In the seven decades from its establishment in 1775 to the commercialization of the electric telegraph in 1844, the American postal system spurred a communications revolution no less far-reaching than the subsequent revolutions associated with the telegraph, telephone, and computer. This book tells the story of that revolution and the challenge it posed for American business, politics, and cultural life. During the early republic, the postal system was widely hailed as one of the most important institutions of the day. No other institution had the capacity to transmit such a large volume of information on a regular basis over such an enormous geographical expanse. The stagecoaches and postriders who conveyed the mail were virtually synonymous with speed. In the United States, the unimpeded transmission of information has long been hailed as a positive good. In few other countries has informational mobility been such a cherished ideal. Richard John shows how postal policy can help explain this state of affairs. He discusses its influence on the development of such information-intensive institutions as the national market, the voluntary association, and the mass party. He traces its consequences for ordinary Americans, including women, blacks, and the poor. In a broader sense, he shows how the postal system worked to create a national society out of a loose union of confederated states. This exploration of the role of the postal system in American public life provides a fresh perspective not only on an important but neglected chapter in American history, but also on the origins of some of the most distinctive features of American life today. Table of Contents: Preface Acknowledgments The Postal System as an Agent of Change The Communications Revolution Completing the Network The Imagined Community The Invasion of the Sacred The Wellspring of Democracy The Interdiction of Dissent Conclusion Abbreviations Notes Sources Index Reviews of this book: "[A] splendid new book...that gives the lie to any notion that 'government' and 'administration' were 'absent' in early America." DD--Theda Skocpol, Social Science History "This well-researched and elegantly written book will become a model for historians attempting to link public policy to cultural and political change...[It] will engage not only historians of the early republic, but all scholars interested in the relationship between state and society." DD--John Majewski, Journal of Economic History "The strength of the book is...the author's ability to untangle the thousands of social, political, economic, and cultural threads of the postal fabric and to rearrange them into a clear and compelling social history." DD--Roy Alden Atwood, Journal of American History "Richard R. John provides an insightful cultural history of the often-overlooked American postal system, concentrating on its preeminent status for long-distance communication between its birth in 1775 and the commercialization of the electric telegraph in 1844...John effectively draws upon government documents, newspapers, travelogues, and contemporary social and political histories to argue that the postal system causes and mirrors dramatic changes in American public life during this period...John focuses his study on the communication revolution of the past, yet his meticulous analysis of the complex motives forming the postal institution and its policies relate to such current controversies as those that surround the transmission of information in cyberspace. These contemporary disputes highlight the power of the government in shaping the communication of the people. John privileges the postal institution as the reigning communication system, yet he links it with the developing ideology of the nation, and the scope of his study ensures its value--in the disciplines of communication studies, literature, history, and political science, among others--as a history of the past and present." DD--Sarah R. Marino, Canadian Review of American Studies "Spreading the News exemplifies the kind of sophisticated and nuanced research that US postal history has long needed. Richard R. John breaks from the internalist, antiquarian tradition characteristic of so many post office histories to place the postal system at the centre of American national development." DD--Richard B. Kielbowicz, Business History "[John] presents a thoroughly researched and well-written book...[which will give] insight into the history of the post office and its impact on American life." DD--Library Journal "It is surely true that in Richard John the post has had the good fortune to have found its proper historian, one capable of appreciating the complex design and social importance of the means a people use to distribute information. He has also accomplished the impressive feat of gathering together the pieces of a postal history present elsewhere as so many tiny fragments. John has drawn into a coherent design the stories of postal patronage, the decisions about postal privacy, the incidents along post roads used by others as illustrative anecdotes. John's work has inspired in him a deep appreciation for the accomplishments of the post." DD--Ann Fabian, The Yale Review "John's book explains how the letters and newspapers sent through the post were really the glue that held the early 13 states together and that embraced additional states as the nation expanded westward...It is a splendid attempt to show the importance of mail service in the years before the telegraph or the telephone made at least brief news transmission possible. The postal system of the 19th century really was a factor, perhaps the major factor, in making the United States one nation." DD--Richard B. Graham, Linn's Stamp News "This book traces the central role of the postal system in [its] communications revolution and its contribution to American public life. The author shows how the postal system influenced the establishment of a national society out of a loose union of confederated states. Richard John throws light onto a chapter in American history that is often neglected but sets up the origins of some of the most distinctive features of American life today...The book is a comprehensive study on an important American institution during a critical epoch in its history." DD--Monika Plum, Prometheus [UK] "John has produced an original, well-documented, and thoughtful study that offers alternative and enticing interpretations of Jacksonian policies and public institutions." DD--Choice

From its establishment in 1775 to the commercialization of the electric telegraph in 1844, the American postal system spurred a communications revolution as far-reaching as the revolutions associated with the telephone and computer. John tells the story of that revolution and the challenge it posed for American business, politics, and culture.

"This superb collection of eighteen plays has long been needed. It provides a sound and solid introduction to the rich field of modern Irish drama, and should be as delightful to the private reader as it will be useful for university classes."--Journal of Irish Literature Contents: Spreading the News and The Gaol Gate-- Lady Gregory; On Baile's Strand and the Only Jealousy of Emer--W.B. Yeats; The Land--Padraic Colum; The Playboy of the Western World--J.M. Synge; Maurice Harr--T. C. Murray; The Magic Glasses--George Fitzmaurice; Juno and the Paycock- -Sean O'Casey; The Big House--Lennox Robinson; The Old Lady Says "No "--Denis Johnston; As the Crow Flies--Austin Clarke; The Paddy Pedlar--M. J. Malloy; The Vision of Mac Conglinne--Padraic Fallon; The Quare Fellow--Brendan Behan; All that Fall--Samuel Becket; Da--Hugh Leonard; Translations--Brian Friel

This retelling of the Christmas story, through poetry and biblical references, inspires thoughtful meditation and joyful singing. Several poems can be sung to the tune of well-known Christmas carols and other songs. Reflections on the reason for Jesus’ birth remind us that we can still have hope for our broken world. The opening theme is the birth of Jesus, a miraculous display of God’s love for us celebrated at Christmas. However, Christmas is only the beginning. What follows His birth is even more astounding and life-transforming. The first part of the book resounds with joy and celebration at this phenomenal love-gift sent to us by a holy and loving God seeking to reconnect with his lost sheep. The celebration is not just because of His birth, but because He was born to die for mankind’s redemption from sin’s bondage. What is more praiseworthy is His resurrection, the foundation of the Christian faith. Because Jesus is alive, His power and light will always outshine the darkness. This is clearly a reason for singing. With the life of Jesus as our example, the remaining poems cover various aspects of Christian living: forgiveness, righteousness, justice, compassion for our neighbor and resisting temptation. Some poems cover controversial issues like the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage. They remind us that we are in a spiritual battle and must daily make choices between good and evil. We are exhorted to love God and obey His precepts in order to flourish. Loving and caring for each other are some of the daily choices we must make. Without that, our human society sinks into chaos. While the explosion of evil around us is frightening, we also struggle with our own personal weaknesses and failures and need reminders that Jesus will meet us in those struggles. Several of the poems are prayers from a burdened heart wrestling with the enticement of sin and the need to receive or grant forgiveness. Some are the expressions of grief and pain in moments of despair so common to mankind. Other poems are songs of praise and thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness in delivering from trials of various kinds. The book ends with poems of victory in anticipation of Jesus’ triumphant return to fulfill His promise to abolish sin and suffering. It is a time of rejoicing for those who love Him, but a time of fear and trembling for those who do not. The goal of this book is to point people to the God who sees all and who does not desire anyone to perish. His mercy is extended to all who would receive it. The biblical references that follow the poems will challenge the reader to a deeper dive into the very words of God to glean strength, wisdom and courage for daily living. These poems are meant to serve as a springboard to that end, and there is something here for everyone and for every season.

With recent headlines around fake news from world leaders and around presidential elections, Twitter and other social media platforms being pressured to detect and label misinformation posted on their platforms, as well as misinformation around COVID-19 and its vaccine, the world has seen an increase in protests, policy changes, and even chaos surrounding this information. This spread of misinformation, when left unchecked, can turn fiction into fact and result in a mass misconception of the truth that shapes opinions, creates false narratives, and impacts multiple facets of society in potentially detrimental ways, indicating a need for the latest research on how the devastating impacts of this trend, how to discern facts from misinformation, as well as more information on technological advancements in fake news detection The Research Anthology on Fake News, Political Warfare, and Combatting the Spread of Misinformation is a compilation of the most comprehensive, previously published, and highly cited research from prestigious institutions including Columbia University and Stanford University, USA, which focuses on understanding fake news, how it spreads, its negative effects, and current solutions being investigated. While highlighting topics such as fake news, trending conspiracy theories, media distrust, political warfare, and detection methods, this book is ideally intended for practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in the continuing surge of fake news and its, at times, dangerous results.