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Chris Bodenner
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Pioneers Built from the Soil Up: How the Funk Family Shaped American History Paperback – May 23, 2024

by Chris Bodenner (Author)

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The Chicago Tribune described Isaac Funk as the largest self-made landowner in the U.S. in the mid-1800s. Learn how he emerged from an impoverished, shady youth to become a respected leader, perhaps the richest farmer in the U.S., and a key early friend and booster of Abraham Lincoln.

Pioneers provides a well-researched, vivid portrayal of the Funk family. Men who advised presidents, opposed slavery, became the voice of America’s farmers, served as civic leaders, and transformed agriculture to feed the world. Women who fought for suffrage, supported education, and stepped up to run the farm. A family whose wealth and standing attracted scandal and blackmail.

Read the stories of pioneers in Illinois when it was the Wild West, of pioneers who traversed the Oregon Trail to become leaders in early Oregon, and of pioneers who developed and marketed the first hybrid seed corn to feed the world.
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  1. Print length
    276 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 23, 2024
  4. Dimensions
    8 x 0.63 x 10 inches
  5. ISBN-13
    979-8218400644
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Greg Koos, Author and Executive Director Emeritus at McLean County (IL) Museum of History
The Funk Family of McLean County Illinois has a big story. From politics to business to agriculture to institution-building, this book entertainingly explains not only how but also why the Funk Family has left its indelible imprint on our history. You will come away from this outstanding contribution to US history with a sense of real people, not wooden idols, who struggled to make something not only of themselves, but also of the community where they lived.

German Bollero, Dean of the University of Illinois' College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Explore the enduring legacy of the pioneering Funk family, deeply rooted in Illinois - a state that would become the heart of American agriculture and the Land of Lincoln thanks to their endeavors. Discover how the Funks transcended frontiers and politics to foster agricultural prosperity and social justice, respectively. This book will resonate with a generation gripped by national division and looming food insecurity while providing hope in deliverance by the American dream.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D5BSQB39
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blooming Grove Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 23, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 276 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8218400644
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.23 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 0.63 x 10 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #1,597,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

About the author

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Chris Bodenner

Chris Bodenner

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A journalist and self-described nomad, Chris Bodenner is co-owner and co-editor -- with political writer Andrew Sullivan -- of The Weekly Dish, an online publication that promotes civil debate around contemporary issues. He has written for magazines including The Atlantic, The New Republic, and Smithsonian. As a senior editor of The Atlantic, he launched and edited a debate section of the website. He also helped found Issues and Controversies in American History, an education periodical by Fact on File. He has a BA in History from Wake Forest University.