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THE
AMERICAN HISTORY SERIES With the presentation of five new titles for 2000, The American History Series—the work of nationally recognized scholars and currently forty titles strong—upholds its reputation with instructors and students alike as the premier line of topical readings in United States history. Urban
America in the Modern Age, 1920 to the Present The 1920s marked the true beginning of the urban age in American history. The decade brought new forms of communication, the mass adoption of the automobile, and the start of a long transition to a service economy. This book traces the evolution of our cities from this crucial decade to the late 1980s, when three-quarters of the total population was living in metropolitan areas. One of the book's central concerns is the changing composition of the urban population. The sources of urban growth are also given careful attention. Abbott looks at the arrangements of ethnic and racial groups within districts and neighborhoods, and at conflict and compromise between groups. The evolution of urban politics is also considered as the author shows how government responds to the problems of our cities. Race,
Ethnicity, and Class in American Social Thought, 1865-1919
In this innovative study, Professor Altschuler argues that the origins of the modern liberal state can be found in the responses to important social issues after the Civil War. The questions raised by emancipation and the new role of blacks in American society was a key issue that would be superseded by the concerns over the "new immigration" in the 1880s. Despite many retreats, a new progressive synthesis slowly emerged to challenge nativism and Social Darwinism—a development that ushered in a new era in American social thought. And
Still They Come: Immigrants and American Society, 1920 to the 1990s
In this distinctive study of the impact of immigration and ethnicity on twentieth-century America, Barkan thoughtfully examines the changing composition of our immigrant populations, highlighting the ways in which certain facets of the struggle to adapt to American society have persisted from the 1920s until the 1990s. Going beyond the immigrant experience, Barkan considers the ways in which second- and third-generation Americans stress integration, even as they cling to important components of their ethnicity, not only adapting to American culture but shaping it. Featuring a moving photographic essay and coming alive with first-person accounts, And Still They Come is certain to provide important food for thought as Americans once more consider the narrowing gateways to the nation. "This book is absolutely first rate—cogent in argument, wide in sweep, grounded in the right sources, and written to be read.” Randall Miller, St. Joseph's University The
American Mind in the Mid-Nineteenth Century EXCERPT: "The half century between the War of 1812 and the Civil War was above all an age of expansiveness in America. Whether measured in terms of population, territory, urbanization, economic growth, technological development, democratization, or nationalism, American society was transformed quantitatively and qualitatively at a spectacular rate. What Americans thought about themselves, their country, and their universe was always tightly linked to the changes they confronted, and the ideas they shared and disputed were both a product of and a commentary upon the expanding political, social, and economic democracy of the period. Strictly speaking, of course, there was no "American mind" during this period, since Americans were then, as they are now, of many minds. Child and adult, man and woman, native and foreign born, Northerner and Southerner, slave and citizen—everyone who lived in America lived in a world of ideas and values shaped in part by a particular history and particular circumstances. However, as Tocqueville observed after visiting America in the 1830s, the citizens of any vigorous society are usually "rallied and held together by certain predominant ideas." Except for the chapter on the slave-holding South, we will be concerned here with the dominant ideas and values most Americans shared and identified with their new nation during the years from 1815 to 1860." From
the Old Diplomacy to the New, 1865-1900, Second
Edition Historians have long argued about the nature of the changes that occurred in American foreign policy at the turn of the century, and whether those changes represented an abrupt break from the past or the culmination of long-term trends. Beisner addresses these issues by recasting the questions involved, and synthesizes the most useful contributions of both traditional and revisionist historians. From the Old Diplomacy to the New reinterprets the entire period as one in which American foreign policy underwent a fundamental paradigm shift that affected the goals and methods of diplomacy. A commitment to systematic policy and a determination to promote American interests in a dangerous world characterized the "new diplomacy." Parties
and Politics in the Early Republic, 1789-1815 In this engaging, succinct study of the accomplishments and difficulties of the young American republic, key historical questions are discussed with references to important scholarship. Among the topics covered are the development of political parties, the animosity between the Republicans and Federalists and the eventual disintegration of the latter group, the leadership abilities of the first presidents, and the foreign relations problems that led to the War of 1812. The
Twenties in America, Second Edition A principal theme of the 1920s was "paradox," and Professor Carter explains the tensions that existed between city and country, progress and nostalgia for the past, progressive attitudes and the persistence of bigotry. Carter also provides incisive reevaluations of some archetypal figures of the era, such as Coolidge, Lindbergh, and Hemingway, and suggests new ways of considering events and developments such as jazz, popular sports, the Scopes trial, and isolationism. American
Politics in the Gilded Age, 1868-1900 Often Gilded-Age politics has been described as devoid of content or accomplishment, a mere spectacle to divert voters from thinking about the real issues of the day. But by focusing too closely on dramatic scandals and on the foibles of prominent politicians, many historians have tended to obscure other aspects of late nineteenth-century politics that proved to be of great and long-term significance. With the latest scholarship in mind, Professor Cherny provides a deft and highly readable analysis that is certain to help readers better understand the characteristics and important products of Gilded-Age politics. Topics covered include: voting behavior; the relation between the popular will and the formation of public policy; the cause and effect of the deadlock in national politics that lasted from the mid-1870s to the 1890s; the sources of political innovation at state and local levels; and the notable changes wrought during the 1890s that ushered in important new forms of American politics. "Robert Cherny has written a crisp, well-informed, and incisive treatment of Gilded Age politics that will provide a new generation of students with a lucid introduction to key issues of the emerging industrial society of the late 19th century. Balanced and judicious, Cherny's narrative should stimulate many classroom discussions about the meaning of the era that culminated with the victory of William McKinley and the Republicans.”—Lewis L. Gould, The University of Texas at Austin The
New Deal, Third
Edition Demonstrating the intellectual excitement that is the practice of history at its best, Paul Conkin's The New Deal is still one of the best known titles in the very popular American History Series, edited by John Hope Franklin and A. S. Eisenstadt. The New Deal is still the best succinct and coherent description of a chaotic period. It is an account of the major domestic policies adopted during the Roosevelt administration. It is also a rich portrait of Roosevelt the man and consummate politician, and the satellite figures around him. This highly interpretive text, with its spirited and often subtle assessments of New Deal personalities and programs, will continue to bring the period to life for new generations of students. Includes extensive photo essay. From
Isolation to War, 1931-1941, Second Edition This well-written and informative text describes the major events and historiographical controversies in American diplomacy in the years between the two world wars. Covered in detail are such matters as the background of U.S. isolationism, Pacific diplomacy in the 1920s, the Manchurian Crisis, the Ethiopian War, the Spanish Civil War, the neutrality acts, and the debate over intervention in 1939-1941. Topics new to the second edition include the recognition of the Soviet Union, rejection of the World Court, the blocking of Jewish immigration, Munich, the Hitler-Stalin pact, and the polemics of isolationist ideology. Also new is an entire chapter that includes a discussion of U.S.-Japanese relations in the 1930s and a close consideration of the economic, political, and historical pressures that forced the island empire's decision to act. The book concludes with a delineation of revisionist arguments, including the "Devil theory" of FDR's culpability, and provides the insight of modern historians in a consideration of Roosevelt's leadership and the true focus of American diplomacy in the 1930s. "From Isolation to War is a balanced and intelligent book well-suited to students and teachers of American diplomatic history. All readers will delight in the vividness of the authors' writing. Their account of the attack on Pearl Harbor, told from the Japanese point of view, is a model of narrative history: even though you know what's going to happen, the story is still suspenseful. Those who find most history books dry and lifeless ought to give this one a try.”—Andrew J. Rotter, Colgate University Industrialism
and the American Worker, 1865-1920, Third Edition Like its predecessors, the Third Edition of this popular text considers the lives of ordinary working people and the problems they faced in the crucial period 1865-1920, while focusing on the impact of industrialization and workers' reactions to it. Pointing out that labor reform was a hard-won, often violent battle, Professor Dubofsky also discusses the development of labor organizations, the impact of immigration on them, and the World War I era alliance between government and labor. New to the Third Edition is a 25-page photographic essay and a consideration of some startling parallels between the national experience of American workers during the age of industrialization and the experience of the American worker over the last two decades. Struggle
for a Continent: The Wars of Early America America's origins are inextricably linked to warfare. In Struggle for a Continent, John Ferling tells the complex story of conquest and survival not only in the encounters between European settlers and the native peoples of North America, but also the North American wars among the great powers of Europe to win hegemony in America. While Professor Ferling's unflinching narrative recounts the heroism, anguish, terror, treachery, and barbarism of early American warfare, it also carefully addresses questions such as: the difference between the nature of warfare in America and that in Europe; who in the colonies soldiered in these wars; the changing role of the militia; and how warfare affected civilians. The author assesses the capabilities of America's amateur soldiers and Europe's professionals and examines the nature of Indian warfare. Finally Professor Ferling links the warfare of the colonial era to the American Revolution itself. New in 2000! “This is a soul-stirring
era," remarked the Reverend William Mitchell in 1835, "and will be so
recorded in the annals of time." Countless antebellum reformers agreed.
The United States was awash in efforts to change itself, a "sisterhood
of reforms" emerging to characterize the efforts of hundreds of thousands
of Americans. In all of this, women played an important role. Promised
Land: The South Since 1945 Agricultural prosperity, dramatic urban growth, racial integration, political power for African Americans: this is the South today, a world apart from its ancestor of just a generation ago, when a ruinous agricultural system, stifling race relations, cynical leadership, and a grinding poverty were most characteristic of the region. Promised Land: The South Since 1945 explains how and why these startling changes came about; how a region that led the nation in almost every negative index has come to achieve parity if not leadership in political, economic, and even moral terms. Still, Goldfield maintains, the South faces continuing challenges. Environmental pollution, urban sprawl, and socioeconomic disparities remain serious problems. Moreover, the South must contend with a more subtle threat: the erosion of its distinctive culture. The
Ferment of Reform, 1830-1860 EXCERPT: "So great was the ferment of reform in the pre-Civil War United States that to understand it, to grasp the motives of the reformers, the nature of their work, their successes and failures, is to understand much about the American nation as a whole. To be sure, there was more to antebellum history than reform. At the same time that the reformers were trying to change men's ideas and actions, other Americans were holding fast to traditional concepts and ways of doing things. Even as the reformers were battering the walls of unrighteousness, both they and other men were taming wild nature for human use, expanding the nation's boundaries and settled areas at the expense of Indians and Mexicans, adapting its political institutions and political parties to the needs of a restless and growing people, wrestling with the thousand and one problems inherent in the pursuit of happiness. Yet historians have believed that the myriad of reforms and reformers offer a meaning for much of the whirl of confusion and change that was America in the antebellum years. They offer as well, some historians have claimed, valuable insights into the difficulties the Americans encountered when they tried to give concrete meaning to their cherished ideals—so often voiced, so little understood—of democracy and freedom." New in 2000! An unflinching account of the war and how it was fought, the Second Edition of The United States at War also considers the ways in which Americans regarded allies and enemies, embraced heroes, and accepted the war's purpose. Making the important distinction between popular notions and military and political realities, Professor Hess helps today's reader better understand the complexity of the conflict. Pointing out the controversies surrounding decisions American and other Allied leaders were forced to make, and charting the course of dynamic historical debates that continue to define our evaluation of leadership, this objective treatment of the United States' participation in the war is essential reading for all students of American history. The
Diplomacy of the New Republic, 1776-1815 The diplomatic goals of the United States in its first thirty years were to achieve political independence, security, and commercial and territorial expansion. Professor Horsman's adept narrative describes how these goals were initially threatened by the failure of the Articles of Confederation and later by conflicting notions of how to promote national security. An important element in this story was the republic's difficulties with France and England, and the author details the vicissitudes of these relations as well as America's eventual confrontation with Britain in the War of 1812. Despite many setbacks, Horsman contends that by 1815 the nation had achieved its goals and had set the stage for decades of national expansion. "We
Are Still Here": American Indians in the Twentieth Century
Too often textbook accounts of American Indians end with the massacre at Wounded Knee, but the story of American Indians is an ongoing one. In this remarkable feat of inclusion, Professor Iverson begins at Wounded Knee and tells the stories of Indian communities throughout the United States, including not only political leaders and activists, but also professionals, artists, soldiers and athletes—men and women who have throughout this century worked to carry on time-honored traditions even as they created new ones. Though appropriate attention is paid to federal officials and policies, We Are Still Here centers on Indian country—on the decisions and actions of Indian individuals—in its discussion of urbanization, economic development, cultural revitalization, identity, and sovereignty. "Clearly the best treatment of twentieth-century Native American history available. It is melodiously written. Themes are clear, and the Native voice is almost always present, something most textual approaches cannot claim.”—John R. Wunder, University of Nebraska, Lincoln America
and the Great War, 1914-1921 In America and the Great War, 1914-1920, the accomplished writing team of D. Clayton James and Anne Sharp Wells provides a succinct account of the principal military, political, and social developments in United States History as the nation responded to, and was changed by, a world in crisis. A forthright examination of America's unprecedented military commitment and actions abroad, America and the Great War includes insights into the personalities of key Allied officers and civilian leaders as well as the evolution of the new American "citizen soldier." Full coverage is given to President Wilson's beleaguered second term, the experience of Americans—including women, minorities, and recent arrivals—on the home front, and the lasting changes left in the Great War's wake. The
Huddled Masses: The Immigrant in American Society, 1880-1921
This history of the "new immigration" weighs the many factors that prompted the decision to leave the old world. Though the designation "new immigrant" generally refers to southern and eastern Europeans only, this volume also includes the Chinese and Japanese who arrived in the period from 1880-1921. Kraut argues that immigration to America was but one of the many choices available to the immigrants, and that individual aptitude and desires were just as influential as cultural, social, and familial pressures to find a better life. The immigrants' impact on America and their new countrymen is also considered. This title includes a very good, 32-page photographic essay. The
Cold War: A Post-Cold War History By taking advantage of the recent opening of information from the former Soviet Union, China and Eastern Europe, Levering has injected fresh insight into his discussions of the origins of the Cold War, the Korean War, the Berlin crisis of 1958-1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the era of détente, and the "third dangerous phase" of the Cold War, between 1980 and 1984. He concludes with a thoughtful analysis of the startling developments taking place from 1985 to 1991 that abruptly ended the Cold War and saw the disintegration of the USSR. "An outstanding text for beginning students, one that distills a huge amount of scholarship into a concise, readable, and stimulating narrative. It will engage students and at the same time provide them with a sweeping overview of the Cold War years.”—Charles E. Neu, Brown University Progressivism
A brief, interpretive analysis of the highly ambitious American reform movements from the 1890s to 1917 that shows progressivism to have been a vital and significant phenomenon although there was no unified progressive movement. Link and McCormick succeed in making the events comprehensible while at the same time conveying a strong sense of the complexity and contradictions of the era. "Link and McCormick have covered a vast area, compressing much information into a short space with no sense of the scissor-and-paste technique. Students should be stimulated to read more deeply; teachers familiar with the period and the literature will be impressed, perhaps dismayed, at how well the authors summarize in a clear paragraph or two what it takes some of us several weeks to get through in class.”—Paul L. Silver, Teaching History, Volume 9, No. 1, Spring 1984 A
Respectable Army: The Military Origins of the Republic, 1763-1789
"Martin and Lender convincingly demonstrate, without demeaning the militia, that it was the Continental soldier who carried the main burden of the war. The authors' title—A Respectable Army—was the term Washington used when he pled with Congress at the end of 1776 for a regular army that would enlist for three years or for the duration. Although there is some disagreement among military historians as to the precise contributions of various militia units, there is no disagreement on the importance of the Continental army in winning the war. After the initial enthusiastic response, the average citizen showed no inclination to enlist in the Continental army. Without economic incentives—bounties, promises of free land, and the meager soldier's pay that attracted the unemployed—the Continental army would have ceased to exist. No one was more aware of this than Washington. Increasingly, the army was made up of the economically deprived. Also as Washington noted, long-term enlistments permitted stricter discipline, and by 1778 the Continental army was beginning to resemble a professional—if not a standing—army. Many citizen-soldiers, in the meantime, hired substitutes to do the fighting. As the war dragged on, the citizenry in general, often enmeshed in private pursuits, not only failed to support the army adequately but looked down on the Continental soldier....This slender volume is a splendid addition to the literature of the War of Independence.”—Richard K. Showman, The Nathanael Greene Papers New in 2000! Unique in the market for its breadth of coverage and depth of analysis, this uncommonly readable new book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas K. McCraw is destined to become a classic text. Five of the book's ten chapters provide deft examinations of representative companies and the remarkable people who led them. The firms considered include McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Boeing, General Motors, and Ford-all of which began as entrepreneurial startups and grew to become big businesses-their success stories counterbalanced by a detailed dissection of the monumental failure of RCA, long the world leader in consumer electronics but now all but extinct. Unforgettable portraits of dazzling entrepreneurs such as Henry Ford, Alfred Sloan of General Motors, David Sarnoff of RCA, and Ray Kroc of McDonald's are supplemented by lucid sketches of a cast of less famous but equally fascinating characters such as: "Doc" Smelser, the eccentric economics Ph.D. who for 34 years headed Procter & Gamble's world-renowned Market Research Department; Mary Kay Ash, who built a cosmetics empire through the force of her own energy, originality, and generosity to her sales force; Ferdinand Eberstadt, the tough, hard-driving genius of American mobilization during World War II; and June Martino, whose crucial contribution as "Vice-President of Equilibrium" at McDonald's was rewarded by the gift of 10 percent of the company's common stock. Interspersed with the company-centered chapters are five brief "overview" chapters-one each on women and African Americans in business, and three on vital sectors of American business: first finance, then chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and, most recently, computers, Silicon Valley, and the Internet. Featuring 35 striking photographs and a completely up-to-date bibliographic essay, this compact, enjoyable work will be highly appreciated by all students of U.S. history and the art of administration. Southern
Women: Black and White in the Old South Sally G. McMillen summarizes the latest thinking about the lives of women in the South, both white and black, elite and ordinary. One of the best features of the book is the author's ability to weave the lives of all these women together in the same chapters. The excellent introduction is followed by four chapters on Family Life and Marriage, Reproduction and Childrearing, Social Concerns: Education and Religion, and Women at Work. McMillen points out that many myths still surround antebellum Southern women. They were much more complicated people than the women portrayed in many novels and histories. Of course, they cannot be lumped into one group as they differed according to time, region, race, and class, but all were influenced by living in a rural, agricultural, slave society. In this society women were supposed to be submissive and hardworking and devoted to the family and home; each person had a place and women were supposed to know theirs. The
New City: Urban America in the Industrial Age, 1860-1920 The process by which the United States grew from small colonial settlements to a highly industrialized and urban nation is a central theme in American history. The New City describes the transformations of urban America in the industrial era, a crucial period in which the city came to dominate the economic and social landscape. The
Supreme Court Under Marshall and Taney Studies the Supreme Court between 1801 and 1864, showing how it came to be “the most authroitative interpreter of the Constitution.” Professor Newmyer discusses the landmark cases, from Marbury v. Madison to Dred Scott. Includes a glossary, a list of the Supreme Court justices between 1801 and 1864, and an index of cases. EXCERPT: “The Supreme Court under Chief Justices, Marshall and Taney, from 1801 to 1864, spanned the formative years of the republic. During this period the American people cast off the institutional and psychological vestiges of colonial status and established the political and economic foundations, the intellectual assumptions, and the social priorities that would carry the nation into the modern age. In this enterprise of nation building the Court played a leading role. Not only did it shape the contours of national policy, but, in the process, defined its own powers and established the ground rules for judicial government.” The
Coming of the Civil War, 1837-1861 This book explores the interrelated themes of modernization and slavery, issues that created reform movements in the North, defensive sectionalism in the South, social disruption, and a general failure of political leadership. During this period the Union underwent the increasing strains of uneven social and economic development. Modernization and slavery provide the backdrop for the action and reaction of northern and southern players who sought but ultimately failed to allow an accommodation that would let competing social and economic institutions coexist. Emancipation
and Reconstruction, 1862-1879 Distilling and evaluating the scholarship that has been produced since the 1950s and 1960s, Emancipation and Reconstruction examines the ways in which historians have interpreted the major event and issues of the era. The book also introduces previously neglected areas of interest that have assumed new significance, such as the nature of the southern labor system after slavery and the role of blacks in Reconstruction politics. The result is a lucid and fresh portrait of the post-Civil War years. To this, the author has added his own perspective. Perman believes that Reconstruction may be better understood if historians devote less attention to assigning blame for its failure and more attention to the complex problems of rebuilding the nation, which he contends may have been virtually insurmountable. The
Rise of Big Business, 1860-1920, Second Edition This concise history takes the view that the new industrialists were neither robber barons nor altruistic benefactors, but that they both shaped and were shaped by the rise of big business. EXCERPT: "As for the general public, most Americans now clearly consider the existence of big business a normal and natural part of their lives, like the certainty of taxes and the four seasons. Many citizens, of course, continue to be deeply concerned about abuses of power by large corporations, the uncertain environmental effects of unbridled growth, and the dangers posed by the often-intimate connections between business and government. Nevertheless, it is clear that the American political process has accepted the fact of the existence of big business, that large-scale enterprises are hardly likely to be destroyed or fundamentally altered via political action, though their behavior will continue to be constrained and influenced by political and social criticisms. This acceptance was not always so clear." The
First New South, 1865-1920 In the aftermath of the Civil War, white southerners clung to the hope that a "New South" would arise from the ashes of the old. In The First New South, 1865-1920, Howard N. Rabinowitz examines the myth and the reality of the period in which the South sought to adjust to the political, economic, and social upheavals of the post-Civil War years. Central to that adjustment was the status of the region's newly free black population who played an active role in the drama. Throughout the book, the author emphasizes issues and characteristics that produced internal divisions as well as unity among both blacks and whites, treating neither as monolithic groups. The book examines critical questions, such as in what ways was the First New South different from the Old South yet still unlike the North? Despite the impact of change, Rabinowitz argues, by 1920 the South was more as it had been in 1865 and less like the North than New South proponents had claimed. He explores ways in which this was due to a combination of spectacular changes in the North and resistance to change in the South. The problem, he says, was not that the New South was not new, but that it was not new enough. Politics
as Usual: The Age of Truman and Eisenhower In Politics as Usual, Professor Reichard describes the decade and a half following World War II as a distinct and coherent period in American political history. The book also examines the policies and leadership abilities of the two chief executives during this period. Essentially, both Harry S Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower are seen as strong leaders who had a substantial impact on their times and who managed to hold in check the divisive forces in their parties and in the nation. Despite their partisan differences, both men shared a realization of the finite nature of American power and of the frailty of economic security that helped to moderate the differences between the policies of their administrations. The
Jacksonian Era, Second Edition This new edition of one of our most popular publications is a fast-paced and colorful narrative of the social, cultural, and political climate that breathed life into "Jacksonian Democracy." In his inimitable style, Remini crafts a memorable portrait of Jackson: the young hellraiser and war hero; the stern judge; the determined campaigner; and, finally, the chief executive of the people. Other leading political figures, such as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, are paid due attention and discussions of the vital issues of the day—the Bank War, Indian removal, the states' rights conflict, and slavery—are nicely balanced by attention to the era's various reform, religious, and artistic movements. In addition to the newest research and revelations, new to the Second Edition is an extensive photo essay. Written by one of the foremost authorities on Andrew Jackson, The Jacksonian Era is simply a great read for anyone interested in Jackson and his time. Sport
in Industrial America, 1850-1920 Riess examines the evolution of sport from its rural and urban origins as a less-than-respectable entertainment for the lower classes, through its antebellum upsurge when, with the development of a new sport ideology, it attained respectability—penetrating and finally remaking popular culture. Using a topical approach, Riess looks at sport from several vantage points, analyzing the interaction between sport and the rise of modern cities; the impact of sport on immigration, race, class, and gender; how sport became accessible through technological innovations; how it became integral to various educational and social movements; the coming of the professional sports figure; sport's links to politics and organized crime; and the role of women in sport. Highlighted with colorful anecdotes, the narrative unfurls a pageant of celebrities and unknowns, players, spectators, and entrepreneurs—all engaged in the drama that is American sport. America's
Civil War "Such is the continuing volume of work on the Civil War that we are regularly in need of an authoritative and accessible brief synthesis to keep us up to date with this endlessly fascinating subject. Brooks Simpson meets that need for the 1990s in America's Civil War, a wonderful feat of compression in which he addresses all the great issues of the war in 200 pages of clear and readable prose. Rightly, he puts the military history of the conflict at the center of the picture, but he excels in relating the drama of the war itself to the politics of both Union and Confederacy, to the stresses and strains—and opportunities—of the home front, and to the great issues of emancipation and reconstruction. This book is a fine achievement, and it will be invaluable not only to students but to many other readers—and even Civil War specialists will benefit from its fresh insights.”—Peter J. Parish, Cambridge University The
American Colonies and the British Empire, 1607-1763, Second Edition
This brief study analyzes the motives and processes of British empire building in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as the role that the American colonies played in that system. Professor Ubbelohde underscores the economic and strategic aspects of colonialism, and asserts that in spite of imperial policy, the American colonies eventually developed a substantial degree of local autonomy that became an integral part of their future national heritage. New in 2001! Like its predecessor, the second edition of Philip Week's highly popular volume illuminates the problems caused by westward expansion in the nineteenth century, as battle after battle was fought, treaty after treaty was broken. Weeks discusses the three possible resolutions undertaken in varying degrees by the U.S. government--separation, concentration, and Americanization-- as he guides the reader through the significant changes in Indian-White relations during this pivotal time. Informed by the latest scholarship and expanded to consider the entire scope of U.S-Indian relations in the nineteenth century, the second edition of the engaging Farewell, My Nation provides important supplemental reading for the U.S history survey and essential text for courses in American Indian studies. New in 2000! Since the first edition of this well-received title appeared, there has been an explosion of scholarly as well as popular interest in World War II and the home front. Informed by the latest historical literature and a deepened awareness of the accomplishments of the American civilian at home, this new edition has been thoughtfully revised, featuring a new prologue—taking up the question of "the good war"—and epilogue and added material on the atomic bomb, women, African Americans, American Jews, Japanese Americans, and the many other groups that, though relegated to the fringe of mainstream society, contributed in important ways to the nation's successful prosecution of its greatest challenge. New in 2000! When the first edition of this revolutionary book appeared in 1990, it seemed that the study of the lives of African Americans in slavery was out of temporal and geographical balance. Most of the time that slavery existed in the United States-about two-thirds of it-was the colonial period. Yet the focus of the study of American slavery-and indeed of the history all African Americans before the Civil War-long had been on the institution as it operated in the Cotton South between about 1830 and 1860. African Americans in the Colonial Era served as an early corrective to that imbalance, and a broad wave of new historical literature on African-American colonial history has since emerged. Carefully revised and greatly expanded in light of that new scholarship, the second edition of Professor Wright's highly popular book also includes wholly new topics such as African Americans in colonial Louisiana and Florida. Like its predecessor, the second edition of African Americans in the Colonial Era guides the reader through the totality of the early African-American experience, providing a accessible and up-to-date treatment of: West-African cultures; the Atlantic slave trade; the slow development of slavery in the English mainland colonies and the important regional differences under which the institution operated; the rise of race-based prejudice; the role of African Americans in the American Revolution; a consideration of the daily lives of colonial African Americans and the changes over time in their varied situations; and, finally, the manifestation and evolution of the African-American family and community, the keystone to the formation of African-American culture. 250 pages. African
Americans in the Early Republic, 1789-1831 When Washington was inaugurated, slavery was still legally recognized in all but two of the thirteen states; the Atlantic slave trade was bringing thousands of enslaved Africans across the ocean every year to spend their lives in bondage in America; the centers of slave-based agriculture in the country were the tobacco farms of Virginia and the rice plantations of lowcountry South Carolina; fewer than 60,000 African Americans lived as "free" persons; and the slave population of the United States was just under 700,000. By 1831 American slavery existed mainly in the twelve southern states and virtually not at all in the twelve northern ones; slaves had not been legally imported into the United States for nearly a quarter of a century; the heart of American slave-based agriculture consisted of the cotton plantations of the South; there were 300,000 free African Americans; and slaves numbered over two million. African Americans in the
Early Republic vividly demonstrates that African Americans who lived
through these years experienced tumultuous change in their personal lives,
social institutions, and intellectual outlook. By the 1830s their lives
were profoundly different from the time of the Republic's beginning, just
two generations earlier. In this very gripping, well-written narrative,
Professor Donald Wright clears up many common misconceptions about slavery
in the early years of the United States. |