Lexington Books
Pages: 212
Trim: 6¼ x 9⅜
978-1-4985-0173-6 • Hardback • December 2014 • $128.00 • (£98.00)
978-1-4985-0175-0 • Paperback • November 2016 • $64.99 • (£50.00)
978-1-4985-0174-3 • eBook • December 2014 • $61.50 • (£47.00)
Subjects: History / United States / State & Local / South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV),
History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775),
History / Europe / Ireland,
History / Native American,
Social Science / Social Geography
Michael P. Morris received his PhD in early American and Native American studies at Auburn University and is the author of The Bringing of Wonder.
Contents
Backcountry Bourgeoisie: The Lives and Influence of Colonial Fur Traders….……….……..
The Rise of a Merchant Prince: The Galphin journey from Armagh to Silver Bluff, South Carolina………………………………………………………………………………………..
“This is a Growing and Flourishing Province, where Industry is Amply Rewarded”: George Galphin and the Ulster-Scot Communities……........................................................................
“I allwise [sic] made it a rule to tell them the truth, . . . .”: The Struggle for Hegemony over the Southeastern Indians..................................................................................................................
“I Should Tacke A Plasure in Serving my Contrey:” George Galphin and the American Revolution................................................................................................................................
“When the Light of Liberty will shine upon us again,”: the War worsens for Galphin…...…
A Life Well-Lived: The George Galphin Estate and Legacy..................................................
Endnotes...................................................................................................................................
This book is an engaging, well written, and richly documented examination of the life of Ulster-Scot fur trader George Galphin and the complex role that he, and those like him, played on the frontiers of Colonial South Carolina and Georgia and in the coming and course of the American Revolution. After arriving in South Carolina in 1737, Galphin learned the fur-trading business and became a trusted intermediary for both Colonial governors and Native peoples as a result of his immersion in the Creole culture of the Colonial Southeast. He was a strong supporter of the free-trade model for the fur trade and also aided other Scots-Irish immigrants in settling on the South Carolina and Georgia frontiers. With the coming of the Revolution, Galphin became an agent for the patriot cause and worked to balance it with his identification with the Creek Indians, with whom he had long been affiliated. Morris does an excellent job of placing his subject in the larger historiographical context. All students of American Colonial history, particularly its economic, political, and social dimensions, will find this book of value. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.
— Choice Reviews
George Galphin and the Transformation of the Georgia–South Carolina Backcountry is a well-researched and fascinating look at the intricacies of eighteenth-century Southern backcountry dealings. This is a wonderful read that enlightens and informs.
— Norman Presse, Dalton State College
Morris’s recounting of Galphin’s place among the important constituency of colonial Indian traders is a solid contribution to the still ambiguous dynamics of the imperial crisis and the Revolution in the South.
— Journal of Southern History
Through his thoroughly researched study of fur trader George Galphin, Michael Morris not only introduces the reader to an important but little known actor in the colonial and revolutionary southern backcountry, but also shines new light on the complicated interaction of gender and race/ethnicity within the context of Native and colonial politics and economic relations during the era. Professors, students, and lay people alike will find this book an accessible and highly enjoyable piece of scholarship.
— Jennifer Gross, Jacksonville State University