party known as the Republicans. Although Fremont lost the 1856 presidential election, the campaign set the stage for the up and coming republican politician Abraham Lincoln to win the presidency in 1860. This book was sitting innocently enough, on a shelf at the Norwich Public Library, when I was there for another reason, a couple of weeks ago. When I happened to notice it, I immediately recognized the name “Fremont”, and the phrase “mapped the west”. I had to borrow this book. It was a brand new release, so I only had 2 weeks in which to read it. However, there was no one on waiting on a reserve list, so I was able to renew it and finish it a week later. Steve Inskeep is a familiar name to many of us. He has been on National Public Radio for years. He is an excellent writer, and has done in depth research for the book. Steve does a fascinating job of illuminating the relationship between John Fremont, and his wife Jessie, daughter of an influential senator. Jessie was a great force in John's life, helping to increase his popularity through her writing and tireless efforts in support of John Charles Fremont. One of the things I find fascinating is the similarities in politics with that of our age. Back then, the telegraph was brand new, and revolutionized the spread of “news”, allowing newspapers all over the country to obtain stories very quickly. Different newspapers were owned by different people, with a different spin on the same story, depending on their politics. Southern papers in general, supported slavery, and their stories reflected that, while many northern newspapers saw things differently, and their viewpoint reflected that in the way the news of the day was told. As an example, when representative Preston Brooks beat republican senator Charles Sumner with a cane until he was unconscious, the two sides of the slavery issue had very different spins on the story. It’s a fascinating book, and well worth the time reading, especially during this presidential election year. If you enjoy american history, geography, and politics, you’ll find this book is well worth picking up. I highly recommend this book to students of, and those interested in American History, and what we can learn from our past, in order to create a better future. - Bob Totz Old Roads, Rivers and Rails of the Upper Valley oldroadsuppervalley.weebly.com A Portion of the Back Cover of Imperfect Union by Steve Inskeep
4 Comments
Vicki Bacon-Thomas
3/12/2020 03:12:40 pm
Thanks for the recommendation! I'm always looking for new books.
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Bob Totz
3/13/2020 06:43:59 am
You're welcome.
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John Farrell
3/12/2020 03:25:24 pm
Just finished GRANT by Ron Chernow. A great read. I’ll follow up with Fremont
Reply
Bob Totz
3/13/2020 06:46:09 am
I'll be bringing the Fremonts book back to the library today.
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AuthorI'm Bob Totz, retired VT postmaster, and historical geographer ARCHIVES:
October 2021
EXPANDED ARCHIVES: AUGUST 2021 1858 Johnson Map of North America MAY 2021 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" - Part Two Historic Toll House For Sale 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" Part One OCTOBER 2020 Finding That Special Peaceful Place AUGUST 2020 Kayaking on the Pompy JULY 2020 Pt. 2: What the Heck Are These Things? JUNE 2020 Bob's Bio... What the Heck Are These Things? Pt. 1 MAY 2020 Stone Walls and Spirits The View APRIL 2020 Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 2. Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 1. MARCH 2020 Signs of Norwich Pt. 2 COVID-19 Tracking Map Centertown and Valleyquest Signs of Norwich Pt. 1 "Imperfect Union" - Book Review Historic Centertown FEBRUARY 2020 King's Hwy Pt. 2 WRJ Museum at Post Mills Airport Chatauguay Vermont The Independent Farmer poem Traveling Along the King's Highway - Lebanon NH JANUARY 2020 Finding Parkhurst Cemetery In Search of Parkhurst Cemetery Affordable Housing The Old Stone Grill Two Rivers Trail-Kmart License and Registration, Please! Prohibition, Murder and Dr. Seuss Peace, Paris, & P.O. DECEMBER 2019 BLOGGER'S LINKS Welcome to Old Roads Love-Quail Hollow fun Dartmouth Cemetery SEPTEMBER 2019 E. Thetford Cemetery JUNE 2019
Taps: Meetinghouse Cemetery 4-Corners Borders Quest Old Iron Gate Stumbling Upon History Sunrise Walk MAY 2019 4 Corners Cemetery Strafford's Abandoned Foundations Art in Old Stonework APRIL 2019 Strafford Tpke Pt 2 Strafford Tpke Pt 1 White River Valley FEBRUARY 2019 Learning from Historic Maps of the Upper Valley Change in Lewiston VT JANUARY 2019 A Vermont Ski Waltz John Ledyard 1773 What is the Upper Valley? DECEMBER 2018 Dartmouth Green Music Video: Sometimes Music Video: Montreal Express Railway Disaster of 1887 |