Brown here explores America's first communications revolution--the revolution that made printed goods and public oratory widely available and, by means of the steamboat, railroad and telegraph, sharply accelerated the pace at which information travelled. He describes the day-to-day experiences of dozens of men and women, and in the process illuminates the social dimensions of this profound, far-reaching transformation. Brown begins in Massachusetts and Virginia in the early 18th century, when public information was the precious possession of the wealthy, learned, and powerful, who used it to reinforce political order and cultural unity. Employing diaries and letters to trace how information moved through society during seven generations, he explains that by the Civil War era, cultural unity had become a thing of the past. Assisted by advanced technology and an expanding economy, Americans had created a pluralistic information marketplace in which all forms of public communication--print, oratory, and public meetings--were competing for the attention of free men and women. Knowledge is Power provides fresh insights into the foundations of American pluralism and deepens our perspective on the character of public communications in the United States.

Knowledge Is Power: The Diffusion of Information in Early America, 1700-1865

Politics & Social Sciences

Brown, Richard D.

Politics & Government

Oxford University Press

Brown here explores America's first communications revolution--the revolution that made printed goods and public oratory widely available and, by means of the steamboat, railroad and telegraph, sharply accelerated the pace at which information travelled. He describes the day-to-day experiences of dozens of men and women, and in the process illuminates the social dimensions of this profound, far-reaching transformation. Brown begins in Massachusetts and Virginia in the early 18th century, when public information was the precious possession of the wealthy, learned, and powerful, who used it to reinforce political order and cultural unity. Employing diaries and letters to trace how information moved through society during seven generations, he explains that by the Civil War era, cultural unity had become a thing of the past. Assisted by advanced technology and an expanding economy, Americans had created a pluralistic information marketplace in which all forms of public communication--print, oratory, and public meetings--were competing for the attention of free men and women. Knowledge is Power provides fresh insights into the foundations of American pluralism and deepens our perspective on the character of public communications in the United States.

History

Americas

Pollution control at electric power stations: Comparisons for U.S. and Europe

Ann Arbor Science

From a distinguished historian, a detailed and compelling examination of how the early Republic struggled with the idea that “all men are created equal” How did Americans in the generations following the Declaration of Independence translate its lofty ideals into practice? In this broadly synthetic work, distinguished historian Richard Brown shows that despite its founding statement that “all men are created equal,” the early Republic struggled with every form of social inequality. While people paid homage to the ideal of equal rights, this ideal came up against entrenched social and political practices and beliefs. Brown illustrates how the ideal was tested in struggles over race and ethnicity, religious freedom, gender and social class, voting rights and citizenship. He shows how high principles fared in criminal trials and divorce cases when minorities, women, and people from different social classes faced judgment. This book offers a much-needed exploration of the ways revolutionary political ideas penetrated popular thinking and everyday practice.

Self-Evident Truths: Contesting Equal Rights from the Revolution to the Civil War

Yale University Press

Revolutionary Politics in Massachusetts: The Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Towns, 1772-1774 (The Norton Library, N810)

W.W. Norton & Co., Inc.

A study of the history and socio-economic development of Massachusetts since the colonial era focuses on the struggle to reconcile the concept of individual liberty with the establishment of public order

Massachusetts: A Bicentennial History (States and the Nation)

Miss Piggy thinks camping is great fun until she finds out she's supposed to sleep in a tent

Miss Piggy Camps Out (Muppets)

Children's Books

Literature & Fiction

Grosset&Dunlap

Kermit's friends want to give him a pitchfork for hay, a basket for eggs, and a pail for milk to help Kermit manage his new farm

Kermit's Teeny Tiny Farm (Muppets)

Covered with blue paint, Fozzie stops by Kermit's house for a bath

Fozzie's Bubble Bath (Muppets)

Rizzo shows a girl many bicycles until she finds one that is just right for her, but not so right for Rizzo

Rizzo's Bike Sale (Muppets)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Brown, Richard D.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Brown, Richard D.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Brown, Richard D.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Knowledge Is Power: The Diffusion of Information in Early America, 1700-1865

Knowledge Is Power: The Diffusion of Information in Early America, 1700-1865

Pollution control at electric power stations: Comparisons for U.S. and Europe

Self-Evident Truths: Contesting Equal Rights from the Revolution to the Civil War

Revolutionary Politics in Massachusetts: The Boston Committee of Correspondence and the Towns, 1772-1774 (The Norton Library, N810)

Massachusetts: A Bicentennial History (States and the Nation)

Miss Piggy Camps Out (Muppets)

Kermit's Teeny Tiny Farm (Muppets)

Fozzie's Bubble Bath (Muppets)

Rizzo's Bike Sale (Muppets)