Swami Vivekananda in America : New Findings

Contents: Foreword. Author\'s note. Prologue. 1. Massachusetts (August 15, 1893). 2. New York (September 4, 1893). 3. Wisconsin (November 20, 1893). 4. Minnesota (November 21, 1893). 5. Iowa (November 26, 1893). 6. Tennessee (January 13, 1894). 7. Michigan (February 13, 1894). 8. Ohio (February 23, 1894). 9. Maine (July 26, 1894). 10. Maryland and Washington, D.C. (October 12, 1894). 11. Connecticut (March 8, 1895). 12. New Hampshire (June 6, 1895). 13. California (December 3, 1899). Epilogue. References. Index.

"Of the states in the union, Swami Vivekananda visited New York the most often....Since 1886, the Statue of Liberty at Ellis Island has been welcoming people from other countries, whether immigrating or just visiting. Although he entered the continent for the first time through the West Coast--Vancouver to be exact--all his other trips to and from the U.S. were through the port in New York City....

By the time Swami Vivekananda set foot in the Empire City of the West (September 1893), it was at the height of its success and power, a paragon of modern life and thought. Although a huge influx of poor immigrants, corruption in the municipal governments, rise of a plutocracy, and many other problems plagued in the city, it had the right heart and soul to overcome the threatening perils. The oppressed people of the world found a haven in the great melting pot called New York City, and one of their representatives, a Hindu Monk named Vivekananda, was determined to set them free.

The Statue of Liberty, located in New York City harbor and dedicated in 1886, proudly welcomed Swami Vivekananda with its famous inscription, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free". The message could not have been more appropriate because it was a symbol of the Swami\'s mission as well at that point of time......"