Knowledge Is Power: The Diffusion of Information in Early America, 1700-1865

by Richard D. Brown

Brown here explores America's first communications revolution--the revolution that made printed goods and public oratory widely available and, by means of the steamboat, railroad and telegraph, sharply accelerated the pace at which information travelled. He describes the day-to-day experiences of dozens of men and women, and in the process illuminates the social dimensions of this profound, far-reaching transformation. Brown begins in Massachusetts and Virginia in the early 18th century, when public information was the precious possession of the wealthy, learned, and powerful, who used it to reinforce political order and cultural unity. Employing diaries and letters to trace how information moved through society during seven generations, he explains that by the Civil War era, cultural unity had become a thing of the past. Assisted by advanced technology and an expanding economy, Americans had created a pluralistic information marketplace in which all forms of public
communication--print, oratory, and public meetings--were competing for the attention of free men and women. Knowledge is Power provides fresh insights into the foundations of American pluralism and deepens our perspective on the character of public communications in the United States.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Communication, American History

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Richard D. Brown is Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of History, Emeritus, at the University of Connecticut and has authored, co-authored, and edited numerous books and textbooks with a focus on Early American history.

Before coming to UConn in 1971, he taught as a Fulbright lecturer in France and at Oberlin College after earning his Ph.D. from Harvard University. His research and teaching interests have been in the political, social, and cultural history of early America. Currently, his research and writing focus centers on racial, ethnic, and religious equality in Early America.

His most recent book, coming in March 2017 from Yale University Press, is Self-Evident Truths: Contesting Equal Rights from the Revolution to the Civil War.

He is also the author of Knowledge is Power: The Diffusion of Information in Early America, 1700-1865 and The Strength of a People: The Idea of an Informed Citizenry in America, 1650-1870. With Irene Quenzler Brown he is the co-author of The Hanging of Ephraim Wheeler: A Story of Rape, Incest, and Justice in Early America.