Prisons in the deep South; with chain gangs; shotguns; and bloodhounds; have been immortalized in movies; blues music; and fiction. Mississippi's Parchman State Penitentiary was the grandfather of them all; a hellhole where conditions were brutal. This epic history fills the gap between slavery and the civil rights era; showing how Parchman and Jim Crow justice proved that there could be something worse than slavery. of photos.
#25425 in Books Eric Hobsbawm 1996-11-26 1996-11-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .90 x 5.20l; .61 #File Name: 0679772545354 pagesThe Age of Capital 1848 1875
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. the golden age of bourgeois "liberal" democracyBy Robert J. CrawfordHobsbawm continues his first rate series on the 19C and all the changes that it brought. Coming as it did with the failure of the radical democratic revolutions of 1848; this era is one of relative stability in a tumultuous century. For the moment in an era of steady economic growth; the concerns of the working class fade into the background as societies become part of a global market; authoritarian regimes begin to make some modest concessions; and the bourgeois emerge as the dominant class.As the violent revolutions were smashed by reactionary forces allied to the old regimes; the ruling class nonetheless recognized that it would have to make concessions that favored the development of inchoate democracies. That meant that; with the exception of Russia and Turkey; the traditional authoritarian regimes all but disappeared. In their places arose limited democracies that were powered not by traditional aristocrats; but a new class of industrialists and businessmen. It was an important step towards constitutionalism as the new ideal for the developed world. While weak; with perhaps only 10-20% of the population enfranchised to vote and various authoritarian reactions such as that of Napoleon III; in my opinion this represents great progress.On the economic front; change was rapid and portentous of a transformation of society so fundamental that we are still in the midst of it. First; as factories arose; the cities grew massively with both peasants and immigrants (particularly in the Americas); a huge sea of people in often horrible working conditions and as yet relatively unorganized politically. Second; the world economy began to be connected; forming the first truly global market. Though autarkic regions remained; many areas became integrated in a new kind of trade regime; with monocultures; raw materials in exchange for industrial goods; and a myriad of other arrangements. As a result; slowdowns could become world wide depressions. Third; new technologies enabled and speeded these transitions; particularly in transportation and communications.Societies also changed. Not only did the aristocracy lose its privileged position; but work arrangements became contractual rather than involuntary "stations" one was given or born into. This opened up the "meritocracy" to talent; particularly for the newly rich; who entered government and other elite positions long denied them. Manual laborers were also given a smattering of rights. Education became a national priority; provoking the rise of research universities and huge new academies for military and other administrative functions. In the bourgeois home; status and ownership of things became the new norm; with cultivation of the individual as a new kind of goal. Much of this worked against traditional religion - secularism grew alongside political consciousness. THere were; of course; many in the proletariat and the colonies were excluded and exploited; but their concerns and activism emerge in the next volume.Hobsbawn also covers (in a much more superficial manner) developments in science and the arts. The sciences saw the rise of historicism in the theories of evolution by Darwin; also displacing traditional religion in some quarters. In art; not only did ownship become important to the bourgeois household; but the traditional boundaries were beginning to be questioned; e.g. impressionism in France was replacing realism around 1870.This period abruptly ended as the world fell into the first major global economic depression. Not only did this threaten the fragile status of the new elites; but it saw the rise of true working class revolutionary forces.This series is one of the most fascinating that I have yet encountered. Hobsbawm successfully analyses the configuration of forces emerging better than any other historian of the 19C. It was a period; imho; that brought change as significant as that of the Agricultural Revolution 10;000 years before. Hobsbawm is the best introductory guide with a global perspective.Recommended with the greatest enthusiasm. To write this review; I had to re-read the book three times and loved it each time.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I am interested about history of Europe and how it ...By Peyman ADL DOUSTI HAGHI am interested about history of Europe and how it shaped the rest of the world. The age of capitalism; is story of how the European nations were colonizing the other nations. This is why now we have developing and under developed nations.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. An obviouse Work of Historical geniusBy Paul P.The second book of of Hobsbawm's "The Age of" books is a little denser than the first but still an obvious work of historical genius. A word of warning to the uninformed; Hobsbawm is a communist and displays all of the attendant biases associated with that. It is; none the less; an undeniable fact that he has an unmatched command of his subject and the intellectual qualitys to share said command with controlled grace. A book well worth the read for those interested in either the specific period or the subject of historiography.
