A Scattered People A Scattered People is written by Gerald w. McFarland, a professor of American history at UMass. The book is written in an interesting way, as it present the reader a narrative history of American migrants from the viewpoint of his own family. The book is mainly autobiographical, as it follows the lives of five generations who traveled west. The story is based on experience of his ancestors who started their family history from arriving to Massachusetts in 1630, and then moved west to the West Coast in 1900. The book, actually, explored the historical and social roots of American nation.
It presents the reader the first scale analysis and experience of comprehension of contradictory history of American migration. Although there were other attempts to combine American history with autobiographical experience, this book is exceptionally different. As far as we can see from the reading, one of the aims of this book was to restore objective history of American migration as a part of general American story. The author tried to present his own opinion, not always unbiased but objective within the limits of the possible. On the one hand Gerald w. McFarland tried to show the way processes of modernization and migration took place starting from the very beginning of 1630 till 1900s. On the other hand, the professor of American history tried to show the contradictory conditions of migration and various difficulties during that period.
The Term Paper on Short Essays Major problems in American history
Stephen Hahn essay argued about violence that existed between black and white in the southern during reconstruction of American politics. Hahn argued that, although the reconstruction act was meant to empower African Americans and slaves in the south, they still suffered in the hands of white men. He recounted that, “coloured speaker was killed three days,” (19). In addition, he also ...
Gerald w. McFarland also speaks about the hard lives of women at that times. For example, one of his chapters describes the hardships of Florella Adair, who was forced to migrate to Kansas because of her husbands call. I consider that such approach can be applied to all other aspects of American history inspired by the example of Gerald w. McFarland who concentrated mainly on its migratory and demographical aspect. However, his understanding of the history of migration of five generations from the angle of American history is quite loose. According to this book, the history can be understood as the history of families, family relations, social and historical backgrounds, social conditions of women and children, people in society, to mention a few.
The history, if interpreted by Gerald w. McFarland in A Scattered People is a history of social changes, the history of migrations, repressions, the history of wars and the history that describes many other events that go far beyond the limits of migration and demography. How does Gerald w. McFarland interpret the main social and historical roots of migration in the light of his book? Its life of five generations that embody entire American nation. The book, actually, resembles the resumption of American generations, the institutionalization of our population based on various aspects. The author doesnt examine the aspects of migration separately, concentrating attention on the processes of so called reproduction of population fertility (and everything that it related to this aspect: family, marriages, divorces, children, etc) and mortality. He examines mainly the violently flowing migration of American nation by the example of generations, who lived in Rensselaer, western Connecticut, further in North Carolina and western Virginia, who moved to the land of Great Lakes, down the Ohio River and Midwest. Another generation traced by Gerald w.
McFarland, moves to Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and finally, settled down in Oregon. Other branch of the family moved to Kansas, then to Oklahoma, then to New Mexico, Arizona and, finally, settled down in Southern California. These migrations present us the entire American history in a smaller scope: the beginning, the continuation and the end. Correspondingly, he examines what was in the very beginning, what was at the end of 1900s, and, the most important, what was going on between these two conditional points of destination. Besides, what I consider the most interesting about the book is its examination from the social-historical importance for understanding of the concepts of American history. There is a number of certain historical events that are rarely known to us. We do not have enough information about some insignificant historical facts that twine a wreath of history. Information taken from this book can help us to restore and define these elements more exactly.
Book Review 9
Book Review The history of American Empire contains many secrets. As John S. Friedman writes, "secret histories usually reveal an unknown element of a completed event. Investigative journalism usually focuses on ongoing events. Obviously they can overlap. (Friedman) The Secret Histories: Hidden Truths That Challenged the Past and Changed the World written by John S. Friedman, Overthrow: America's ...
This attempt is excellently represented in Gerald w. McFarlands book. For example, he speaks about the migration processes describing lives of real people with their real problems, hardships and happiness. Although somebody can claim that A Scattered People is based on mainly subjective experience and evaluation of history, still, Gerald w. McFarland tried to collect as much as many information about the history of five generations both objective and subjective. Certainly, we cannot except that we will be able to grasp the entire American history after reading of A Scattered People accurate within definite numbers. We will not be able to find out the exact number of people who died during the migration processes, or quantity of people who were born, who migrated to west or east, etc. Yet, Gerald w. McFarland helps us to realize general quantity and give us the most accurate estimation because he uses various archives and other reliable historical sources.
Gerald w. McFarland uses historical sources, family archives, memoirs of scientists, historians, contemporaries, some documents and rare publications His book provides us with plenty of reliable historical information and it is very important because people who lived at the times described are dead, and information can be lost or forgotten by the contemporaries. In such a way, his book is a perfect idea to collect every possible data. Gerald w. McFarland couldnt embrace the entire history, however, he writes and tries to call in question modern mythology that became an integral part of historical and social roots of migration. He withstands the attempt to exaggerate or minimize the historical consequences.
The Term Paper on Rob Roy Scott Historical History
Student: Diakova L. Yu. Tutor: Chernyshev a A. P. Tambov 2011 Contents Introduction Historical novel Walter Scott, biography and works "Rob Roy" Conclusion References Introduction Historical fiction as a genre is important and relevant to our times for many reasons. It has also been one of the more popular genres of the twentieth century world literature. There have been many novels and short ...
He collects the most important information and gives a cutoff score of it. He doesnt consider the questions related to migration solved and clear, but his book is just another stage that helps us get to the truth. The book is written in fairly simple language from the standpoint of ordinary people. It is rich in fascinating historical details. We can see that Gerald w. McFarland is a historian who deals with actual problems and prognoses.
This book definitely was created upon a fair balance of migratory past, present and future. We cannot understand todays America without a clear understanding of its historical roots and way that led to the present result and stipulated our future development. Such approach doesnt mean that we have to examine the history from the standpoint of facts that somebody lived, ruled, was elected, governed the country proper/improper and now American nation wins laurels or suffers hardships. Every nation has its good and bad times. Yet, it is not as important as comprehensive understanding of out nations history based on the processes of migration. Such history coins our social, cultural and historical traditions. The book teaches us neither to judge the history or historical personalities, nor repudiate our nation.
Gerald w. McFarland tries to deviate from over-simplified definitions and concepts. He gives us possibility to interpret migratory changes like an element of general modernization of our country within the course of 1600-1990s. We come to understanding that our history was rich in contradictions, as it consisted both of tragic, disastrous, hard, and at the same time valuable, important and positive historical and social experience. The book exposes migratory side of the development of our nation; it constructs the material in form of analysis of one of the historical aspects. At the same time it provides us with possibility to trace the history of our nation by the example of ordinary people with their life stories, problems and interests. The book examines migratory history and perspectives of development based on reliable sources. The author examines migration as a compound part of universal processes taking into account specifics of our country and socio-historical roots..
The Term Paper on History First Nations 1800s Fur Trading
Introducing the Fort Billions of people in the past, and billions of people in the future to come, have had, or will have trading as a major transaction in their lives, either through a fort like Fort Langley or modernly through a cash register in town. It was an era when flag followed trade, and fur traders frequently acted as advance guards of the empire. The first British interests were sparked ...
