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When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-12

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When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-12From Jay Feldmen comes an enlightening work about how the most powerful earthquakes in the history of America united the Indians in one last desperate rebellion, reversed the Mississippi River, revealed a seamy murder in the Jefferson family, and altered the course of the War of 1812. On December 15, 1811, two of Thomas Jefferson's nephews murdered a slave in cold blood and put his body parts into a roaring fire. The evidence would have been destroyed

From Jay Feldmen comes an enlightening work about how the most powerful earthquakes in the history of America united the Indians in one last desperate rebellion, reversed the Mississippi River, revealed a seamy murder in the Jefferson family, and altered the course of the War of 1812.

On December 15, 1811, two of Thomas Jefferson's nephews murdered a slave in cold blood and put his body parts into a roaring fire. The evidence would have been destroyed but for a rare act of God--or, as some believed, of the Indian chief Tecumseh.

That same day, the Mississippi River's first steamboat, piloted by Nicholas Roosevelt, powered itself toward New Orleans on its maiden voyage. The sky grew hazy and red, and jolts of electricity flashed in the air. A prophecy by Tecumseh was about to be fulfilled.

He had warned reluctant warrior-tribes that he would stamp his feet and bring down their houses. Sure enough, between December 16, 1811, and late April 1812, a catastrophic series of earthquakes shook the Mississippi River Valley. Of the more than 2,000 tremors that rumbled across the land during this time, three would have measured nearly or greater than 8.0 on the not-yet-devised Richter Scale. Centered in what is now the bootheel region of Missouri, the New Madrid earthquakes were felt as far away as Canada; New York; New Orleans; Washington, DC; and the western part of the Missouri River. A million and a half square miles were affected as the earth's surface remained in a state of constant motion for nearly four months. Towns were destroyed, an eighteen-mile-long by five-mile-wide lake was created, and even the Mississippi River temporarily ran backwards.

The quakes uncovered Jefferson's nephews' cruelty and changed the course of the War of 1812 as well as the future of the new republic. In When the Mississippi Ran Backwards, Jay Feldman expertly weaves together the story of the slave murder, the steamboat, Tecumseh, and the war, and brings a forgotten period back to vivid life. Tecumseh's widely believed prophecy, seemingly fulfilled, hastened an unprecedented alliance among southern and northern tribes, who joined the British in a disastrous fight against the U.S. government. By the end of the war, the continental United States was secure against Britain, France, and Spain; the Indians had lost many lives and much land; and Jefferson's nephews were exposed as murderers. The steamboat, which survived the earthquake, was sunk.

When the Mississippi Ran Backwards sheds light on this now-obscure yet pivotal period between the Revolutionary and Civil wars, uncovering the era's dramatic geophysical, political, and military upheavals. Feldman paints a vivid picture of how these powerful earthquakes made an impact on every aspect of frontier life--and why similar catastrophic quakes are guaranteed to recur. When the Mississippi Ran Backwards is popular history at its best.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Free Press
Published: 04/07/2012
ISBN: 9780743242790
Pages: 320
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.80d
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SKU: 77915590741

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I bought this for filming my auditions. I am 5’4” .The height lists is 6 ft but the fabric only reaches 5’9 1/2 “! when I must film myself head to toe, the top bars are showing. It’s easy to set up. But when I film I must tilt my camera to keep the top bars out of frame which is not acceptable.
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Putting it together was a BEE-OTCH!! Yes, one of the tubes had the top cap installed at the wrong end (& getting it off required tools), and yes, stretching the fabric to get the screws in was incredibly hard...but am I buying another one? YES! After all is said and done, this is a great room divider. I opted out of installing the paddle feet & it still works perfect. It won't filter light all that great and even though it stands on its own, it can be blown over easily - but for the price? Excellent. If I wanted a heavy duty, thicker, more expensive one, I would've bought one. The 2nd one is on the way. Perfect height, no weird smell, nice and light and easy to move around.
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I purchased RANTILA 3 Panel Room Divider, 6 Ft Tall Folding Privacy Screen Freestanding Room Partition Wall Dividers, 102''W x 20''D x 71''H, Grey. For outdoor use on my patio is perfect . PRIVACY!!! YAY! It was packaged very carefully. There were no missing parts. Instructions were there but I still had to use the video visually. A few screws would not screw in. So I used a hammer with a few good taps that helped using the screw driver. 😊 It was easy putting it together following the directions. Everything is well made. Love the height, functionality and it’s definitely light it works. Thank you
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