Karl Jacoby (1) (1965–)

This turned out to be a moderately interesting monograph examining the social conflicts that resulted when the Adirondacks, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon became protected reserves, and the relevant authorities found themselves with the issue of having created a new class of criminals; the local folks who just so happened to think they had a right to subsistence via their traditional life-ways. That is to say hunting, fishing and collecting firewood. For the most part, Jacoby writes about all the parties with some sympathy, though the Havasupai Tribe probably have the saddest story. If I mark this monograph down for anything it's that it's rather older than I thought it was; old enough that the reissue that I read has an afterword by Jacoby dealing with some of the interpretative arguments his book has generated over the years. I'm wondering if there was something a little more contemporary looking at the issues raised.… (meer)

Also known as Guillaume Elliseo and variations, Ellis seems to have been born into slavery in Texas, but in later life was involved in cross-border politics and even Wall Street finance as a Mexican who claimed Spanish descent, taking advantage of American uncertainties about racial meanings outside the US. Ellis/Elliseo promoted African-American colonization of Mexico, though it mostly failed, and otherwise acted as an entrepreneur and politician. Because of his many names, it was hard to trace him, and digitization has only helped somewhat. Jacoby tells his story as one about the permeability and manipulability of borders—he was often able to use American racial ideology against itself, even as white American and Mexican racism both tried to suppress those of African descent; he also didn’t completely succeed, as when he was excluded from railroad cars reserved for whites. But because of the uncertainties and poor record keeping surrounding the border, even a failure once didn’t necessarily stick the next time. Of course, the same could probably not be said today, with its more comprehensive surveillance and classification.… (meer)