|
 In
the summer of 1790 the Italian explorer Count Paolo Andreani embarked on a
journey that would take him through New York State and eastern Iroquoia.
Traveling along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, Andreani kept a meticulous
record of his observations and experiences in the New World. Published
complete for the first time in English, the diary is of major importance to
those interested in life after the American Revolution, political affairs in
the New Republic, and Native American peoples.Through Andreani's writings, we glimpse a world in cultural, economic, and political transition. An active participant in Enlightenment science, Andreani provides detailed observations of the landscape and natural history of his route. He also documents the manners and customs of the Iroquois, Shakers, and German, Dutch, and Anglo New Yorkers. Andreani was particularly interested in the Oneida and Onondaga Indians he visited, and his description of an Oneida lacrosse match accompanies the earliest known depiction of a lacrosse stick. Andreani's American letters, included here, relate his sometimes difficult but always revealing personal relationships with Washington, Jefferson, and Adams. Prefaced by an illuminating historical and biographical introduction, Along the Hudson and Mohawk is a fascinating look at the New Republic as seen through the eyes of an observant and curious explorer. Cesare Marino is an anthropologist with the Smithsonian Institution. His
books include The Sioux Vocabulary of 1823, Dal Piave at Little Bighorn, and
The Remarkable Carlo Gentile, Pioneer Italian Photographer of the West.
Karim M. Tiro teaches history at Xavier University. |
