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The Trials of Anthony Burns : Freedom and Slavery in Emerson's Boston
by Albert J. Von Frank | PB | LikeNew
US $3.99
Condition:
“An apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Dust cover is intact; pages are clean and are not ”... Read moreabout condition
Like New
A book that looks new but has been read. Cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket (if applicable) is included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
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eBay item number:372702675500
Item specifics
- Condition
- Like New
- Seller Notes
- Binding
- Paperback
- Weight
- 1.35 lbs
- Product Group
- Book
- IsTextBook
- Yes
- ISBN
- 9780674908505
- Book Title
- Trials of Anthony Burns : Freedom and Slavery in Emerson's Boston
- Publisher
- Harvard University Press
- Item Length
- 0.9 in
- Publication Year
- 1999
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Language
- English
- Illustrator
- Yes
- Item Height
- 0.1 in
- Genre
- Literary Criticism, Law, Social Science, History
- Topic
- Slavery, United States / State & Local / New England (Ct, mA, Me, NH, Ri, VT), United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877), American / General, Legal History
- Item Weight
- 13 Oz
- Item Width
- 0.6 in
- Number of Pages
- 431 Pages
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Harvard University Press
ISBN-10
0674908503
ISBN-13
9780674908505
eBay Product ID (ePID)
1146802
Product Key Features
Book Title
Trials of Anthony Burns : Freedom and Slavery in Emerson's Boston
Number of Pages
431 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
1999
Topic
Slavery, United States / State & Local / New England (Ct, mA, Me, NH, Ri, VT), United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877), American / General, Legal History
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Literary Criticism, Law, Social Science, History
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
0.1 in
Item Weight
13 Oz
Item Length
0.9 in
Item Width
0.6 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
TitleLeading
The
Reviews
Like Barbara Tuchman, von Frank makes history read like fiction. With the immediacy of reenactment, he tells of the Northerners who protested when Anthony Burns, a Virginia Slave, ran away to Boston and was ordered returned under the Fugitive Slave Law...His lively sources span from notes on scrap paper to published poetry...This is a most entertaining and informative view of history and an excellent study of the 1850s in Boston. Von Frank should also be commended for arguing that history is affected by ideas as much as people. If ideas lead, as in this instance, to personal freedom and social equality, we can only hope he is right., No one has examined this complex cultural story so exhaustively or reflected at such length on its literary, legal, political, religious and social manifestations. And no one has taken greater pains to demonstrate the part of the New England intelligentsia in effecting social change., [Von Frank] provides a gripping history of the case, which in his interpretation was a touchstone for all kinds of political and intellectual passions of the pre-Civil War period...What most distinguishes von Frank's book from previous treatments of the subject is its discussion of the growing social involvement of the New England Transcendentalists. Von Frank convincingly demonstrates that Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were not mere philosophical dreamers aloof from social problems, as is often claimed. To the contrary, he argues, Emerson's philosophy, dedicated to independent thinking and moral action, sparked the outrage over Anthony Burns. As von Frank puts it, 'Emerson was a force in antislavery because of his idealism, not in spite of it'...After reading this book, one is convinced that the ordeal of Anthony Burns was instrumental in reminding Americans of both the meaning and the responsibilities of freedom., Von Frank presents a strong narrative line: from Burns's arrest, to his trial, to his return and mistreatment in Virginia, to his eventual purchased freedom, to the multiple consequences of this stunning sequence of events on Greater Bostonians. Through this narrative appear a cast of compelling characters...Most of all, after reading this important and dramatic book, we can never again see Emerson as an idealist who transcended politics. On the Fugitive Slave Law, he said 'I will not obey it, by God.' Emerson inspired the best minds and stoutest hearts of his day to follow his ideas and his example., On the level of story-telling, von Frank's book is a joy to read. As a primer on the anti-slavery movement in the Northeast, this book provides a superb tutorial on the social and ideological forces that propelled this country towards the Civil War. But I recommend this book primarily for what it teaches about the role of ideas and of intellectuals in bringing about social change. This is a deeply compassionate book that says much about who we are as Americans., Albert von Frank's The Trials of Anthony Burns is a brilliant recreation of one of the most memorable episodes in the antislavery crusade. Offering insightful and original portraits of such men as Theodore Parker, Richard Henry Dana, Jr., and, most notably, Ralph Waldo Emerson, von Frank showshow the rendition of the runaway slave, Anthony Burns, led to what he aptly calls a 'pocket revolution' in Northern thought. After this brutal display of the power of the slavocracy, intellectuals came to understand that it was no longer possible to compromise with the South., [This] excellent [book]...provides a vivid history of the legal, cultural, and intellectual upheaval engendered by the trial of Anthony Burns, who was unmistakably, to use von Frank's fine phrase, an 'innocent victim of a guilty law.', Von Frank has written a provocative, stimulating defense not only of Transcendentalists but of a style of history that elevates events over trends, the creative individual over the masses, and rationality over social causation., Von Frank's look at this crucial bit of history is a remarkably well-written intellectual exercise, and a joy to read., A complex cultural story of how the trial of an escaped Virginia slave brought the distant horror of slavery to the attention of North America., Mr. von Frank's cinematic book tells the interior story of the Burns case, a case that in the spring of 1854 absorbed a corner of the country as fully as the recent O.J. Simpson case absorbed the whole nation--and with a great deal more moment. While historians once explained what happened in rolling prose, they now prefer to send us news clips, as it were, from the past. And this is Mr. von Frank's method, used with great skill, blending his narrative thread with letters, newspaper reports, diaries and other contemporania of the principals. For those who wish to understand Boston's (and much of the Northeast's) attitude toward slavery, this book is a must. For though many see abolitionist Boston as a monolith, an idealistic city on a hill, there is much more to be said., This book explores the 1854 trial of fugitive slave Anthony Burns in the context of the overlapping intellectual, cultural, and political networks of antebellum Boston and argues that the case was the critical turning point in converting Massachusetts from tolerant unionism to radical abolitionism...Propelled by the desire to demonstrate the impact of ideas on events, von Frank has written a dramatic and detailed narrative, immersing his readers in the intricacies of the case and the city, capturing the colorful, the contingent, and the bizarre. The author has made excellent use of newspapers, public records, and the memoirs and diaries so abundantly available from literate Yankee New Englanders in the 1850s...The work will have a significant impact on scholars reconsidering antislavery., Von Frank writes what is almost a nonfiction novel, letting us feel the confusion, often muddled idealism, and bolts of surprisingly violent activity. Since many of the actors in this drama were men and women of intellect, their ideas influenced their action as much as their action influenced their ideas., Anyone with the slightest acquaintance with the United States during the turbulent 1850s knows about the arrest and trial of the fugitive slave Anthony Burns; but no one before has told the story with greater interest and narrative skill (one suspects some enterprising producer has already purchased film rights to this book) or understands better its meaning to such figures as Emerson, Dana, Higginson, Alcott, Conway, Thoreau, Whitman, and Parker, as well as to thousands of other Americans stumbling into the bloody conflict of the next decade., [In] the first modern analysis of the [Anthony Burns] case...von Frank focuses on the cases's impact on American thought and culture, particularly Emerson's Transcendentalists, [but] the case's sheer drama drives the narrative.
Dewey Edition
21
Dewey Decimal
973.6/6/092
Table Of Content
Preface Thursday, May 25, 1854 Grappling Friday, May 26 The Jerry Rescue Martin Stowell Strategies Black Boston Eclipse Faneuil Hall The Battle at the Court House Door Aftermath For Sale Anthony Burns Saturday, May 27 Autopsy Law Extemporized Scripture The Curtii Lewis Hayden Not for Sale Monday, May 29 Monday Session Claimant Rests The Defense Opens Richard Hildreth Money Tuesday, May 30 Treason Politics and Force Dana's Argument Thomas' Argument Conspiracy Bad Friday : June 2 The Cortegrave;ge Going Home Republicans Carried Back Know-Nothings Catholics and Anti-Catholics Walt Whitman Emerson's Pulpit (Whitsunday) If We Feel Not Fourth of July Letters from Hell Trials Endings An Emersonian Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index
Synopsis
Before 1854, most Northerners managed to ignore the distant unpleasantness of slavery. But that year an escaped Virginia slave, Anthony Burns, was captured and brought to trial in Boston--and never again could Northerners look the other way. This is the story of Burns's trial and of how, arising in abolitionist Boston just as the incendiary Kansas-Nebraska Act took effect, it revolutionized the moral and political climate in Massachusetts and sent shock waves through the nation. In a searching cultural analysis, Albert J. von Frank draws us into the drama and the consequences of the case. He introduces the individuals who contended over the fate of the barely literate twenty-year-old runaway slave--figures as famous as Richard Henry Dana Jr., the defense attorney, as colorful as Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Bronson Alcott, who led a mob against the courthouse where Burns was held, and as intriguing as Moncure Conway, the Virginia-born abolitionist who spied on Burns's master. The story is one of desperate acts, even murder--a special deputy slain at the courthouse door--but it is also steeped in ideas. Von Frank links the deeds and rhetoric surrounding the Burns case to New England Transcendentalism, principally that of Ralph Waldo Emerson. His book is thus also a study of how ideas relate to social change, exemplified in the art and expression of Emerson, Henry Thoreau, Theodore Parker, Bronson Alcott, Walt Whitman, and others. Situated at a politically critical moment--with the Whig party collapsing and the Republican arising, with provocations and ever hotter rhetoric intensifying regional tensions--the case of Anthony Burns appears here as the most important fugitive slave case in American history. A stirring work of intellectual and cultural history, this book shows how the Burns affair brought slavery home to the people of Boston and brought the nation that much closer to the Civil War., Before 1854, most Northerners managed to ignore the distant unpleasantness of slavery. But that year an escaped Virginia slave, Anthony Burns, was captured and brought to trial in Boston. This is the story of Burns's trial and of how it revolutionized the moral and political climate in Massachusetts and sent shock waves through the nation.
LC Classification Number
E450.B93V66 1999
Item description from the seller
Seller feedback (5,719,007)
- v***v (2077)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseAlthough this book was not as described, with no picture of it in the listing, the seller communicated well and quickly gave me a full refund while letting me keep it. The minimal packaging left the book a bit vulnerable (typical for ThriftBooks), but it did arrive safely and timely. As usual, it’s hit or miss with this seller, but often times you can get great values, and their customer service is always very good. Many other sellers with millions of transactions don’t even communicate.
- c***m (431)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseWOW!; I cannot believe this 3 Days to Hawaii! ; AAA+++; Excellent Service; Great Pricing; Fast Delivery-Faster Than Expected to Hawaii!; Shipped 05/05, Mon, Received 05/08, Thu to Hawaii using free shipping; USPS Ground Mail, Book in Excellent Condition--Better Than Described ; TLC Packaging; Excellent Seller Communication, Sends updates . Highly Recommended!, Thank you very much!The Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II (#146005407795)
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Seller feedback (5,719,007)
- v***v (2077)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseAlthough this book was not as described, with no picture of it in the listing, the seller communicated well and quickly gave me a full refund while letting me keep it. The minimal packaging left the book a bit vulnerable (typical for ThriftBooks), but it did arrive safely and timely. As usual, it’s hit or miss with this seller, but often times you can get great values, and their customer service is always very good. Many other sellers with millions of transactions don’t even communicate.
- c***m (431)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseWOW!; I cannot believe this 3 Days to Hawaii! ; AAA+++; Excellent Service; Great Pricing; Fast Delivery-Faster Than Expected to Hawaii!; Shipped 05/05, Mon, Received 05/08, Thu to Hawaii using free shipping; USPS Ground Mail, Book in Excellent Condition--Better Than Described ; TLC Packaging; Excellent Seller Communication, Sends updates . Highly Recommended!, Thank you very much!The Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II (#146005407795)
- 7***j (825)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseI recently purchased an item from this eBay seller, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From the prompt communication to the fast shipping, everything was handled with utmost professionalism. The item arrived exactly as described and was well-packaged to ensure its safety during transit. The seller was courteous and responsive, making the entire transaction smooth and hassle-free. I highly recommend this seller to anyone looking for quality products and excellent service.