Best of
History

1883

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah


Alfred Edersheim - 1883
    This classic work successfully portrays the streets, the marketplaces, the religious conflicts, the people, and the places of Jesus' earthly ministry.Edersheim divides his work into five sections, or books: Book 1 "The Preparation for the Gospel"Introductory historical, religious, political, and cultural material based on the author's extensive knowledge of Jewish lore and customs. Book 2 "From Bethlehem to Jordan"The background of Herod and his reign, St. John the Baptist and his message, and the birth and baptism of Jesus. Book 3 "From Jordan to the Mount of Transfiguration"Thirty-seven chapters explore the miracles and teachings of Jesus' early ministry. Book 4 "The Descent into the Valley of Humiliation"A history of the latter part of Jesus' ministry from the Transfiguration to the journey to Jerusalem. Book 5 "The Cross and the Crown"A chronicle of each day of Passion Week, from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection. AppendicesValuable background material on Jewish history, tradition, and law"

Ten Years on a Georgia Plantation Since the War (1883)


Frances Butler Leigh - 1883
     The family visited Georgia during the winter of 1838–39, where they lived at the plantations at Butler and St. Simons islands, in conditions primitive compared to their house in Philadelphia. Kemble was shocked by the living and working conditions of the slaves and their treatment at the hands of the overseers and managers, which led to her divorcing Pierce. In 1863, Kemble published "Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839," which included her observations of slavery and life on her husband's Southern plantation in the winter of 1838–39. After the divorce Frances Butler Leigh sided with her father on the plantations and later inherited them after the Civil War. Based on her experience, Leigh published "Ten Years on a Georgian Plantation since the War (1883)," as a rebuttal to her mother's account. Leigh notes that after the Civil War "the whole country had of course undergone a complete revolution… our slaves had been freed; the white population was conquered, ruined, and disheartened, unable for the moment to see anything but ruin before as well as behind, too wedded to the fancied prosperity of the old system to believe in any possible success under the new." After the war the plantation fields had not been cultivated in four years and the former slaves agreed to work, but they would now have to be paid. Regarding the productivity of hired help, Leigh writes critically: "The prospect of getting in the crop did not grow more promising as time went on. The negroes talked a great deal about their desire and intention to work for us, but their idea of work, unaided by the stern law of necessity, is very vague, some of them working only half a day and some even less. I don't think one does a really honest full day's work, and so of course not half the necessary amount is done and I am afraid never will be again, and so our properties will soon be utterly worthless, for no crop can be raised by such labour as this, and no negro will work if he can help it, and is quite satisfied just to scrape along doing an odd job here and there to earn money enough to buy a little food." Regarding the wages to be paid, Leigh relates: "On Wednesday, when my father returned, he reported that he had found the negroes all on the place, not only those who were there five years ago, but many who were sold three years before that. Seven had worked their way back from the up country. They received him very affectionately, and made an agreement with him to work for one half the crop, which agreement it remained to be seen if they would keep." The former slaves were given "in the meantime necessary food, clothing, and money for their present wants (as they have not a penny) which is to be deducted from whatever is due to them at the end of the year. This we found the best arrangement to make with them, for if we paid them wages, the first five dollars they made would have seemed like so large a sum to them, that they would have imagined their fortunes made and refused to work any more." Leigh hired Irish immigrants to dig and maintain the plantation's irrigation ditches, and described them as "faithful" workers.

The Boys' and Girls' Plutarch, Being Parts of "The Lives"


Plutarch - 1883
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

The Duties of American Citizenship


Theodore Roosevelt - 1883
    This speech was delivered in Buffalo, New York on January 26, 1883. Theodore "T.R." Roosevelt, Jr. (October 27, 1858 - January 6, 1919) was an American politician, author, naturalist, soldier, explorer, and historian who served as the 26th President of the United States. He was a leader of the Republican Party (GOP) and founder of the Progressive Party insurgency of 1912. He is known for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity. Born into a wealthy family in New York City, Roosevelt was a sickly child who suffered from asthma. To overcome his physical weakness, he embraced a strenuous life. He was home-schooled and became an eager student of nature. He attended Harvard College where he studied biology, boxed, and developed an interest in naval affairs. He quickly entered politics, determined to become a member of the ruling class. In 1881 he was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he became a leader of the reform faction of the GOP. His book The Naval War of 1812 (1882) established him as a learned historian and writer. When his first wife Alice died two days after giving birth in February 1884 (and his mother died the same day in the same house), he was heartbroken and in despair; Roosevelt temporarily left politics and became a cattle rancher in the Dakotas. When blizzards destroyed his herd, he returned to New York City politics, running and losing a race for mayor. In the 1890s he took vigorous charge of the city police as New York City Police Commissioner. By 1897, under President William McKinley, Roosevelt was in effect running the Navy Department. When the war with Spain broke out in 1898, he helped form the famous Rough Riders, a combination of wealthy Easterners and Western cowboys. He gained national fame for his courage in battle in Cuba, then returned to be elected Governor of New York. He was the GOP nominee for Vice President with William McKinley, campaigning successfully against radicalism and for prosperity, national honor, imperialism (regarding the Philippines), high tariffs and the gold standard. Roosevelt became President after McKinley was assassinated in 1901. He was inaugurated at age 42, the youngest person to become president. He attempted to move the GOP toward Progressivism, including trust busting and increased regulation of businesses. In November 1904 he was reelected in a landslide against conservative Democrat Alton Brooks Parker. Roosevelt called his domestic policies a "Square Deal," promising a fair deal to the average citizen while breaking up monopolistic corporations, holding down railroad rates, and guaranteeing pure food and drugs. He was the first president to speak out on conservation, and he greatly expanded the system of national parks and national forests. By 1907 he propounded more radical reforms, which were blocked by the conservative Republicans in Congress. His foreign policy focused on the Caribbean, where he built the Panama Canal and guarded its approaches. There were no wars, but his slogan, "Speak softly and carry a big stick" was underscored by sending the greatly expanded Navy-the Great White Fleet-on a world tour. He negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese War, for which he won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Life of Adoniram Judson


Edward Judson - 1883
    1788-1809.THE traveller who visits Maiden, Massachusetts, one of the picturesque suburban towns of Boston, may find in the Baptist meeting-house a marble tablet, bearing the -following inscription :IN MEMORIAM.REV, ADONIRAM JUDSON.BORN AUG. 9, 1786.DIED APRIL 12, 1650.MALDEN, HIS BIRTHPLACE.THE OCEAN, HIS SEPULCHRE.CONVERTED BURMANS, ANDTHE BURMAN BIBLE,HIS MONUMENT.HIS RECORD IS ON HIGH.An old wooden house embosomed among the trees is stilt pointed out as the birthplace of Adoniram Judson. His father, who also bore the quaint, scriptural name of Adoniram, was a Congregationalist minister, born in Woodbury, Connecticut, in June, 1752. He was married November 23, 1786, to Abigail Brown, who was born at Tiverton, Rhode Island, December 1$, 1759. Soon after his marriage he settled in Maiden, Massachusetts, and here his eldest son, Adoniram, was born....

The Voyage of the Jeannette: The Ship and Ice Journals of George W. De Long, Lieutenant-commander U.S.N. and Commander of the Polar Expedition of 1879-1881, Volume I & II


George Washington De Long - 1883
    De Long, Lieutenant-commander U.S.N. and Commander of the Polar Expedition of 1879-1881 (along with the original sketches and maps). This is a first-hand true account of the 1881 loss of USS Jeannette while exploring the Arctic ice. Jeannette, with a crew of 33, collapsed and sank under surging ice in the summer of 1881. Her crew, commanded by George W. DeLong, took to the ice dragging three small boats. When open water was found, the boats were used to sail to the Lena Delta of Siberia, 700 miles distant. DeLong commanded a boat of 14 total crew members, Executive Officer Charles W. Chipp's boat's crew was 8 total crew members, and Engineer Officer George W. Melville's boat had 11. Chipp's boat was lost at sea with all hands. Engineer Melville's boat landed in the southern delta, and DeLong's boat came ashore farther to the north on 17 September 1881.Melville quickly found aid, as did the two hardiest sailors of DeLong's crew soon after. The 12 remaining, including DeLong, perished from starvation or exposure (luckily his journal contained in this book survived to provide a detailed account). Thus of the original 33, 20 did not survive the expedition. This historic voyage is also retold in the recently published bestseller "In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette" by Hampton Sides. This pre-1923 publication has been converted from its original format for the Kindle and may contain an occasional defect from the original publication or from the conversion.

Thomas Jefferson: American Statesman


John Torrey Morse Jr. - 1883
     But who was the man behind the political image? Originally published in 1883 as part of the ‘American Statesmen’ series, John T. Morse’s detailed biography explores the life of one of history’s most important political figures. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence, was also a key figure in the American Revolution. Over time his name has become synonymous with the ideals of liberty and democracy. Morse’s riveting biography traces the life of Jefferson, from his early years in Virginia to his ascent into foreign and domestic politics. In the process Morse has created a classic account of one of the most prominent figures in American history. Praise for John T Morse: ‘Biography may be either an art or a science, but it is generally neither. With Mr Morse it is an art.’ - Political Science Quarterly John Torrey Morse (1840–1937) was an American historian and biographer. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he also worked as a lawyer. Morse was the editor of the ‘American Statesmen’ series, and published, among others, biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton and J.Q. Adams.

Recollections of Squatting in Victoria


Edward Micklethwaite Curr - 1883
    This is a 2001 facsimile of an 1883 work

The Rise of the Dutch Republic - Volume 1


John Lothrop Motley - 1883
    - John Lothrop Motley, from the Preface Motley spent five years in Dresden, Brussels, and the Hague to produce, in 1856, this popular three-volume history hailed by readers of the time and recognized by scholars since as a standard of the field. The lessons for modern society Motley finds in the microcosm of Holland continue to hold true in today's uncertain political environment, and his dramatic narrative and eloquent, lyrical prose remain a delight. The author's respect for the people of the Netherlands and their triumphs as a nation still shines through, and this love letter to the Dutch Republic retains the power to instruct and inform. AUTHOR BIO: American diplomat and historian John Lothrop Motley (1814-1877) studied law at Harvard and Gottingen, in Germany, where he befriended Otto von Bismarck. He traveled extensively in Europe, frequently in the diplomatic service, but he is remembered primarily for his literary output of historical essays and criticism, political pamphlets, and novels. Oliver Wendell Holmes presented his biography in 1879 under the title John Lothrop Motley: A Memoir."

The Ethics of Diet: An Anthology of Vegetarian Thought


Howard Williams - 1883
    The author Howard Williams travels back in time to Antiquity and from there moves through the centuries all the way up to his contemporaries in the 19th century. Leo Tolstoy was impressed with 'The Ethics of Diet’; he had it translated into his native Russian and wrote the narrative for the Russian edition. Throughout the ages, many of the world's finest minds detested the eating of flesh and the cruelty that humans inflict on their fellow creatures.Buddha advocated a vegetarian diet for his monks and stated:"There hath been slaughter for the sacrifice,and slaying for the meat, but henceforth noneshall spill the blood of life, nor taste of flesh;seeing that knowledge grows and life is one,and mercy cometh to the merciful."Pythagoras abstained from eating meat around the age of nineteen as he believed that abstaining from flesh kept the soul pure.Lamblichus, who studied Pythagoras stated that the great mathematician;“Enjoyed abstinence from the flesh of animals, because it is conducive to peace; for those who are accustomed to abominate the slaughter of other animals as iniquitous and unnatural, will think it still more unjust and unlawful to kill a man or to engage in war."Arthur Schopenhauer, the German philosopher said;"Since compassion for animals is so intimately associated with goodness of character, it may be confidently asserted that whoever is cruel to animals cannot be a good man."Plutarch, Seneca, Plato, Shelley and Wagner all grace these pages and many more… Thoreau observes,"One farmer says to me, "You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make the bones with;" and so he religiously devotes a part of his day to supplying himself with the raw material of bones; walking all the while he talks behind his oxen, which, with vegetable-made bones, jerk him and his lumbering plough along in spite of every obstacle." Short DescriptionThis book is a history of vegetarianism as told through the writings of some of history's great thinkers and writers. The author Howard Williams travels back in time to Antiquity and from there moves through the centuries all the way up to his contemporaries in the 19th century. Leo Tolstoy was impressed with 'The Ethics of Diet’; he had it translated into his native Russian and wrote the narrative for the Russian edition. Throughout the ages, many of the world's finest minds detested the eating of flesh and the cruelty that humans inflict on their fellow creatures.Buddha advocated a vegetarian diet for his monks and stated:"There hath been slaughter for the sacrifice,and slaying for the meat, but henceforth noneshall spill the blood of life, nor taste of flesh;seeing that knowledge grows and life is one,and mercy cometh to the merciful."Plutarch, Seneca, Plato, Shelley and Wagner all grace these pages and many more…

An Introduction to the Study of the Middle Ages (375-814)


Ephraim Emerton - 1883
    Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

Krakatau: The Tale of Lampung Submerged


Muhammad Saleh - 1883
    It was the day the world exploded. A tsunami wreaked havoc in the region, causing countless deaths, and shock waves were recorded around the world. Ash from the eruption affected global weather patterns for years.Since that time Krakatau has been the subject of more than 1,000 reports and publications, both scholarly and literary but the only surviving account of the event written by an indigenous eyewitness - Syair Lampung Karam (The Tale of Lampung Submerged), by Muhammad Saleh - has only now, after 130 years, found its way into English translation.