The Secret History of the Jersey Devil : How Quakers, Hucksters, and Benjamin Franklin Created a Monster

Author / Creator

Regal, Brian, author

Available as

Online

Summary

"A fascinating and scholarly examination of the origins of the Jersey Devil, a mythical beast born in the colonial era and which lives on to this day. Written in a style suitable for general reader...

"A fascinating and scholarly examination of the origins of the Jersey Devil, a mythical beast born in the colonial era and which lives on to this day. Written in a style suitable for general readers. Good regional trade and course adoption potential. Really interesting. Heavily researched and written in a lively narrative, The Secret History explodes the many myths surrounding the Jersey Devil. Provocative and entertaining and unlike any book written before on the subject, it finds the origins of New Jersey's favorite monster not in the realm of the occult, but in the bare-knuckled political and religious upheavals and fights of colonial America. The real story of the Jersey Devil's birth is far more interesting, complex, and important than anyone thinks. It is a product not of witchcraft, but innuendo, scandal, rumor mongering, and media hype. While a tale of early America, it could have been taken from the tabloids and internet gossip of today"--

"Legend has it that in 1735, a witch named Mother Leeds gave birth to a horrifying monster--a deformed flying horse with glowing red eyes--that flew up the chimney of her New Jersey home and disappeared into the Pine Barrens. Ever since, this nightmarish beast has haunted those woods, presaging catastrophe and frightening innocent passersby--or so the story goes. In The Secret History of the Jersey Devil, Brian Regal and Frank J. Esposito examine the genesis of this popular myth, which is also one of the oldest monster legends in the United States. According to Regal and Esposito, everything you think you know about the Jersey Devil is wrong. The real story of the Jersey Devil's birth is far more interesting, complex, and important than most people--believers and skeptics alike--realize. Leaving the Pine Barrens, Regal and Esposito turn instead to the varied political and cultural roots behind the Devil's creation. Fascinating and lively, this book finds the origins of New Jersey's favorite monster not in witchcraft or an unnatural liaison between woman and devil but in the bare-knuckled political fights and religious upheavals of colonial America. A product of innuendo and rumor, as well as scandal and media hype, the Jersey Devil enjoys a rich history involving land grabs, astrological predictions, mermaids and dinosaur bones, sideshows, Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, a cross-dressing royal governor, and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Providing a complete reappraisal of an old and popular legend, this book will entertain readers interested in colonial America, the history of New Jersey, or cryptozoology"--

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