Digging Up the Dead: A History of Notable American Reburials

Michael Kammen examines the practice of disinterring and relocating the remains of notable Americans from the colonial period through the twentieth century. His research covers the reburials of political figures, writers, musicians, Native Americans, and others whose final resting places became subjects of debate and change. The book chronicles the social, political and cultural factors that led Americans to move their dead, often multiple times. Through extensive archival research and case studies, Kammen documents how issues of family wishes, public memory, tourism, and regional pride influenced decisions about where important figures should be buried. These accounts of posthumous journeys reveal deeper patterns in how Americans have honored their dead and negotiated questions of legacy and belonging. The stories illuminate evolving attitudes about death, memory, and the complex relationship between local and national identity in American culture.

Readers note this book fills a unique niche in American cultural history but find the writing style dry and academic. Several reviewers mention the author gets bogged down in excessive details and repetitive examples. Readers appreciated: - Thorough research and documentation - Coverage of lesser-known historical reburials - Insights into changing American attitudes about death - Inclusion of historical photos and illustrations Common criticisms: - Dense, scholarly prose that can be difficult to follow - Too much focus on minor details - Lack of a clear narrative thread - Limited discussion of modern reburials Ratings: Goodreads: 3.4/5 (9 ratings) Amazon: 4.0/5 (2 ratings) One Goodreads reviewer wrote: "Fascinating subject matter but reads like a doctoral thesis." An Amazon reviewer noted: "Well-researched but could have been more engaging for general readers." The limited number of online reviews suggests this book primarily reaches an academic audience rather than general readers.

The Republic of the Dead by Sharon Farmingham Chronicles how different cultures throughout history have handled mass reburials following wars, plagues, and natural disasters.

Final Arrangements: The Politics of American Death by Gary Laderman Examines the evolution of American funeral practices and body handling from colonial times through modern day.

Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses by Bess Lovejoy Traces the posthumous journeys of historical figures whose remains were stolen, moved, lost, or fought over.

The Work of the Dead: A Cultural History of Mortal Remains by Thomas Laqueur Analyzes how different societies across time have treated corpses and created meaning through burial practices.

Over Their Dead Bodies: Yankee Epitaphs & History by Thomas Mann Documents the stories behind notable New England grave relocations and cemetery reconstructions from the 17th through 19th centuries.

🪦 While many associate grave relocation with ancient Egyptian mummies, America has a long history of moving its notable dead. Thomas Paine's remains were dug up in 1819 and shipped from New York to England by political activist William Cobbett, who planned (but failed) to give him a grand reburial. ⚰️ Edgar Allan Poe's body was moved 26 years after his death, requiring workers to dig through other graves to reach his original burial site. During the reburial ceremony in 1875, Walt Whitman and other literary figures attended to honor him. 🏛️ President Abraham Lincoln's body was moved 17 times and his coffin opened 5 times between his death in 1865 and his final burial in 1901, partly due to multiple reconstruction efforts at his tomb and attempts to thwart grave robbers. 🎨 Author Michael Kammen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who taught at Cornell University for over four decades. He specialized in American cultural history and wrote extensively about memory and tradition in American society. 🗽 The practice of reburial in America often reflected changing social values and political needs. Native American remains were frequently moved to make way for development, while some Confederate soldiers were reburied in more prominent locations during the rise of the "Lost Cause" movement.