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I really pushed myself in the archives today but did not get anywhere near my goal. Sometimes unexpected things happen while doing historical research.
My original goal was to read through all the issues of Bible Society Record between 1816 and 1865 in two weeks. But I established that goal based on my reading of the early years of the Record when it was published about 6-8 times a year. I did not realize that in the late 1840s the ABS started publishing the Record once a month and expanded the number of articles in each issue. I made to the 1850s yesterday, but it looks like I will be spending more time in this decade than I originally planned. This will set me back a bit.
Having said that, I gathered a lot of useable material today, including some great anecdotes about ABS agents in upstate New York, Texas, and Alabama. I also realized that I cannot tell the ABS story without a chapter on anti-Catholicism in the 1840s and 1850s. This theme dominates the Record during this period.
The book proposal is just about done. Katie Garland and Katy Kaslow did a great editing job on it. I am ready to put it away for a few days while I finish the first chapter.
I also had two literary agents ask me to see a full proposal today. That is good news.
I also realized that I cannot tell the ABS story without a chapter on anti-Catholicism in the 1840s and 1850s.
Funny, so did I–just today. See other comments sections.
Theodore Frelinghuysen's your man.
http://tinyurl.com/nfy5jf4
Tom: Thanks for your interest. Frelinghuysen is tame compared to the stuff I am reading.
Wow. A much cooler project than I thought!
FTR, although my background is Irish Catholic and my politics are to the right [duh], the proud American history of anti-Catholicism bothers me not atall. This stuff all needed to be sorted out, and the West had been at it since Luther.