1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910409990703321

Autore

Sterken Christiaan

Titolo

Jean-Charles Houzeau's Escape from Texas : A Belgian Astronomer Caught in the American Civil War / / by Christiaan Sterken, Amy Abercrombie King

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Springer, , 2020

ISBN

3-030-46538-1

Edizione

[1st ed. 2020.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (165 pages)

Collana

Springer Biographies, , 2365-0613

Disciplina

070.410924

Soggetti

Physics

History

Astronomy

Astrophysics

History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics

US History

History of Science

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

United States History

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Part I Jean-Charles Houzeau: His work, his travels and his letters.-Jean-Charles Houzeau de Lehaie.-San Antonio in Houzeau’s times -- The nature and literary quality of Houzeau’s work, and of its translations -- Explanatory remarks -- Part II Appendix: Selected letters and transcripts of official documents -- Transcription of official Texas documents -- Transcription of official letters -- Part III Jean-Charles Houzeau’s White Terror in Texas -- Foreword -- Letter I.

Sommario/riassunto

Translated from the original French and annotated with figures, historical maps and commentary from the translators, this work is Jean-Charles Houzeau's account of his escape from Texas during the American Civil War. Houzeau was a Belgian astronomer who worked a couple of years as assistant astronomer at the Brussels Observatory, but eventually moved to the United States. He was living as a



frontierman in Texas when the Civil War broke out, and because he took an abolitionist stance and helped slaves escape, he was forced to flee to Mexico, from where he sailed to New Orleans on board of a US military vessel. Originally titled La terreur blanche au Texas et mon 'evasion, Houzeau captured the details of his escape in 1862. The editors, an astronomer and a French language teacher, have added supplementary material to give the readers more depth and historical context to the story.