The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York

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From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796–1848
An image of the 2009 book jacket issued by Cornell University Press
2009 Book jacket
AuthorW. David Lewis
CountryUnited States
SubjectPrisons New York (State) History
GenreSociohistorical nonfiction
Set inState of New York
Published1965, 2009
PublisherCornell University Press
Media typePrint, E-book, Audio
Pages336
ISBN9780801475481
OCLC320447026
WebsiteOfficial website

From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796–1848 is a book-length history chronicling the origins and early expansion of the penitentiary in New York state during the antebellum period. It was written by W. David Lewis and published in 1965 and reissued in 2009 by Cornell University Press.[1][2][3][4][5]

Synopsis[edit]

During the 50 years following 1796, New York built four prisons - Newgate, Auburn, Sing Sing, and Dannemora. These facilities reflected the harsh realities of the state at the time: brutality, a lack of knowledge, unconcern for inmates, carelessness, misuse of religion, political infighting, apathy and selfishness.[1] Hence, the book argues that efforts to reform prisons in pre-Civil War New York were usually overseen by those who weren't particularly sympathetic. According to the book, it seems that the more successful a reformer, the less compassionate they tended to be. Two failed attempts at prison reform came to the author's attention. The first involved Thomas Eddy, who founded Newgate prison in 1796. The second was a group in the 1840s who were intent on fighting the terrible conditions that had developed since Eddy's time. Eddy's methods were derived from the Enlightenment. The second group subscribed to Romanticism.[1]

About the book[edit]

Much of this scholarly work was originally written as the author's Cornell University Ph. D thesis. Relevant information is derived from "legislative reports, letters, and diaries of officials," as well as diaries of others involved with New York's prisons during that period. Secondary sources are "county histories, biographies", and academic journal articles.[2] The book is deemed to be comprehensive and written from an objective perspective.[2] It consists of twelve chapters and 336 pages.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Griffin, C. S. (1965). "Reviewed work: From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796-1848, W. David Lewis". The Journal of American History. 52 (2): 361–363. doi:10.2307/1908827. JSTOR 1908827.
  2. ^ a b c Shalloo, J. P. (1966). "Reviewed work: From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796-1848, W. David Lewis". Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. 33 (1): 119–121. JSTOR 27770396.
  3. ^ Sellin, Thorsten (1966). "Reviewed work: From Newgate to Dannemora. The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796-1848, W. David Lewis". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 90 (1): 130–131. JSTOR 20089881.
  4. ^ Wisbey, Herbert A. (1965). "Reviewed work: From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796-1848, W. David Lewis". The Historian. 28 (1): 141–142. JSTOR 24438754.
  5. ^ Goldfarb, Joel (1966). "Reviewed work: From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York 1796-1848, W. David Lewis". Issues in Criminology. 2 (1): 119–121. JSTOR 42909554.

Further reading[edit]

  • Smith, Merritt Roe (2010). "W. David Lewis, 1931-2007". Technology and Culture. 51 (1): 290–292. doi:10.1353/tech.0.0386. JSTOR 40647036.
  • Ignatieff, Michael (1981). "State, Civil Society, and Total Institutions: A Critique of Recent Social Histories of Punishment". Crime and Justice. 3: 153–192. doi:10.1086/449079. JSTOR 1147379.
  • Cross, Robert D. (1965). "Reviewed work: From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796-1848, W. David Lewis". The Wisconsin Magazine of History. 48 (4): 326–327. JSTOR 4634091.
  • Mellon, Knox (1967). "Reviewed work: From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796-1848, W. David Lewis". The Catholic Historical Review. 53 (3): 485–486. JSTOR 25018022.
  • Barnes, Harry Elmer (1966). "The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York—A Review". New York History. 47 (1): 74–82. JSTOR 23162448.

External links[edit]

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