Shane K. Bernard’s Teche examines this legendary waterway of the American Deep South. Bernard delves into the bayou’s geologic formation as a vestige of the Mississippi and Red Rivers; its prehistoric Native American occupation; and its colonial settlement by French; Spanish; and; eventually; Anglo-American pioneers. He surveys the coming of indigo; cotton; and sugar; steam-powered sugar mills and riverboats; and the brutal institution of slavery. He also examines the impact of the Civil War on the Teche; depicting the running battles up and down the bayou and the sporadic gunboat duels; when ironclads clashed in the narrow confines of the dark; sluggish river.Describing the misery of the postbellum era; Bernard reveals how epic floods; yellow fever; racial violence; and widespread poverty disrupted the lives of those who resided under the sprawling; moss-draped live oaks lining the Teche’s banks. Further; he chronicles the slow decline of the bayou; as the coming of the railroad; automobiles; and highways reduced its value as a means of travel. Finally; he considers modern efforts to redesign the Teche using dams; locks; levees; and other water-control measures. He examines the recent push to clean and revitalize the bayou after years of desecration by litter; pollutants; and invasive species. Illustrated with historic images and numerous maps; this book will be required reading for anyone seeking the colorful history of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.As a bonus; the second part of the book describes Bernard’s own canoe journey down the Teche’s 125-mile course. This modern personal account from the field reveals the current state of the bayou and the remarkable people who still live along its banks.
#1428826 in Books 2014-04-21 2014-04-21Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.84 x 6.00l; 2.33 #File Name: 1493163078734 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Chester U. Strait the missiologist His Academic WorksBy Cope Suan Pau'CHIN' PEOPLE means a hilldweller or highlander in a hilly region that lies along the Indo-Burma border. By the end of 19th century; the British occupied the region; and named 'CHIN HILLS' and ruled it according to the 'CHIN HILLS REGULATION'. Then; the American missionaries came to the CHIN HILLS to reach its people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Chester U. Strait was one among them. Dr. Strait was; as I see; the only missiologist-- scholar in misison studies. He made a dept-in interviews with a close-up excussion into the religion and cultural anthropology of the people; especially in HAKA region. He made his THM THD program in the Berkeley Baptist Divinity School {now changed. I've just forgotten the new name of the seminary]; with the topics ' THE CHINS' CONCEPTION OF DEATH AND A FUTURE LIFE ' and ' A HISTORY AND INTERPRITATOIN OF CHIN SCRIFICE ' respectively during 1932-34. I appreciate him a lot; and I did make my doctoral disertation INTERPRETING THE RELIGIOUS CONVERSIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF MYANMAR' in Yonsei; Univ.; Seoul; Korea; refering Dr. Strait's studies and arguments. I was chasing that precious and unvaluable theses; and finally unearthed.Now I am very glad and grateful that the Straits; his offsprings; successfully produced a book of their grandfather; missiologist; the Rev. Dr. Strait; namely; THE CHIN PEOPLE: A SELECTIVE HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE CHIN PEOPLE. had been chasing this book also; since it was first released; and only now; I have caught it in my hand. I immediately made anouncement of the book as soon as I have got it and now many Chin people around the globe have been dying to get the book. It will be a best selling one among the Chins. I highly herewith recommend the book for intercultural studies; cultural anthropology; mission studies; missiology.Blessings;Dr. Cope