Showing results by author "Frederick Law Olmsted" in All Categories

The Westward Expansion Masterworks Collection gathers eleven firsthand accounts, histories, memoirs, and narratives from the American frontier.

In 1856-57 Frederick Law Olmsted took a saddle trip through Texas to see the area and report on its lands and peoples. His description of the Lone Star State is one of the most outstanding books about the American West ever published. Based on firsthand observation and backed by research, Olmsted's text captures the customs and cultures of the Texans in an engaging way.

The Cotton Kingdom recounts his daily observations of the curse of slavery: the poverty it brought to both black and white people, the inadequacies of the plantation system, and the economic consequences and problems associated with America’s most “peculiar institution.” Disproving the opinion that “cotton is king”, Olmsted examined the huge differences between the economies of the northern and southern states, contrasting the more successful, wealthy, and progressive North with the South, which was stubbornly convinced of the necessity of slavery.

In the American Civil War, The United States Sanitary Commission, staffed by volunteers, may be viewed as a precursor to The Red Cross. It supplemented the medical care of the armed services medical corps. Its doctors, nurses, administrators, go-fers, money, and supplies saved thousands of lives, providing medical care to the wounded and solace to the families of the dead. This memoir of one campaign gives a flavor of the challenges faced, frustrations endured, and medical battles lost and won. Explanatory note: “contraband” refers to a black slave, esp. a fugitive or captured slave. ...

During the tumult of the American Civil War, the United States Sanitary Commission emerged as a vital lifeline, akin to a forerunner of the Red Cross. Staffed by dedicated volunteers, it played a crucial role in augmenting the medical care provided by the armed forces. This memoir offers a poignant glimpse into the hardships, triumphs, and heart-wrenching realities faced by doctors, nurses, and volunteers as they fought to save lives and provide comfort to grieving families. Through vivid storytelling, it captures the essence of a campaign marked by both despair and hope. Note The term “...