For those who don't mind reading PDF files, Brown can also be downloaded for
free from http://books.google.com .

Jon is right to note that Brown's scholarship must be treated with great care to
say the least, and _First Republic_ is the prime example.  It is as much, if not
more, a polemic, than a work of history.

Peter

Peter V. Bergstrom, PhD
Independent historian,
PC Services Consultant & Web Designer
336-286-8654
[log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Randy Cabell
Sent: 24 July 2007 9:03 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The First Republic in America


In cleaning out my files yesterday, I came across a small pamphlet by Alexander
Brown from 1898 called "The History of our Earliest History."  It was
interesting in itself, but of most interest to me was review of a book that he
published the 1st and 2nd editions in 1898, "The First Republic in America."

The phrase that grabbed my attention said:

"An account of the Origin of this Nation, written from the Records then (1624)
concealed by the Council, rather than from the histories then licensed by the
Crown."

That's strong stuff.  Has anybody ever heard of the book?  Is there a grain or
two of truth in that above statement, or is it mainly pre- Madison-Avenue hype?

Randy Cabell