During his brief yet remarkable career; abolitionist Charles Torrey -- called the "father of the Underground Railroad" by his peers -- assisted almost four hundred slaves in gaining their freedom. A Yale graduate and an ordained minister; Torrey set up a well-organized route for escaped slaves traveling from Washington and Baltimore to Philadelphia and Albany. Arrested in Baltimore in 1844 for his activities; Torrey spent two years in prison before he succumbed to tuberculosis. By then; other abolitionists widely recognized and celebrated Torrey's exploits: running wagonloads of slaves northward in the night; dodging slave catchers and sheriffs; and involving members of Congress in his schemes. Nonetheless; the historiography of abolitionism has largely overlooked Torrey's fascinating and compelling story. The Martyrdom of Abolitionist Charles Torrey presents the first comprehensive biography of one of America's most dedicated abolitionists. According to author E. Fuller Torrey; a distant relative; Charles Torrey pushed the abolitionist movement to become more political and active. He helped advance the faction that challenged the leadership of William Lloyd Garrison; provoking an irreversible schism in the movement and making Torrey and Garrison bitter enemies. Torrey played an important role in the formation of the Liberty Party and in the emergence of political abolitionism. Not satisfied with the slow pace of change; he also pioneered aggressive abolitionism by personally freeing slaves; likely liberating more than any other person. In doing so; he inspired many others; including John Brown; who cited Torrey as one of his role models. E. Fuller Torrey's study not only fills a substantial gap in the history of abolitionism but restores Charles Torrey to his rightful place as one of the most dedicated and significant abolitionists in American history.
#1128580 in Books Mary Gorton McBride 2007-05-01 2007-05-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.28 x 1.11 x 6.40l; 1.40 #File Name: 0807132349336 pagesRandall Lee Gibson of Louisiana
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Perfect deal!By Joe WassonEverything worked as it's supposed to work. Great book; great service!! Mr. Gibson was a good and amazing man.7 of 9 people found the following review helpful. excellent; thorough; balanced; fascinatingBy Amanda WarrenFirst; I respectfully but emphatically disagree with the review entitled "Revisionist History." I am of Southern heritage and as sensitive as anyone about unfair; hypocritical attacks on the South's historic and ongoing race issues. I also deplore dogmatic; academic-speak; one-track; revisionist history; and find it pointless and simplistic to judge prior generations based on modern values--but this book does not fall under either of those categories. Unless you hold to another version of revisionism yourself by denying that slavery had anything to do with the Civil War; you will not have a problem with the way the author deals with the subject here. That is just it: she deals with it--in a straightforward manner; neither condemning nor sugar-coating. Contrary to her presenting Southerners as idiots according to the negative reviewer; the author portrays a wide spectrum of humanity struggling to find its footing after enduring unthinkable hardship. I believe that she treated her primary subject as well as his contemporaries both compassionately and realistically. I almost did not buy this book because of the negative review but did so anyway; because of my keen interest in General Gibson after recently discovering a great-great-grandfather who was his kinsman and figured prominently in his story. Now I am glad that I read this book for reasons beyond my personal family connection.This is an excellent; beautifully written treatment of Gen. Gibson's life and times. The author takes care to elaborate for the reader the setting; circumstances; and players in each stage of his personal evolution. Personally; I would have liked to read more about the war itself and less about post-war Louisiana politics. I actually found it difficult to follow the ins and outs of the latter (like Grant; who is quoted in the book as saying; "The muddle down there is almost beyond my fathoming"); but this is more my fault than the author's who took pains to explain it in detail. Nevertheless; there are fascinating stories that unfold in this arena--for example; the battle of Canal Street led by General Longstreet!I highly recommend this book to everyone like me who is interested in Civil War history. I have come across brief references to General Gibson in other reading; but always thought of him as a minor player at best. In fact; after the war he became one of the most prominent; nationally respected congressmen of his time. His contributions and achievements during the war have been downplayed by history probably because of his getting on the wrong side of General Bragg and thus being passed over for deserved promotion. (Come to think of it; the author's treatment of General Bragg exemplifies her fair-and-balanced approach. Unlike many historians who vilify him to the point of caricature; she views him as a complex being and attempts to understand how and why misunderstanding and hostility arose within so many of General Bragg's relationships.) Seeing the war in the West unfold from the point of view of an officer on General Gibson's level--that is; below corps command but high up enough to grasp strategy; good and bad--provided a fresh view for me and lent new insight into the intricacies of the Army of Tennessee.This is a great book! Get it; read it; learn; and enjoy.1 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Exciting findBy Donna K. DavidsonI was excited to find a book written about my Great Great Great Great Grandfather while doing a genealogy of our family.Feel like I have a bit of "family" in my hands now when I read about RAndall Lee. Thank you!
