The myth of Johnny Appleseed comprises some of the odder elements of the American origin story, but as Kerrigan, Professor of American History at Muskingum University, shows, the real John Chapman was a complicated figure whose journeys highlighted major trends in the spread westward. Acknowledging that "most details of Chapman's life escape us," Kerrigan analyzes various oral traditions of Chapman's life and actual evidence of his presence through shopkeepers' ledgers and county land records. He charts Chapman's course from childhood in Puritan Yankee Massachusetts, through his youthful wanderings in western Pennsylvania, to the semi-nomadic existence of his Ohio adulthood. Though the exact reasons Chapman headed west remain unclear, Kerrigan asserts that the Old World apple tree "planted European ideas of property on the landscape," and it's likely Chapman was replicating his forefathers' pattern of settlement in an attempt to achieve Puritan social standing. Well-versed in theology, Chapman also possessed many quirky personal habits, yet contrary to myth, he wasn't the "clean-living vegetarian who never carried a gun." By following Chapman across the frontier, Kerrigan demonstrates the harsh realities of frontier life and the rapid pace of change in the new lands; a welcome perspective that illuminates a crucial, but oft-overlooked period of American history.
John Chapman’s life, which Kerrigan argues may have been a rejection of the growing materialism of market capitalism, tells us much about the early republic. Kerrigan’s dogged research and clear, lively writing strip away the mythology to reveal an impractical and unusual, though fascinating, individual. Academics and general readers will want to add this title to their bookshelves.
Indiana Magazine of History - Jeff Bremer
This slim volume does many things well. . . In just one paragraph, the author spans five centuries of agricultural change from competing 17th century European and Native American conceptions of land ownership to the recent introduction of cleverly marketed boutique apples from South America. This breadth of argument and free interplay between topic and period are a refreshing change from the microscopic studies that have become the bread-and-butter of specialized historical journals.
Northwest Ohio History - Dave Grettler
This coverage provides a satisfying blend of frontier history, agricultural and business insights, and American history and is a powerful pick for a range of holdings, from those strong in agricultural or American history to home and garden collections.
This book takes away the dross of mythology, but replaces it with the realistic humanity of a most fascinating unique American . . . Highly recommended.--Choice Midwest Book Review New England Quarterly The AAG Review of Books Indiana Magazine of History The Historian Northwest Ohio History
This book takes away the dross of mythology, but replaces it with the realistic humanity of a most fascinating unique American . . . Highly recommended.
A succinct, meticulous, and fascinating triple biography of the man, the myth and the American apple—a fine contribution to cultural and horticultural history.
New England Quarterly - Michael Kammen
Clearly, Kerrigan deserves credit for carefully and skillfully piecing together a biography of John Chapman - one that departs from the caricatures of the past. Arguably, the book's true value lies elsewhere . . . Perhaps even more important, he exposes the political and cultural forces that transformed a humble collector and planter of apple seeds into an American icon. In so doing, he causes us to experience and appreciate places like Appleseed Park in Athens, Ohio, in altogether new and different ways.
The AAG Review of Books - Geoffrey L Buckley
Readers who are seeking new insights into America's cultural history through the lens of the American orchard, or just hoping for a refreshing look at Johnny Appleseed, will find that this book is replete with new information culled from over fifteen years of meticulous research in country courthouses, historical societies, and Swedenborgian archives. They will also be delighted to discover that the tastelessness of an overproduced, overgrown, chemically dependent apple is absent; instead, they will find the invigorating crispness and freshness of a sun-ripened, pioneer apple, eaten at leisure with one's back against a sturdy tree.
The Historian - Ray Silverman
