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Major Problems in American History
Major Problems in American History, Volume II: Since 1865
Designed to encourage critical thinking about history, the Major Problems in American History Series introduces students to both primary sources and analytical essays. This volume presents a carefully selected group of readings that requires students to evaluate primary sources, test the interpretations of distinguished historians, and draw their own conclusions.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 18, 2021
I don't generally review textbooks, but I feel like I have to with this one.
In general, I like history, and I enjoyed it in elementary school and somewhat in middle school. However, there are a lot of bad ways it can be taught, especially when it focuses on white men and treats the past as inconsequential. I also wasn't looking forward to another American history class after I left high school behind, but it was a course I needed and is what fit in my schedule.
All that said, I was pleasantly surprised that we were using a book with detailed firsthand accounts and focused essays from different viewpoints rather than a textbook that places history firmly in the past with little to no impact on the present day. Not to mention the course was "US History Since 1877," so that approach just doesn't work when looking at events as recent and modern as this course does. In that regard, a comprehensive and multi-faceted look at history is exactly what this course needed.
The usage of personal anecdotes and copies of historical documents has always been important to me because it illustrates what was said or what happened, as well as how people reacted. The fact that I did have a teacher and a textbook who promoted the importance of this in education. The most significant issues in this book included various people's perspectives on topics such as post-Civil War western settlement, the labor movement, Japanese internment, and the Vietnam War. I appreciated that so much of this is firsthand history and serves as a reminder that history, especially over the last century in the United States, is a living thing and has major influences on where we are today.
In general, I like history, and I enjoyed it in elementary school and somewhat in middle school. However, there are a lot of bad ways it can be taught, especially when it focuses on white men and treats the past as inconsequential. I also wasn't looking forward to another American history class after I left high school behind, but it was a course I needed and is what fit in my schedule.
All that said, I was pleasantly surprised that we were using a book with detailed firsthand accounts and focused essays from different viewpoints rather than a textbook that places history firmly in the past with little to no impact on the present day. Not to mention the course was "US History Since 1877," so that approach just doesn't work when looking at events as recent and modern as this course does. In that regard, a comprehensive and multi-faceted look at history is exactly what this course needed.
The usage of personal anecdotes and copies of historical documents has always been important to me because it illustrates what was said or what happened, as well as how people reacted. The fact that I did have a teacher and a textbook who promoted the importance of this in education. The most significant issues in this book included various people's perspectives on topics such as post-Civil War western settlement, the labor movement, Japanese internment, and the Vietnam War. I appreciated that so much of this is firsthand history and serves as a reminder that history, especially over the last century in the United States, is a living thing and has major influences on where we are today.
February 3, 2018
This was my history textbook from a class I took four years ago. I just couldn’t sell it back because the essays looked interesting. I finally had the time to pick it up and read it. It has given me a little insight as to where we are as a nation/ world and how we got here.
April 7, 2020
Good info on history class, from the Reconstruction to the recent era. Informative essays on history.
February 20, 2012
This book is a great study guide for this period of American History. It's not an interesting read if you try to read it like a normal text book. It's not until you start to analyse the sources and essays within that you start to realise how valuable it is when studying a history module. It's more of an historians case book than a guide book.
July 17, 2012
A great anthology of primary and secondary sources informing the reader on the socio-politico-economic issues in America since the Civil War. The best way to study history in my opinion is through sources to make your own analyses. Highly recommend Geoff Burrows at CUNY Hunter for history classes - he has his teaching together.
February 4, 2014
Was forced to read this for History class. It periodically contained useful information, but not for the most part. Then again, my professor is so horrible that she teaches straight from Wikipedia, so this was at least a nice improvement over that.
January 29, 2013
Pages 177-192 for university
March 23, 2014
The Major Problems... are the best series of textbooks I've come across. This one in particular should hold up well even for non-academics.
August 13, 2014
A solid collection of essays and primary source documents that proved to be very useful in the classroom. The contrasting choices are a credit to the editorial team.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews