Subscribers to Va-Hist and Va-Roots may be interested in this review of the
new book version of an extended essay that accompanied an exhibition on
Virginia and migration that the Virginia Historical Society mounted several
years ago.

Please respect the letter and spirit of the copyright notice at the end of
the review.

Brent Tarter
The Library of Virginia
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Visit the Library of Virginia's web site at http://www.lva.lib.va.us


-----Original Message-----
From: H-South Review Editor Ian Binnington [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 20 February, 2001 8:31 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: H-South Review of Fischer and Kelly, _Bound Away_


H-SOUTH BOOK REVIEW
Published by [log in to unmask] (February, 2001)

David Hackett Fischer and James C. Kelly. _Bound Away: Virginia and the
Westward Movement_. Charlottesville and London: University Press of
Virginia, 2000. xvi + 366. Illustrations, notes, and index. $65.00 (cloth),
ISBN 0-8139-1773-5; $19.50 (paper), ISBN 0-8139-1774-3.

Reviewed for H-South by Mark R. Cheathem, [log in to unmask], Department
of History, Mississippi State University

The Turner Thesis at the End of the Twentieth Century

When Frederick Jackson Turner delivered his famous 1893 address to members
of the American Historical Association during the World's Columbian
Exposition, he likely had no idea that historians would still be debating
his ideas at the end of the twentieth century. His argument that the
American frontier shaped the character of the American people and their
democratic institutions has dominated historiographical discussions at
certain times during the last 107 years. While most, if not all, historians
are reluctant to accept Turner's contentions as a whole, the frontier
thesis still maintains a hold on the profession. To a great degree, the
average American also subscribes to the ideals of the frontier thesis,
absorbing the numerous books and films that have glorified the Old West and
the rugged frontiersman.

David Hackett Fischer and James C. Kelly take the Turnerian thesis as a
starting point in their efforts to define the history of Virginia. Fischer
is an historian at Brandeis University, well known for his controversial
works on historical fallacies and cultural persistence in colonial America,
while Kelly is Assistant Director for Museums at the Virginia Historical
Society. The stated goal of _Bound Away_, according to the authors, is to
examine migration into, within, and out of Virginia during the first three
centuries of its existence as a colony and a state. Fischer and Kelly claim
that the book's title, a line from an old folk song entitled "Shenandoah,"
encompasses two themes. The first theme is that of cultural persistence in
Virginia's history. The second theme consists of the reality that, for
African slaves, they truly were "bound away" to become part of Virginia
society.  The authors unfortunately did not include the lyrics to the
entire song, but their use of this phrase fits neatly with the book's
purpose.

The study is divided up into six chapters. The first three examine the
migration of peoples into, within, and out of Virginia. The fourth chapter
looks at the reasons for the decline of Virginia's power as a state and the
migration of its people westward. The fifth chapter considers the separate
experience of African migration, from enslavement in Africa to forced
departure from Virginia. Lastly, Fischer and Kelly conclude by determining
the cultural legacy of Virginia in instances of land use, political
institutions, systems of labor, and other ways. Most of this final chapter
focuses on architecture to the detriment of other examples.

After examining the evidence, Fischer and Kelly conclude that Virginia does
not fit the Turner model, but they also find that it does not fit perfectly
with the germ theory of migration and settlement. Instead, they discover
"evidence of persistent but dynamic hegemonic cultures formed mainly by
processes of migration, dominated by elites, changing in response to
historical events and conditions, and preserving their power and influence
for many generations" (298). This argument appears too broad at first
glance. What Fischer and Kelly are stressing, however, is that both the
frontier thesis and the germ theory are too static to explain a society in
change. The first settlers in Virginia did not maintain control over the
colony, as new members of the elite took the reins of power. At the same
time, the authors argue, the frontier thesis does not ring true because of
the introduction of slavery and the often-undemocratic nature of Virginia
politics. Cultural persistence was certainly a key element in the
development of a Virginia culture, but it adapted and evolved as new groups
moved in and out of the colony and state.

_Bound Away_ is a good resource for those interested in Virginia history or
cultural persistence. The format of the book makes it easy to read. The
authors have included numerous photographs and illustrations that draw in
the reader. The argument, while not new, allows one to reconsider once
again the importance of Frederick Jackson Turner's idea and the changes
that historians have wrought upon our view of American history, government,
and society.

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