Book Review: On the lam: A history of hunting fugitives in America

• Published date: 01 December 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0734016820913627
• Author: Marie T (MariTere) Molinet
• Date: 01 December 2023
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

more likely to run away and f‌ind allies to assist them in removal from abusive households. Allies

such as the Quakers, lawyers, and court off‌icials were more prominent during this time of upheaval,

wanting to make their opinion known in print to potentially sway the future direction of the

up-and-coming country. While masters/husbands were less likely to be held responsible for physical

abuse against their wives, White women were more likely to obtain divorce paperwork through the

court systems. Ryan describes how the rate of adultery was growing, and so at its peak, women had a

79% chance of successfully divorcing their husbands.

Ryan begins Part III discussing how artist Reuben Moulthrop depicts abuse between a slave and

her mistress. Ryan mentions how this depiction of violence represents the frequency and common-

place of corporal punishment and violence in early America. After the Revolutionary War and into

the 19th century, abolitionists and activists start petitioning states toward abolishing slavery. The f‌irst

state to emancipate slaves was New York, which was motivated by the Haitian Revolution, and

revolts within the newly formed country. While emancipation occurred in New York, protections

of Blacks, both slaves and freed, were not immediate; violence against them was heavily prevalent

while intervention and prosecution was limited. Ryan talks about the evolution of the civil rights

early on; where coalitions began forming, such as the New York Manumission Society (NYMS),

to bring to light the treatment that this dependent group was experiencing.

Ryan concludes the book by arguing that civil rights for dependents was a polarized issue during

early America. While the criminal justice system was in its infancy, the criminal justice system was

representative of the social norms and culture that permeated the early America mentality. Early

America was not a time of mass change of civil rights for dependents, however, violence intensif‌ied

for the dependent class when they argued for equality and due process under the law.

Ryan’s ability to connect the societal norms, English common law, and history is done in a way

that engages the reader and provides a perspective on history that is often overlooked. This book is

highly recommended for a diverse audience to include history enthusiasts, sociologists that study

class relationships, sociologists that focus on civil rights for women, and early America crimin olo-

gists. This book can be utilized as a supplemental textbook for a graduate class that would focus on

society’s relationship with social norms and the early formation of the criminal justice system.

Clark, J., & Palattela, E. (2019).

On the lam: A history of hunting fugitives in America. Rowman & Littlef‌ield. 223 pp. $36.00 (hardback), ISBN: 978-

1-4422-6258-4.

Reviewed by: Marie T (MariTere) Molinet, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

DOI: 10.1177/0734016820913627

On the lam: A history of hunting fugitives in America details the stories of the most infamous

American fugitives, the different agencies focused on f‌inding them, and the evolution of the tech-

niques used by law enforcement for this task. The authors also make a limited attempt to address

the history and ongoing issues with bail reform. The authors previously collaborated in works that

analyzed major cases. Jerry Clark has 27 years of experience with the Federal Bureau of

Investigations (FBI). Ed Palatella is an award-winning investigative journalist.

The book is divided into three parts and relies mainly on historical and legal texts, reviews and opin-

ions, news articles, and interviewswith law enforcement, judicial, and fugitive sources. The authors cite

a few empiricalstudies when discussing topics such as the media’seffects on fugitive hunting. PartI of

the book aimsto present a general overviewof the history of fugitive hunting. Part II takesa closer look

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