As the thirteen colonies struggled for independence and
wrestled with concepts of republican government, the times made many men. Those
beyond the mountains, in the burgeoning American west, faced additional
challenges as they strove to secure their place in the new nation. From this
crucible emerged John Brown, a man whose natural reserve belied a deep and
abiding devotion to his country and its citizens.
With a keen analysis of the major issues and personalities
of the time, deftly illuminated with vivid details, Steven Walker has created,
in this handsome volume, a fully-realized portrait of this extraordinary man
and the new state and nation he dedicated his life to building.
It is surprising that this volume should be the first full
biography of a man who did so much to shape the development of the new American
west immediately following the Revolutionary War. John Brown became the first
senator for the district of Kentucky some nine years before statehood, when
Kentuckians made him their first choice for the US Senate, a body which twice
appointed him president pro tempore; yet today he is largely unknown.
Whether dealing with the physical threat from Indians, local
personal political opposition, rival inter-state motivations, or the influences
of British, French, or Spanish agents, John Brown fought for the interests of
his fellow Kentuckians. In due course, this founding father of Kentucky became
embroiled in controversies over the Spanish and Burr conspiracies, but
throughout, he retained the confidence and respect of his friends, including
the founding fathers and early presidents of the United States.
From piloting fighter jets to commanding operations, Steven
Walker led a career in defense and government while also pursuing a varied
academic path. Along the way he gained degrees in archaeology and ancient
history, management and research, defense and strategic studies, and cultural
heritage. His PhD is in settler colonial history.
One result of his love of heritage and the built environment
is the antebellum home, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, he
now shares with his wife Lynn in Perryville, Kentucky.
His previous work, the economic history Enterprise,
Risk and Ruin: The Stage-coach and the Development of Van Diemen's Land and
Tasmania, was in part a result of his restoration of a c. 1833 Georgian
sandstone coaching inn.