Comments on "Daily Life in Immigrant America 1820-1870" How the First Great Wave of Immigrants Made Their Way in America by James M. Bergquist
This book is the first of two books, not 3, as I mistakenly thought and wrote in blog #9 on December 26, 2009. Each book somewhat arbitrarily covers 50 years of a 100 year period. The 50 year period of this book begins in 1820, when almost 8,400 immigrants came to America, and ends in 1870, with over 387,000 immigrants arriving. Almost 429,000 people arrived in the "peak" year of 1854; which was not exceeded until the 1880s, I believe.
The first wave of immigrants described by the author, James M. Bergquist, was composed mostly of Protestants from the north of Ireland, which is not so often remembered, but Catholic Irish soon overwhelmed these earlier arrivals, especially during the "Irish Potato Famine" of the 1840s. Although the Irish immigrants came mostly from small farms in Ireland, they generally did not adapt to American large scale agricultural methods and take up farming. Instead, they did an enormous amount of generally unskilled labor, especially building canals and, later, railroads.
In later decades, Irish immigration was also distinguished for the fact that women arrivals outnumbered men.
Germans composed the second largest group, although they eventually totaled more than any other immigrant group because they continued coming to America in large numbers into the next 50 year period. Earlier Germans were largely Catholic from the southern and western German states, but later, Protestants of northern and eastern Germany predominated. Among other accomplishments, they became known for making thousands of farms and towns from Pennsylvania through the Midwest to Missouri and Texas.
Immigrants from Great Britain adapted to American life most easily wherever they went, and were sometimes called "the invisible immigrants."
Among the Scandinavian immigrants, Norwegians came in the greatest numbers, and they usually settled in the Upper Midwest.
Overall, the book describes much of the country and society made, or transformed, by all of these immigrants that the immigrants who arrived in the next 50 years, from 1870 to 1920, found when they came to America.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Experimental Blog #33
Comments on "Lyndon B. Johnson" by Charles Peters
The author of this book from the Schlesinger-Wilentz American Presidents series has worked in Democratic Party campaigns and administrations since 1960, so his political sympathies should be very clear. He also has a large number of interconnected sources that give him a well founded perspective.
The description of Lyndon B. Johnson's, that is, LBJ's, early years in what must be central Texas, although rather brief, is, as usual, very interesting. LBJ's long Washington DC political life begins very early in 1931, when he is 23 years old.
Although already a congressman, Lyndon Johnson actually flew on one combat mission during World War II in a B-26 two engine bomber as a fact finding Naval Observer. This airplane was attacked by a squadron of Japanese Zeros{fighter airplanes} and endured very intense fire, but amazingly escaped being shot down.
Charles Peters' descriptions of LBJ's habitual, humiliating, and crude language and behavior is quite explicit, and this characteristic language and behavior in itself would make Lyndon Johnson one of America's controversial presidents.
However, the author rates Lyndon Baines Johnson as a near great American President because of his almost unequalled record of legislative accomplishments in civil rights and "Great Society" welfare programs. Although these latter programs seem to have been largely demolished by President Ronald Reagan, and other following presidents.
Charles Peters' account of the growing engagement in the War in Viet Nam is also very informative.
The author of this book from the Schlesinger-Wilentz American Presidents series has worked in Democratic Party campaigns and administrations since 1960, so his political sympathies should be very clear. He also has a large number of interconnected sources that give him a well founded perspective.
The description of Lyndon B. Johnson's, that is, LBJ's, early years in what must be central Texas, although rather brief, is, as usual, very interesting. LBJ's long Washington DC political life begins very early in 1931, when he is 23 years old.
Although already a congressman, Lyndon Johnson actually flew on one combat mission during World War II in a B-26 two engine bomber as a fact finding Naval Observer. This airplane was attacked by a squadron of Japanese Zeros{fighter airplanes} and endured very intense fire, but amazingly escaped being shot down.
Charles Peters' descriptions of LBJ's habitual, humiliating, and crude language and behavior is quite explicit, and this characteristic language and behavior in itself would make Lyndon Johnson one of America's controversial presidents.
However, the author rates Lyndon Baines Johnson as a near great American President because of his almost unequalled record of legislative accomplishments in civil rights and "Great Society" welfare programs. Although these latter programs seem to have been largely demolished by President Ronald Reagan, and other following presidents.
Charles Peters' account of the growing engagement in the War in Viet Nam is also very informative.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Experimental Blog #32
Comments on 2 books
"The Private Lives of Birds" - A Scientist Reveals the Intricacies of Avian Social Life by Bridget Stutchbury
Reading a book like this is probably the only way that very amateur bird watchers can appreciate the work and science of professional ornithologists. This particular author seems especially capable of describing everything about birds with detailed and precise Darwinian concepts of evolutionary biology.
"Spoken from the Heart" by Laura Bush
Laura Bush writes that all 4 of her grandparents came to West Texas in the last decades of the 19th century from Arkansas. And that both of her parents, Harold Welch and Jessie Hawkins, were born there too.
Laura Bush also writes about a very interesting childhood history that took place in West Texas, through college graduation, and her first jobs.
However, she does not write in so much detail of her early adult years, until she meets George Bush again, in 1977 at 30 years of age. She does say that she "lost faith" for a very long time as a result of a tragic accident{which she completely describes}.
Laura already knew something about George; they had attended the same junior high school at the same time, and they were soon married. These events take up almost the first 100 pages; and about 65 pages and 24 years later, Laura Bush has become America's First Lady.
The rest of the book, over 250 pages, is a very detailed account of her many activities as wife, mother, and First Lady, and, of course, the events of her husband's presidency.
She seems quite conscious of and defensive about the great deal of criticism that was directed at her husband, and often her too. However, she is very thorough and factual in the extreme; so much so that her writing seems at times like a "catalogue", that is, persuasive, but not so interesting. Nonetheless, it seems that Laura Bush makes, and proves, her arguments that no President and First Lady could have done more than they did in the American White House.
"The Private Lives of Birds" - A Scientist Reveals the Intricacies of Avian Social Life by Bridget Stutchbury
Reading a book like this is probably the only way that very amateur bird watchers can appreciate the work and science of professional ornithologists. This particular author seems especially capable of describing everything about birds with detailed and precise Darwinian concepts of evolutionary biology.
"Spoken from the Heart" by Laura Bush
Laura Bush writes that all 4 of her grandparents came to West Texas in the last decades of the 19th century from Arkansas. And that both of her parents, Harold Welch and Jessie Hawkins, were born there too.
Laura Bush also writes about a very interesting childhood history that took place in West Texas, through college graduation, and her first jobs.
However, she does not write in so much detail of her early adult years, until she meets George Bush again, in 1977 at 30 years of age. She does say that she "lost faith" for a very long time as a result of a tragic accident{which she completely describes}.
Laura already knew something about George; they had attended the same junior high school at the same time, and they were soon married. These events take up almost the first 100 pages; and about 65 pages and 24 years later, Laura Bush has become America's First Lady.
The rest of the book, over 250 pages, is a very detailed account of her many activities as wife, mother, and First Lady, and, of course, the events of her husband's presidency.
She seems quite conscious of and defensive about the great deal of criticism that was directed at her husband, and often her too. However, she is very thorough and factual in the extreme; so much so that her writing seems at times like a "catalogue", that is, persuasive, but not so interesting. Nonetheless, it seems that Laura Bush makes, and proves, her arguments that no President and First Lady could have done more than they did in the American White House.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Experimental Blog #31
Comments on 2 books
"Maharanis" - The Extraordinay Tale of Four Indian Queens and Their Journey from Purdah to Parliament by Lucy Moore
This book covers the lives of 4 queens, Maharanis, of India who lived in two small and one large Princely States in the northern part of India. The first lady was born in 1865, and the last of the 4 was still living in 2004 when this book was published.
The book also provides a very interesting and informative description of the history and society during this period of the British Raj, or rule, and the earlier years of independence.
Everybody has heard about the Brahmins of India, but not so many outsiders remember the Kshatriya, or warrior caste, who were probably the real rulers of India before the arrival of the British, and in tandem with them, but not quite equal to them, during the British colonial period.
"How Capitalism Will Save Us" - Why Free People and Free Markets Are the Best Answer in Today's Economy by Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Ames
It seemed that at least one half of the time I did not really understand very well what these authors were writing about; that is, all the many details and specifics of modern American finance and computer tecnology.
Besides that, the principle title of the book, that is, without the subtitle, can hardly be taken entirely seriously; and, at times, the writing seemed even somewhat peculiar.
However, these things notwithstanding, the authors took up at least 77 questions in economics, business, and government. And always refering to their "Real World" way of evaluation, it seems that they answered them all very expertly and persuasively; often surprisingly demolishing long and widely held, maybe even "sacred", liberal political views on these matters.
"Maharanis" - The Extraordinay Tale of Four Indian Queens and Their Journey from Purdah to Parliament by Lucy Moore
This book covers the lives of 4 queens, Maharanis, of India who lived in two small and one large Princely States in the northern part of India. The first lady was born in 1865, and the last of the 4 was still living in 2004 when this book was published.
The book also provides a very interesting and informative description of the history and society during this period of the British Raj, or rule, and the earlier years of independence.
Everybody has heard about the Brahmins of India, but not so many outsiders remember the Kshatriya, or warrior caste, who were probably the real rulers of India before the arrival of the British, and in tandem with them, but not quite equal to them, during the British colonial period.
"How Capitalism Will Save Us" - Why Free People and Free Markets Are the Best Answer in Today's Economy by Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Ames
It seemed that at least one half of the time I did not really understand very well what these authors were writing about; that is, all the many details and specifics of modern American finance and computer tecnology.
Besides that, the principle title of the book, that is, without the subtitle, can hardly be taken entirely seriously; and, at times, the writing seemed even somewhat peculiar.
However, these things notwithstanding, the authors took up at least 77 questions in economics, business, and government. And always refering to their "Real World" way of evaluation, it seems that they answered them all very expertly and persuasively; often surprisingly demolishing long and widely held, maybe even "sacred", liberal political views on these matters.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Experimental Blog #30
Comments on "The Edge of Physics" - A Journey to Earth's Extremes to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe by Anil Anathaswamy
About a century ago the sciences of particle physics and cosmology could be studied and appreciated by millions of educated amateur scientists all over the world. In spite of the very commendable efforts of Anil Anathaswamy, and others, times have changed considerably. However, if anybody is tempted to think that contemporary theoretical and experimental physicists are talking nonsense simply because outsiders can rarely really understand their esoteric subjects, this book should persuade them to give up such opinions.
Among the 9 or more places of advanced study visited by the author, the LHC, or Large Hadron Collider, located in France and Switzerland, seems to be the most publicized, as well as controversial. Needles to say, the project is enormously impressive; even more so than expected.
This super collider contains the world's greatest vacuums. They cannot even be measured and are equivalent to 600 miles out in space. The collider's proton beams might get "lost", and are "dangerous", moving "at full throttle" with energy equivalent to "400 ton trains traveling 150 kilometers per hour", "liquefying anything directly" in their path.
Most amazing is that the 40,000 tons of special magnets are the coldest things, or places, in the entire universe; even colder than outer space. They require 5 weeks to cool down, and 5 weeks to warm back up to room temperature.
About a century ago the sciences of particle physics and cosmology could be studied and appreciated by millions of educated amateur scientists all over the world. In spite of the very commendable efforts of Anil Anathaswamy, and others, times have changed considerably. However, if anybody is tempted to think that contemporary theoretical and experimental physicists are talking nonsense simply because outsiders can rarely really understand their esoteric subjects, this book should persuade them to give up such opinions.
Among the 9 or more places of advanced study visited by the author, the LHC, or Large Hadron Collider, located in France and Switzerland, seems to be the most publicized, as well as controversial. Needles to say, the project is enormously impressive; even more so than expected.
This super collider contains the world's greatest vacuums. They cannot even be measured and are equivalent to 600 miles out in space. The collider's proton beams might get "lost", and are "dangerous", moving "at full throttle" with energy equivalent to "400 ton trains traveling 150 kilometers per hour", "liquefying anything directly" in their path.
Most amazing is that the 40,000 tons of special magnets are the coldest things, or places, in the entire universe; even colder than outer space. They require 5 weeks to cool down, and 5 weeks to warm back up to room temperature.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Experimental Blog #29
Comments on the book "Supreme Conflict - The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court" by Jan Crawford Greenburg
Jan Crawford Greenburg's book on the politics and recent history of the United States Supreme Court is, naturally, supremely interesting and informative. It is especially so from about the time of 1981, the year Sandra Day O'Conner was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, to about 2006.
This book is also more specifically informative and interesting about the court appointments and careers of Justices William Rehnquist, Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, and David Souter, as well as the more recent appointments of Justices John Roberts and Sam Alito.
The author also describes in very informative detail the concepts of the "New Federalism", first heard during the presidency of Richard Nixon, and "judicial restraint". Both concepts are associated with Republican Party efforts to transform, overrule, or "roll back" some of the earlier liberal court rulings. The author writes that these efforts failed several times, but eventually succeeded.
Jan Crawford Greenburg also describes very interestingly the Supreme Court's involvement and rulings in the stalled election of the year 2000, between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
Jan Crawford Greenburg's book on the politics and recent history of the United States Supreme Court is, naturally, supremely interesting and informative. It is especially so from about the time of 1981, the year Sandra Day O'Conner was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, to about 2006.
This book is also more specifically informative and interesting about the court appointments and careers of Justices William Rehnquist, Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, and David Souter, as well as the more recent appointments of Justices John Roberts and Sam Alito.
The author also describes in very informative detail the concepts of the "New Federalism", first heard during the presidency of Richard Nixon, and "judicial restraint". Both concepts are associated with Republican Party efforts to transform, overrule, or "roll back" some of the earlier liberal court rulings. The author writes that these efforts failed several times, but eventually succeeded.
Jan Crawford Greenburg also describes very interestingly the Supreme Court's involvement and rulings in the stalled election of the year 2000, between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Experimental Blog #28
Comments on 2 books
"A Is for American" - Letters and Other Characters in the Newly United States by Jill Lepore
This original American historian demonstrates how much can be investigated and written about language, and its several cognitive aspects, and how important it all is to individual and national identity.
Jill Lepore's narritives of seven people include prominent known Americans, as well as an American Indian named George Guess, but better known as Sequoyah; and an African named Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima, who was brought to America to be a slave when he was about 26 years of age, but obtained his freedom about 40 years later, and went back to Africa of his own accord.
All of these people left their mark in the world as thoughtful, mentally active, and productive individuals.
"Conspirator" - Lenin in Exile by Helen Rappaport
It seems that Vladimir Ulyanov was a consistent, lifelong, and conscientious student and scholar; but before he was 20 years old he was already getting into trouble with the Okhrana, the Department for the Protection of Order and Public Security.
Vladimir, and his wife Nadya, would spend their entire adult lives repeatedly moving to avoid arrest, or in exile in Siberia{about 3 years}, or in many places in Europe{England, Switzerland, Finland, France, Poland, Germany}from about 30 years of age{for Vladimir}, in 1900 to 47 years of age, in 1917.
This book describes in remarkable detail the many events and people of those years, and in the process describes and uncovers a more believable and human story.
The amount of Lenin's collected works, at least 45 volumes, is truly extraordinary.
"A Is for American" - Letters and Other Characters in the Newly United States by Jill Lepore
This original American historian demonstrates how much can be investigated and written about language, and its several cognitive aspects, and how important it all is to individual and national identity.
Jill Lepore's narritives of seven people include prominent known Americans, as well as an American Indian named George Guess, but better known as Sequoyah; and an African named Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima, who was brought to America to be a slave when he was about 26 years of age, but obtained his freedom about 40 years later, and went back to Africa of his own accord.
All of these people left their mark in the world as thoughtful, mentally active, and productive individuals.
"Conspirator" - Lenin in Exile by Helen Rappaport
It seems that Vladimir Ulyanov was a consistent, lifelong, and conscientious student and scholar; but before he was 20 years old he was already getting into trouble with the Okhrana, the Department for the Protection of Order and Public Security.
Vladimir, and his wife Nadya, would spend their entire adult lives repeatedly moving to avoid arrest, or in exile in Siberia{about 3 years}, or in many places in Europe{England, Switzerland, Finland, France, Poland, Germany}from about 30 years of age{for Vladimir}, in 1900 to 47 years of age, in 1917.
This book describes in remarkable detail the many events and people of those years, and in the process describes and uncovers a more believable and human story.
The amount of Lenin's collected works, at least 45 volumes, is truly extraordinary.
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