I just read Tammy Horn's book "Bee's in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped 
a Nation".  I highly recommend it. It traces the history of beekeeping in 
the US along with it intersection with ideology, public policy, science 
and women and minority rights.  Among other things I learned:

-Samuel Hartlib's book of 1655 "A Reformed Commonwealth of Bees" and its 
arguement that Britian's economic hardships could be tackled by having 
England's sweetener needs met by honey rather than cane.

- That African American slaves brought with them considerable knowledge of 
honey hunting from Africa.

- How Moses Quimby, a Quaker, became one of the first commercial 
beekeepers and was the first to propose that AFB could be cured by shaking 
bees onto new frames... he also invented the bellows smoker.

- That Charles Dadant set up his business along socialist principles and 
was instrumental in making people aware that Langstroth figured out "bee 
space".

- During WWI Brigham Bottling Works marketed a honey-based soft 
drink "Beehive Beverages".

What did others think about the book. 

Adony

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