603:, whereas the Paxmores, through Ruth Brinton, are the first proponents of emancipation. It is said that the Choptank Quakers' Association (near the Choptank River) is the first religious organization to ban slavery. Later in the book, Cudjo Cater is captured in Africa and put to work on the Steed plantation, where he buys his freedom and settles in the nearby township with a wife. The Cater family is forever affected by slavery, even after emancipation, as evidenced when Jeb Cater tries to get his son treated for an ear infection. Prior to the American Civil War (1861–1865), the Paxmores form the
626:, they live in the same one bedroom shack built in the 17th century, and the children often watch the adults' sexual activity. However, by the end of the book, at least some of the Turlocks have risen out of poverty. The head of the Turlock family by 1978 is a wealthy real estate broker, selling waterside properties to a well-heeled clientele; one of his customers is a returning member of the Steed family. The other side of poverty is the place in the township dubbed "The Neck" in the 20th century, where all the
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and building his house on a cliff overlooking the
Choptank. He learns how to build a boat because of necessity and with only help from Indians, and eventually learns how to build an ocean-going sailing ship. His boat-building business becomes highly successful and thrives in the township. The Caters
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Michener developed four fictional pieces of land in
Maryland to build the locations of his novel: Patamoke and The Neck; The Turlock Marsh; Peace Cliff; and Devon Island on which Rosalind's Revenge was built. All of these locations were placed by the open water of the Choptank. The location of Devon
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to him. Edmund Steed settles on Devon Island and builds his home, complete with chapel, and founds his great plantation from the ground up with land bought from the
Indians. The Steeds eventually own thousands of acres and are extremely wealthy. The Paxmores start with Edward Paxmore, a Quaker
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and baseball diamond. Living standards are greatly reduced in "The Neck", with the school teacher managing multiple years, and children counting themselves privileged to have either a book or a desk. "The Neck" is eventually burned down by black
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of the 1840s, are easily assimilated into the town, and become central characters in the oyster and duck subplots. As can be seen from each family's success through determination, the message is that they worked hard and attained great things.
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The story-line, like much of
Michener's work, depicts a number of characters within family groups over a long time period, richly illustrating the history of the area through these families' timelines. It starts in 1583 with
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sailing vessel. He eventually earns enough money to buy his own skipjack, which he staffs with his family, and becomes a successful captain. The
Caveneys, who emigrated from Ireland due to the
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The book is divided into 14 separate chapters with two sections each. The first part provides a key date and describes the background behind the arrival of a person or thing (i.e., a family of
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with religious themes or overtones, beginning with a doctrinal discussion about the religious role of women between Ralph Steed, a
Catholic priest, and Ruth Brinton, a
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of the
Paxmore family. Each such debate always involves one of the Paxmores, with the source of disagreement being rooted in that individual Quaker's beliefs.
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tribes warring, moves with
English settlers through the 17th century (land appropriation, tobacco farming, indentured servitude, religious persecution, etc.),
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area, while the second section provides a thematic name and describes how the new arrivals interact with places and the people already settled in the area.
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Industry is seen in how each family builds their life up around them due to need, and eventually flourishes. It starts with
Pentaquod, a
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on the riverside. While they are one of the families closest to nature throughout the whole novel, akin to most of the
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Island would be immediately north of Todds Point, approximately 3 miles southeast of the southern tip of
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struggle for a long time, until 'Big Jimbo' Cater becomes a cook for an oyster harvesting
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by a particular family that settles on the Bay, and in some cases, by several families.
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Poverty is best shown in the living standards of the Turlocks, who live in a
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684:"James Michener, Author of Novels That Sweep Through the History of Places"
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714:. Heritage Strategies for Michener’s Chesapeake Scenic Byway. April 2011
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Slavery is an overriding theme of the entire book. The Steeds are great
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The religious element of the novel applies to the Steeds, who are
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Location of the fictional town of Patamoke on Google Maps
709:"Interpretive Development of James Michener's Chesapeake"
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in Voyage Eight and floodwaters in Voyage Eleven) to the
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of 1972-1974. The last voyage, a funeral, is in 1978.
279:. The story deals with several families living in the
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Location of the fictional Devon Island on Google Maps
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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526:Most of the events of the novel take place on the
599:and one of the greatest holders of slaves in the
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559:List of the oldest churches in the United States
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1131:Collectors, Forgers – And A Writer: A Memoir
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646:Indian, who settles on a clifftop which is
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630:housing is located, including a separate
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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328:, to the final major event being the
1382:Eastern Shore of Maryland in fiction
830:Katie Sullivan (September 9, 2007).
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47:adding citations to reliable sources
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784:. stmichaelsmd.com. Archived from
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809:"Third Haven Quakers and Slavery"
682:Albin Krebs (October 17, 1997).
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198:Print (hardback & paperback)
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651:carpenter, being banished from
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34:needs additional citations for
16:1978 novel by James A. Michener
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734:"James Michener's Chesapeake"
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1341:James A. Michener Art Museum
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1362:Novels by James A. Michener
1331:Michener Center for Writers
1326:Mari Yoriko Sabusawa (wife)
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206:865 pp; 1001 pp (paperback)
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1377:Works about Chesapeake Bay
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832:"Celebrating 'Chesapeake'"
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811:. 300 Years of Quakerism
807:Dr. Kenneth L. Carroll.
782:"Michener's Chesapeake•"
1174:Short story collections
1139:The Eagle and the Raven
611:" to free territory in
58:"Chesapeake" novel
1259:Adventures in Paradise
1218:The Bridges at Toko-Ri
904:The Bridges at Toko-ri
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256:PZ3.M583 Ch PS3525.I19
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509:Voyage Fourteen: 1978
497:Voyage Thirteen: 1976
291:, from 1583 to 1978.
1367:1978 American novels
1163:Literary Reflections
1155:The World Is My Home
609:Underground Railroad
43:improve this article
1115:Rascals in Paradise
1107:The Bridge at Andau
896:The Fires of Spring
834:. The Star Democrat
740:on 30 November 2010
485:Voyage Twelve: 1938
473:Voyage Eleven: 1886
314:American Revolution
133:First edition cover
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1226:Return to Paradise
1190:Return to Paradise
1072:Miracle in Seville
688:The New York Times
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437:Voyage Eight: 1822
425:Voyage Seven: 1811
406:Rosalind's Revenge
377:Voyage Three: 1636
346:Delmarva Peninsula
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1099:The Voice of Asia
881:James A. Michener
788:on April 16, 2017
632:segregated school
565:Themes and motifs
454:The Slave-Breaker
449:Voyage Nine: 1832
401:Voyage Five: 1701
389:Voyage Four: 1661
330:Watergate scandal
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99:February 2008
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968:The Watermen
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944:The Drifters
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836:. Retrieved
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786:the original
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742:. Retrieved
738:the original
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662:Great Famine
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613:Pennsylvania
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536:St. Michaels
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478:The Watermen
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466:The Railroad
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442:Widow's Walk
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342:Canada geese
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326:assimilation
322:Emancipation
298:
295:Plot summary
283:area around
273:Random House
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171:Random House
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1262:(1959-1962)
1201:Adaptations
1091:Non-fiction
1064:Recessional
571:personified
122:Chesapeake
1356:Categories
1283:Centennial
960:Chesapeake
952:Centennial
936:The Source
669:References
597:landowners
370:The Island
264:Chesapeake
161:Historical
69:newspapers
1211:(musical)
1080:Matecumbe
1040:The Novel
1024:Caribbean
637:activists
590:matriarch
548:Cambridge
515:Geography
394:The Cliff
382:The Marsh
358:The River
318:Civil War
167:Publisher
1234:Sayonara
928:Caravans
912:Sayonara
838:April 1,
815:April 1,
792:April 1,
718:April 1,
693:April 1,
658:skipjack
648:paradise
605:Maryland
601:colonies
430:The Duel
336:Chapters
316:and the
289:Maryland
285:Virginia
244:813/.5/4
149:Language
1319:Related
1032:Journey
624:Indians
582:Quakers
306:slavery
231:3730647
152:English
83:scholar
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888:Novels
744:23 May
586:debate
502:Refuge
312:, the
139:Author
85:
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56:
1299:Texas
1291:Space
1000:Texas
984:Space
712:(PDF)
628:Negro
620:marsh
203:Pages
157:Genre
90:JSTOR
76:books
840:2017
817:2017
794:2017
746:2011
720:2017
695:2017
287:and
277:1978
225:OCLC
212:ISBN
62:news
561:).
275:in
45:by
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