Death of an empire
Subtitle: the rise and murderous fall of Salem, America's richest city
By: Robert Booth
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Published: 2011
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 330
ISBN-13: 9780312540388
Subjects: Economic conditions; Murder; Trials (Murder); Biography; History
Description: Most readers know Salem only for the city's notorious witch trials. But years later it became a very different city, one that produced America's first millionaire (still one of history's 75 wealthiest men) and boasted a maritime trade that made it the country's richest city. Westward expansion and the industrial revolution would eventually erode Salem's political importance, but it was a shocking murder and the scandal that followed which led at last to its fall from national prominence. This book is the tale of a little-known but remarkably rich era of American history, drawing in characters such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Quincy Adams, and Daniel Webster.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Masters of the Universe. At war ; The lost prince ; White heat ; Panic ; Lost at sea ; The prophet; title: Visions & Delusions. White hope ; Celebrations ; Jubilee ; Dreams of new bliss ; Twilight; title: Into the Darkness. Nightfall ; The Salem murder ; Confession ; Imps of hell & devils roam ; Death after death ; Conflagration; title: Blown Away. The magnate ; The mirage.