Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation

by Tammy Horn

Honey bees―and the qualities associated with them―have quietly influenced American values for four centuries. During every major period in the country's history, bees and beekeepers have represented order and stability in a country without a national religion, political party, or language. Bees in America is an enlightening cultural history of bees and beekeeping in the United States. Tammy Horn, herself a beekeeper, offers a varied social and technological history from the colonial period, when the British first introduced bees to the New World, to the present, when bees are being used by the American military to detect bombs. Early European colonists introduced bees to the New World as part of an agrarian philosophy borrowed from the Greeks and Romans. Their legacy was intended to provide sustenance and a livelihood for immigrants in search of new opportunities, and the honey bee became a sign of colonization, alerting Native Americans to settlers' westward advance. Colonists imagined their own endeavors in terms of bees' hallmark traits of industry and thrift and the image of the busy and growing hive soon shaped American ideals about work, family, community, and leisure. The image of the hive continued to be popular in the eighteenth century, symbolizing a society working together for the common good and reflecting Enlightenment principles of order and balance. Less than a half-century later, Mormons settling Utah (where the bee is the state symbol) adopted the hive as a metaphor for their protected and close-knit culture that revolved around industry, harmony, frugality, and cooperation. In the Great Depression, beehives provided food and bartering goods for many farm families, and during World War II, the War Food Administration urged beekeepers to conserve every ounce of beeswax their bees provided, as more than a million pounds a year were being used in the manufacture of war products ranging from waterproofing products to tape. The bee remains a bellwether in modern America. Like so many other insects and animals, the bee population was decimated by the growing use of chemical pesticides in the 1970s. Nevertheless, beekeeping has experienced a revival as natural products containing honey and beeswax have increased the visibility and desirability of the honey bee. Still a powerful representation of success, the industrious honey bee continues to serve both as a source of income and a metaphor for globalization as America emerges as a leader in the Information Age.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Food, Natural History, Nature, American History

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Sarah Plonski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for the history nerd or bee lover (even better if you're both!)

[Sarah Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a book solely based on beekeeping before but have always been fascinated by the process. I learned a lot from this book, and I'm going to delve into that below. So... erm, nonfiction historical spoiler alert? You have been warned, interwebz.

I found it really interesting to see how the gender of beekeepers changed throughout history. From Dutch wives to pastors to the factories in WW2. It was also really cool to read about how bees made their way into American rhetoric

Teachers and librarians of my goodreads account! If a student ever asks you who you think he or she should write a paper on, suggest Lorenzo Longstroth. Considered a radical during his time, Longstroth was a huge activist for female education. He invented the removable frames in beehives and eventually opened a school for women in Philadelphia. I wish I had known about him sooner.

One of the things that struck me from this novel was how beekeeping was a frequent occupation for WW1 veterans. Many veterans returned handicapped and sometimes had their faces damaged from trench warfare. Beekeeping was private, able to be performed at a slower pace, and still contributed to society. It was the ideal job.

Overall, very enjoyable book. Tammy Horn did a great job. I really loved how she incorporated popular culture and literature while building the scope around bees.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a beekeeper of 3 years, getting an environmental science degree and doing college projects in college focusing on bees and honeybees. I like to think I know everything there is to know about bees. Well I was wrong and this proved to me that I knew nothing about the history of honeybees and how they came about and how they shaped the world I am currently living in now. I absolutely loved reading this book and learning so much more than I already know. I had the pleasure of meeting Tammy Horn at a bee convention back in March 2019 where I got her book. Always stay curious. You may think you know things which it fact may be true but there is always more to learn and discover. If you are curious about bees and their history I highly recommend this book.

[Steve Hawley · Rating 2 out of 5]

excellent vignettes which of themselves are informative but overall the book is awkwardly constructed the author's argument forced.

[Steven Shook · Rating 3 out of 5]

By its title alone, Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation, one gets the sense that this book, authored by Tammy Horn, explores and explains the intersection between the honey bee and the historical development of the United States. My conclusion after having read the book is that Horn explains how the honey bee was shaped by the development of the United States, especially in a sociological sense. Suppose that X=honey bees and Y=historical development of the USA, it seems that Horn's thesis is that X, in part, led to Y. I disagree. Considering the many examples in Horn's book, it appears instead that Y led to many of the historical developments related to X.

Given my personal experience as a beekeeper, I was very interested in reading this book. Many reviewers state that Horn's book is a tour de force among publications concerning honey bees. There is no doubt that the book is well written, overall, but it seems to be excessively concerned about the relationship between honey bees and social constructs (e.g., women's movement, racial divides) rather than any other sort of history associated with honey bees (e.g., industrial/market history, scientific understanding, natural history).

Hence, I found that the scope of the book clearly focused on social history, much of which I interpreted as being coincidental rather than cause-and-effect. For instance, Horn's seems rather at awe in her numerous discussions regarding the involvement of women in beekeeping; namely, who would have ever thought that women would be keep honey bees?! Put into proper context, however, women have always been involved in agricultural occupations, chores, pursuits, etc. Women were milking cows when America was settled, so why should it be either odd or particularly fascinating that they would be involved in keeping honey bees? Putting food on the table is important - regardless if you are a man or woman. Personally, I felt that too much effort was expended in describing the social impact of honey bees - when most of these impacts were coincidental rather than cause-and-effect related. Hence, I find the the title of the book is a bit deceiving.

Regardless, the book does have many redeeming qualities that I appreciate. The book is written in a time sequential format - honey bees in Europe, brought to America, and then a decade-by-decade history. Numerous vignettes are provided throughout the book that are both interesting and educational. I very much appreciated Horn's use of endnotes, many of which I investigated in more detail. If you are interested in honey bees or beekeeping, then I would recommend that you read and keep this book; the endnotes in themselves provide a "go to" source for additional information.

I would recommend some editorial changes if the book were to be reissued. First, the images included in the book are of very poor quality, most likely due to the printing process and quality of paper used in publishing the book. They are of so poor quality that they somewhat distract from what Horn has written. Second, there is considerable repetition of facts throughout the book. Facts need only be stated once and then built upon. Third, it appears as Horn's editor stopped making corrections two-thirds of the way into the book. While the first two-thirds are well written and constructed, from an editorial point of view, the last one-third is very disjointed and does not flow well at all; one has to slog through the last one-third. This made for awkward reading. In the last one-third of the book, scientific issues related to honey bees are directly positioned adjacent to social issues concerning honey bees, as if they went hand-in-hand together (they don't). There is certainly room for improvement with regard to the editorial quality of this book.

[Cassandra Carico · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book so full of fascinating information. It is sure to entertain and inform. Surprisingly, I don't think that one needs to have a love for bees prior to reading this book, only just a curiosity. The love will blossom as one reads this intriguing history.

[Jim Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history, like the books Cod and Salt

Lot of interesting history about the bee industry. I could have done without the politics the author put in but otherwise a solid read.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant insight into the history of bees. I learned so much.

[Reading Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't love this book. I was surprised to find out in the last chapter that she is a beekeeper herself because one of the most obvious things that kept jumping out to me...she never addressed. I'll get back to that.

It's chronological and includes many excerpts from historical documents--that's kind of nifty. And it was interesting to realize that the four main innovations that most beeks take for granted (the Langstroth hive, extractors, the smoker, and frame foundation) are all essentially American innovations. Yay team USA!

And it was neat to find out that back in the days when beekeeping was 'steal all the honey and f*** them bees' beekeeping was often a thing women could pursue (before the modern days where there's a lot of husbandry and animal science involved, I guess), and that veterans were recommended beekeeping after WWI because a) their facial scars were ugly and b) let's face it, beekeeping is great for mental health. As a huge fan of Hives for Heroes, it was interesting to realize that this idea has a history!

There's not much analysis, really. I think what irked me was that this didn't read like an academic work but it clearly wasn't written for a popular audience. (Too shallow for the first, too dry for the latter). A book without a clear audience is just going to flounder.

Anyway, to the obvious thing: throughout almost all the excerpts Horn uses refers to bees as 'he'. The poems, the diary journals, the homilies--all refer to worker bees as male.

I mean at least acknowledging how and why they were wrong (if you don't know, the worker bees are all female--the male bees are drones and they don't contribute to foraging for the hive) would have been helpful. It would have been fascinating to consider why they could not accept that the foragers were female. (Well, when I go for Master Beekeeper I have a topic for a paper at least). Was it cultural (patriarchy)? Was it scientific consensus? When did they realize the workers are females and what happened?

[Rmslis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look that chronicles the history of the honeybee in connection with the settling of America and the impact of honeybees on the development and economics of society up to the present day.

The author included a plethora of information on bees and bee keeping in the nation over the centuries. I was surprised to read that North America did not have any honeybees until the European colonists brought bees over with them in the very early 1600s. These were known as Black Honeybees or German Honeybees which eventually ended up being not as desirable as the species of honeybee introduced much later, which hailed from Italy and are referred to as Italian Honeybees. These are the honeybees found everywhere in America today. The author traced the spread of the cultivation of the bees through the new nation, its symbiosis with other types of agriculture, its impact on the economy, the enactment of laws impacting bee keeping, the influence of bee keeping on various mediums of culture from songs to literature, and the importance of bees with the military, even to this day. These are just a few examples of the various topics discussed in this book that are connected to or influenced by the honeybees and bee-keeping. I was glad that the author did not weigh down the reading with much information on bee taxonomy or detailed technical descriptions of the keeping of bees, but provided just enough information where it was warranted, keeping the focus of the work on the historical perspective. In support of her research the author included a substantial section devoted to notes and bibliographies.

It was interesting learning the history of America from a different and unique perspective; another colorful tile in the mosaic of events that shaped our nation. One does not need to be a bee aficionado to appreciate the contents of this book. If one enjoys reading and learning about the history of our nation and the various events that helped shaped the growing nation one should find this book an interesting addition to their collection of historical works.

[Harve Lemelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, because this is one of the few books to address the colonial aspects of the deliberate introduction of honey bees on the North American continent and the profound ramifications that it had. From honey hunting to domesticating bees, Horn does a great job of discussing how various cultural groups from Europe, First Nations, African Americans and Asian Americans adapted to this introduced species. She also highlights (sometimes at great length) the inspiration of bees in poetry, novels and music. Unfortunately, the critical perspective present through much of the book is lost in the last few chapters, and thus the conclusion becomes, much like any other book on honey bees, a celebration of this species, and not a critical overview of it's impacts and transformation (both good and bad).

[Pam Hurd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure the title is really appropriate. That being said it is a well researched history of bee keeping in the US. Very detailed history that would most likely be best appreciated by a new keeper as opposed to a lay person. I am a lay person that learned a lot but also found some of the info that was not that directly related to bee keeping as it comments on the history of the "politics" around it, less interesting.

[James Herring · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable dive into a tiny slice of history. I learned a lot about the bee economy and how it fits into the American story. The rhythm and prose doesn't set your heart racing, but it isn't achingly boring either. Solid is the verdict.

[空 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned — and probably have already forgotten — about bees, bee-related economies, and some American social history. It was kind of interesting, but rather a bit too scholarly in tone to be a really good read.

[Quibb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my personal cup of tea, but the book does provide a nice overview of American history and the honeybees role throughout the history. Some of the stories and anecdotes used throughout the book felt out of place, but otherwise it was an enjoyable read.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A broad history of the honey be in America, spreading wild across the continent ahead of the Europeans who brought it over for honey, candle wax, and pollination. From skeps to modern frame hives to the migratory be industry, Horn follows the finders and the keepers.

[Meowzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly written with lots of great information. I loved the Bibliography, and images throughout the book. Excellent source of beekeeping history and lore.

[Drake Tungsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting bits and pieces about the history of beekeeping.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

More an observation of the history of honey bees in the United States and the role they played instead of biology/ecology. Interesting and insightful.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an actual history book, not so much written for the general reader.
But it has lots of interesting material; facts about honey and bees that are not commonly known.

[Finergrind · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love bees. A swarm would set up in my Grandfather's garage walls, so I spent many a summers afternoon watching them go in and out, and those on the outbound flight would have a young boy following them to see where they landed and what flower drew them in.

_Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped a Nation_ was an engaging read. I enjoyed the first part of the book, more than the last part, because the idea that an insect would have such a major impact on the landscape, as well as the conscience of native peoples (it reminded me of the story I read about the earthworm - not native to the US, brought over in the ballasts of ships from Europe, and transforms the understory leaf-mold)demonstrates that we are connected in ways that aren't just physical.

The connection between Africa and the Honey Bee was also interesting - why the connection between slaves from regions where bees were kept was broken is thought provoking.

Given the current state of bees in the US and their survival against natural and man-made threats, I think this book could be used to raise the awareness of the importance of bees in the success of the US, and as a warning if the threat to bees continue - perhaps a "_Silent Spring_" for bees, rather than birds.

Thanks to Neil Gaiman for pointing this book out to his Goodreads friends (and for his own excellent bee-status from BirdChick's Blog).

Woody Wiginton
Clear Springs Farm
Bount Co. Alabama

[Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent engaging history of American beekeeping, focusing on some rare topics: the importance of honeybees and their image in diverse cultures, how legislature has effected beekeeping, the socially progressive history of honey operations, and an overview of some to the contemporary problems facing beekeepers. Particularly helpful was an explanation of commercial beekeeping since the '70s and how that's set up many of our current woes (import bans on bees that keep useful genetic traits out of the US, migratory 'keeping out of financial necessity to the detriment of the bees, the honey market keeping 'keepers hustlin').
That doesn't sound too interesting to me as I type my description, but this is a great book written well, with plenty of references to keep me informed and images to satisfy.

[Jerry Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that shows how bee keeping and man’s understanding of bees has influenced our society. Even if you are not a bee keeper this is an worth while book. If you are a bee keeper then it is a must read.
Some examples in the book of how bees influenced our society is:
1) Just as bees will hive off and make another bee colony when they get to crowded it was thought that people should hive off as the population becomes crowded and make new colonies.
2) Not only was honey an important commodity but the bees wax was very important for making candles, water proofing things, and many other uses.
3) Even the bees influenced the lyrics of songs.

[Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a great overview of how bees and beekeeping have affected American history and culture. Horn takes us from colonial times through to the present. including discussion of how bees and beehives became metaphors for American independence and westward expansion. The Mormons and their symbolic appropriation of the beehive is especially discussed. With all of the recent discussion on the "disappearing bees" this book reminds us why bees are important to America on multiple levels.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An accessible natural and social history history of honey bees in America. Horn provides both broad and detailled context for any reader interested in honey production, bees, or the natural history of America. Belongs in any medium or large public or academic library, and smaller libraries with local interest.

[Magda]

On second thought, I don't know how interested I am in reading this book. It sounds interesting, but it still manages to read like a junior high history textbook in terms of keeping my attention. Maybe another time...

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has lots of interesting facts, but is a bit scholarly and takes some slogging to get through. Luckily, you won't have to slog since I've posted the highlights on my blog.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honey bees have been a part of American history for four hundred years. This book traces the cultural history of bees and beekeeping throughout history.

[Willa Guadalupe Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting work about honey in our history. If you like bees & bee keeping you will find this fascinating.

[Aimee]

Just too slow moving for me to get into. I guess I'm just not in the mood for scholarly right now. :)