Wampum

Woodward, Ashbel, 1804-1885Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 51K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Wampum by Ashbel WoodwardAuthor: Woodward, Ashbel, 1804-1885,Language: English, Class: E011: History: America: America, Release Date: Nov 26, 2007

Editor's review

Wampum is a book by Ashbel Woodward on wampum (shell beads), classified under American History (E011). Its reading value lies in placing a specific material culture within a historical context: wampum was used in Native American societies for record-keeping, exchange, and ceremony, and was later given meanings such as currency by colonists. The book serves as an introductory text for understanding material culture and Native American exchange in the colonial period of North America; its length and format lean toward historical exposition rather than narrative. Readers interested in Native American culture, colonial history, or material culture studies can gain a concrete and detailed entry point. Note that the book was written in the nineteenth century, and its perspective and expressions carry the limitations of its time; readers should maintain a critical awareness and not treat it as the definitive conclusion of contemporary Native American studies.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History readers interested in Native American culture and colonial history
Students in material culture and museum studies
Writers and enthusiasts seeking historical background on wampum

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for contemporary Native American perspectives
General readers who prefer fiction or narrative history
Readers who have difficulty reading English and need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

First understand the basic definition and uses of wampum before reading the main text to avoid conceptual confusion.
Pay attention to the author's historical standpoint and read alongside contemporary Native American scholarship.
Take notes with a timeline of North American colonial history to clarify changes in the functions of wampum.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What does wampum refer to?

Wampum generally refers to shell beads made by Native Americans, used for recording events, concluding agreements, and ceremonial exchange, and later used by colonists as a medium of exchange. This book presents a historical discussion centered on this material culture.

Is the book's standpoint objective?

The book was written in the nineteenth century, and the expressions of its author Woodward (1804–1885) carry the historical limitations and perspectives of his time. Readers should maintain a critical awareness and compare it with contemporary Native American studies rather than treating it as definitive.

Is this book available as an e-book?

Yes, the book is published by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain e-book in English. Sources indicate the e-book was released in 2007, while the listed 2019 is the platform entry year.

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About the author

Woodward, Ashbel, 1804-1885 Author · American · 1804–1885

Ashbel Woodward (1804–1885) was an American physician and local historian whose writings dealt largely with the history of Connecticut. Public information about his life is limited; the only work by him recorded in this database is Wampum. Judging from the available information, his writing interests centred on local history and the history and culture of colonial North America, often taking Connecticut's local records and material customs as his starting point, in a style that combines the arrangement of historical sources with narrative. Although his output was small, this kind of local history writing has some value for preserving regional memory and for understanding social life and material culture in the colonial period.