Kill one, frighten ten thousand
Routledge publishes The Historical Origins of Terrorism in America 1644-1880, the first comprehensive historical overview of collective violence before the 20th century
As the heads of Congress’ intelligence committees warn that America is “less safe” from terrorism than ever before, Routledge publishes a pioneering title that shows how the technique that we associate with modern atrocity actually has roots much farther back in the country's national psyche.
At the beginning of this month, Dianne Feinstein spoke on CNN’s State of the Union, about "a real displaced aggression” in the fundamentalist jihadist Islamic community, and their belief “that the West is responsible for everything that goes wrong.” In The Historical Origins of Terrorism in America, 1644-1880 (Routledge, December 2013), Robert Kumamoto argues that comments such as these leave most Americans with the mistaken impression that terrorism is the antithesis of freedom and is always imported into the country from elsewhere.
This book challenges that impression. Through analysis of some of the most interesting groups in American history, including the Green Mountain Boys, the Mollie Maguires, the Sons of Liberty, and the Ku Klux Klan, it establishes that terrorism has not come out of nowhere, but in fact has a long and contentious legacy in the US, and has at times been closely associated with popular democratic uprisings that were thought to advance the cause of freedom. Crucially for understanding the origins of domestic terrorism, the book also documents how America’s first terrorists tried to avoid fatalities as much as possible, emphasizing to the reader the importance of distinguishing between the immediate victim of an attack and its intended target, the fear-stricken wider audience.
“This timely and trailblazing volume is destined to become a significant point of reference on a subject that has and is likely to bedevil the world in the days to come.”—Constantine P. Danopoulos, editor of The Political Role of the Military: An International Handbook
Visit the book page at: http://www.routledge.com/u/historicaloriginsterror/
978-0-415-53755-1| $39.95 / £24.99 in paperback | December 2013
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NOTES TO EDITORS
For more information, a review copy, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Ilaria Parodi, Partnership Marketing Manager, Routledge Humanities
Tel: +44 (0)207 017 7960 | Email: ilaria.parodi@tandf.co.uk
Harriet Connor, Partnership Marketing Assistant, Routledge Humanities
Tel: +44 (0)207 011 9921 | Email: harriet.connor@tandf.co.uk
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