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American Violence: A Documentary History
Readings explore the events and effects of domestic violence throughout American history, based primarily on political, economic, and ethnic causes
478 pages, paper
First published February 28, 1972
About the author
Michael Wallace
121 books12 followers About Michael Wallace
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Books and Series
THE STARSHIP BLACKBEARD UNIVERSE
Starship Blackbeard
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Dreadnought
Rebellion of Stars
The Sentinel
Dragon Quadrant
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Queen of the Void
Star Wolf
Sun King
Alliance Stars
Alliance Armada
Alliance Insurgent
THE DARK CITADEL UNIVERSE
The Dark Citadel
The Free Kingdoms
The Golden Griffin
The Warrior King
War of Wizards
The Red Sword
The Black Shield
The Emerald Crown
THE RIGHTEOUS SERIES
The Righteous
Mighty and Strong
The Wicked
The Blessed and the Damned
Destroying Angel
The Gates of Babylon
Hell's Fortress
Blood of the Faithful
THE QUINTANA TRILOGY
Wandering Star
The Luminoso
Chasm of Fire
THE DEVIL'S DEEP SERIES
The Devil's Deep
The Devil's Peak
The Devil's Cauldron
HISTORICAL SUSPENSE
The Red Rooster
Wolf Hook
The Wolves of Paris
Crow Hollow
The Crescent Spy
Victoria Crossing
The Year of Counting Souls
Blood of Vipers
Sign up to Michael's New Release Mailing List here: bit.ly/10ZDLZ2 (Simply cut-and-paste that address into your browser) and receive a copy of one of his books as a welcome. Your email will never be shared and you will only be contacted when a new book is out.
Books and Series
THE STARSHIP BLACKBEARD UNIVERSE
Starship Blackbeard
Lords of Space
Dreadnought
Rebellion of Stars
The Sentinel
Dragon Quadrant
Shattered Sun
Queen of the Void
Star Wolf
Sun King
Alliance Stars
Alliance Armada
Alliance Insurgent
THE DARK CITADEL UNIVERSE
The Dark Citadel
The Free Kingdoms
The Golden Griffin
The Warrior King
War of Wizards
The Red Sword
The Black Shield
The Emerald Crown
THE RIGHTEOUS SERIES
The Righteous
Mighty and Strong
The Wicked
The Blessed and the Damned
Destroying Angel
The Gates of Babylon
Hell's Fortress
Blood of the Faithful
THE QUINTANA TRILOGY
Wandering Star
The Luminoso
Chasm of Fire
THE DEVIL'S DEEP SERIES
The Devil's Deep
The Devil's Peak
The Devil's Cauldron
HISTORICAL SUSPENSE
The Red Rooster
Wolf Hook
The Wolves of Paris
Crow Hollow
The Crescent Spy
Victoria Crossing
The Year of Counting Souls
Blood of Vipers
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 26, 2020
The chief virtue of this book is that it includes under one cover a history of violent acts perpetrated in America in the past 400 years. For each instance there is a summary written by the editors, based on their research, and then an account of the violence written at the time it took place. Sometimes the two coincide in their conclusions, often they diverge.
The violence, often horrendous and resulting in many deaths, includes racial instances, (mostly attacks on Blacks and Native Americans, although there are anti-Chinese, Irish, and Latino race attacks as well), labor strikes and their aftermath of heavy-handed police and military crackdowns against strikers, targeted assassinations (such as Lincoln’s, and later civil rights leaders) and the riots that nearly always erupted. It should be noted, too, that none of this history includes the most disruptive and violent acts of all in this nation’s history during the American Civil War.
Much of this violence has been long forgotten, if they were ever aware of it, by most Americans so Hofstadter’s book serves the purpose of reminding us of our frequently blood-drenched past. It was written in l970, half a century ago at the time of the Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinations. Many new instances of violence could be added since then, including the ongoing demonstrations and protests against the police brutality that originated in Minneapolis. It’s a book that needs constant updating, unfortunately.
Hofstadter writes in a lengthy introduction that “Violence is, so to speak, an official reality. No society exists without using force or violence and without devising sanctions for violence which are used to uphold just wars and necessary police actions.” Given then, that state violence is always present in any society, used for legitimate purposes of maintaining order, but the danger in a liberal democracy such as the United States is that the state is in danger of losing its legitimacy when it uses violence that is “wholly unpersuasive to a substantial number of its people.”
You could argue that this is at the crux of the present protests and demonstrations which have as a complaint that unjust “systemic racism”, for example, against minorities is supported and encouraged by the state and enforced by violence without any self-examination of the underlying causes of unrest. People in power never voluntarily give up that power, especially economic privileges and power, without a fight so any changes are always problematic.
Hofstadter leaves little doubt about which side he is on, writing, “it is hard to think of any very long period in which it could be said that the country has been consistently well-governed.” Yet, he’s not completely pessimistic as he sees a political system, flexible enough that it can bring about changes. His somber and ambivalent conclusion, as true today as it was 50 years ago; “The nation seems to slouch onward into its uncertain future like some huge inarticulate beast, too much attainted by wounds and ailments to be robust, but too strong and resourceful to succumb.”
The violence, often horrendous and resulting in many deaths, includes racial instances, (mostly attacks on Blacks and Native Americans, although there are anti-Chinese, Irish, and Latino race attacks as well), labor strikes and their aftermath of heavy-handed police and military crackdowns against strikers, targeted assassinations (such as Lincoln’s, and later civil rights leaders) and the riots that nearly always erupted. It should be noted, too, that none of this history includes the most disruptive and violent acts of all in this nation’s history during the American Civil War.
Much of this violence has been long forgotten, if they were ever aware of it, by most Americans so Hofstadter’s book serves the purpose of reminding us of our frequently blood-drenched past. It was written in l970, half a century ago at the time of the Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinations. Many new instances of violence could be added since then, including the ongoing demonstrations and protests against the police brutality that originated in Minneapolis. It’s a book that needs constant updating, unfortunately.
Hofstadter writes in a lengthy introduction that “Violence is, so to speak, an official reality. No society exists without using force or violence and without devising sanctions for violence which are used to uphold just wars and necessary police actions.” Given then, that state violence is always present in any society, used for legitimate purposes of maintaining order, but the danger in a liberal democracy such as the United States is that the state is in danger of losing its legitimacy when it uses violence that is “wholly unpersuasive to a substantial number of its people.”
You could argue that this is at the crux of the present protests and demonstrations which have as a complaint that unjust “systemic racism”, for example, against minorities is supported and encouraged by the state and enforced by violence without any self-examination of the underlying causes of unrest. People in power never voluntarily give up that power, especially economic privileges and power, without a fight so any changes are always problematic.
Hofstadter leaves little doubt about which side he is on, writing, “it is hard to think of any very long period in which it could be said that the country has been consistently well-governed.” Yet, he’s not completely pessimistic as he sees a political system, flexible enough that it can bring about changes. His somber and ambivalent conclusion, as true today as it was 50 years ago; “The nation seems to slouch onward into its uncertain future like some huge inarticulate beast, too much attainted by wounds and ailments to be robust, but too strong and resourceful to succumb.”
September 16, 2025
A pretty hefty compilation of various violent events done by individuals and groups. A few observations that were reinforced here from my other historical readings:
- The police were FREQUENTLY extremely violent, racist, and for business/against the poor
-Business is very violent and labor violence is often initiated in the face of that violence (see also “how propaganda became public relations.”)
-Government is violent and self serving overall
-religion and the state don’t mix
-the founders weren’t great (they did a lot of violence to natives, the British, Quakers, and those who refused to join them)
-the puritans didn’t seek religious freedom, but religious domination with violence (see also Rothbard’s tome)
- The police were FREQUENTLY extremely violent, racist, and for business/against the poor
-Business is very violent and labor violence is often initiated in the face of that violence (see also “how propaganda became public relations.”)
-Government is violent and self serving overall
-religion and the state don’t mix
-the founders weren’t great (they did a lot of violence to natives, the British, Quakers, and those who refused to join them)
-the puritans didn’t seek religious freedom, but religious domination with violence (see also Rothbard’s tome)
maybe
March 12, 2016
Today we are not only aware of our own violence; we are frightened by it. We are now quite ready to see that there is far more violence in our national heritage than our proud, sometimes smug, national self-image admits of. Our violence frightens us, as it frightens others, because in our singular position uncontrolled domestic violence coincides with unparalleled national power, and thus takes on a special significance for the world.Read more of this essay
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews