A new edition of a major abolitionist work that confirms the authenticity of newspaperman James Redpath’s interviews with slaves during the mid-nineteenth century. "John McKivigan has done a splendid job of editing this paperback volume. . . . This little-known book; largely overshadowed heretofore by Frederick Law Olmsted's famous The Cotton Kingdom; will now; in this fine reprint; take its rightful place among the many volumes that enable us to gain some sense of the reality of American slavery and of the extremes to which Americans were driven to be rid of it."—Georgia Historical Quarterly "No other text about slave opinion before the Civil War exists. This new edition of Redpath’s book makes a welcome addition to our understanding of how blacks felt about the peculiar institution on the eve of its demise."—Clarence E. Walker; University of California; Davis While a reporter at Horace Greeley’s New York Tribune; James Redpath developed a strong curiosity about slavery and decided that he would travel south "to see slavery with my own eyes." Redpath interviewed slaves; recorded their opinions; and collected these letters into book form; publishing them in 1859 as The Roving Editor. While some historians over the years have utilized Redpath’s book; many have treated it as merely another travel account of the antebellum South; dismissing the interviews as the fabrication of a radical abolitionist. John R. McKivigan has uncovered important historical records that certify for the first time the authenticity of Redpath’s interviews; he presents here the original newspaper articles that supply the places and times of many of the slave encounters; which Redpath had edited out of the book. Furthermore; using Redpath’s unpublished correspondence; McKivigan verifies his residence in southern communities at the times these interviews were reported to have taken place; making The Roving Editor one of the most valuable and compelling sources of the slaves’ own testimony regarding their treatment in the late antebellum period.
#1295012 in Books 2014-08-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .69 x 7.00l; .0 #File Name: 0262526859240 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Entertaining but Light WeightBy Patrick L. BoyleI started reading Smil about a year ago. I think I've read at least a half dozen of his books. All of his books are easy to read in spite of the fact that he addresses serious topics. His books are always fact heavy. He less of an ' idea man' than a 'fact man'. He's hard to disagree with because he typically smothers all opposing views with indisputable facts.This is not one of his most important books. In his books about the modern world he usually has a section praising the diesel engine. In all of his books he decries that Americans know so few foreign languages. He apparently speaks all European languages. In this book he first of all tells us how much he knows about Rome. That seems to be true. I took a couple semesters of Latin in school (no Greek) but I read all the historians of Rome in English translation. I presume that Smil read Tacitus and Livy in Latin and Plutarch and Polybius in Greek. I'm sorry but I don't think that sort of thing matters much.The main reason this is not a very important book is that it is a refutation of a rather silly assertion. Smil right at the beginning draws attention to all the recent books and YV shows written comparing the current decline of America to the decline of Rome. The rest of the book is meant to show that this idea is not much of an idea - and he's right. But that also means that this then isn't much of a book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Rome needed new territories and increasing natural resources; the US relies mainly on science and technology for growthBy Chad MThis book is Prof. Smil's answer to several news articles that compare the United States to Rome. As usual; the analysis provided is thoroughly documented. One of the assumptions of the new articles is that continuous expansion of territory and gaining natural resources was essential for Rome; a lack of territorial expansion led to stagnation; and that the same facts will apply to the US. On this major point; Smil explains that for the US; in contrast; technological innovation can greatly improve living standards with approximately the same amount of land. Also; technology provides energy and electricity for the average American that would rival or exceed the household energy use of Roman nobility. Other key points in this book range from lifespans; heavy manual labor; public health; literacy; and so on; each well argued and documented with encyclopedic detail. Also; while this single book would be an accomplishment for most authors; Prof. Smil has written a dozen or so major scientific books. The only remaining question I have after reading this book is: Since innovation is a so important; why isn't the US funding energy RD at a higher level?0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. offers an excellent response to the current "woe-sayers" penchant for plotting the ...By CustomerVaclav Smil's book; Why America Is Not A New Rome; offers an excellent response to the current "woe-sayers" penchant for plotting the decline and fall of America; much as Edward Gibbon did for Rome. In addition; it lays the groundwork for a more reasoned approach for comparative studies.
