Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Civil Disobedience: An Encyclopedic History of Dissidence in the United States. Mary Ellen Snodgrass. 2 vols. 737p. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 2009. 978-0-7656-8127-0; 2008-7975. $199.

From the Boston Tea Party to the Battle in Seattle, the United States has a long history of civil disobedience. With this latest guide, a prolific reference writer explores this rich tradition in America. The 130 entries range from armed insurrections, like the War of Regulation and the Whiskey Rebellion, to personal acts of conscience by Cindy Sheehan and Martin Sheen. From abolition, abortion and civil rights to tax resistance, temperance and woman suffrage, the causes of protest are explained. So too are the methods of resistance, from educating slaves to burning flags. From Mother Jones to César Chávez, the leaders of protest movements are profiled. The differing approaches of groups like the Sons of Liberty, the Ku Klux Klan, ACT-UP and PETA also are explored. The entries include suggestions for further research, as well as numerous illustrations and tables documenting types of disobedience. A second volume of additional data supports the text. A chronology of acts of conscience lists hundred of historic incidents. Thousands of names associated with civil disobedience are listed in two tables of acts of conscience. The first is divided into forms or subjects of protest, such as fishing bans, gay persecution, prison conditions and draft resistance. Thus, users can find the lists of participants in the Boston Tea Party and the 1973 protest at Wounded Knee. A second list divided by state, allows students to explore protest movements in their local area. While these lists are far from complete, they provide a useful avenue for further research. A selection of 12 primary documents gives the reader first-hand accounts of civil disobedience. Other aids to research include an extensive glossary and a detailed index. This useful resource is recommended for high school, public and undergraduate libraries.