History of My Own Times; or, the Life and Adventures of William Otter, Sen., Comprising a Series of Events, and Musical Incidents Altogether Original / William Otter; Richard B. Stott.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Otter, William, author.

Contributor:

Stott, Richard B., editor.

Series:

Documents in American Social History Series

Documents in American Social History

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Otter, William, 1787-1856.

Artisans--United States--Biography.

Artisans.

United States--Social life and customs--1783-1865.

United States.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 230 p. :) ill., maps ;

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ithaca, NY : Cornell University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Big Bill Otter was one member of the early American working class not preoccupied with republican principles or the heritage of the Revolution. Big Bill Otter-apprentice, journeyman, master plasterer-was a thug.Otter's autobiography, first published in 1835, provides a rare and fascinating counterpoint to romantic notions of virtuous, respectable craftsmen in the early republic. His Life and Adventures offer an inside account of the brawling racism common in the early nineteenth century and sharply detail the rowdy male subculture of the times.Born in England and conscripted into the British Navy during the Napoleonic wars, Otter jumped ship and came to New York City in 1801. He apprenticed as a plasterer and joined an urban gang; later he was a master plasterer, tavernkeeper, slavecatcher, "Jackson man," bigot, town bully, notorious practical joker, borderline psychopath, mayoral candidate, and all-round "jolly fellow."History of My Own Times is one of the few first-person accounts of a rural artisan in pre-genteel America. The book depicts the ambiguities of race relations in the early nineteenth century, sheds light on its definition of manhood, and conveys a sense of humor very different from today's. Richard B. Stott's introduction an,d commentary place Otter in the context of his times and explore the significance of his autobiography in understanding the social and cultural history of the early American republic.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Preface

England

New York

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Hanover

Cincinnati, the Eastern Shore, and Baltimore

Emmitsburg

POSTSCRIPT

Commentary: William Otter and the Society of Jolly Fellows in the Early Republic

Appendix: Articles of an Agreement between Rev. John DuBois & William Otter, 11 October 1823

INDEX

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 20. Sep 2019)

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781501732072

1501732072

OCLC:

1080550855