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AMERICAN HISTORY
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INTRODUCTION - AMERICAN HISTORY
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by
Craig
(new)
May 19, 2013 05:42PM
The Wagons West series by Dana Fuller Ross (a pseudonym) was a series of two dozen historical fiction novels that fits that description. The series begins with the novel Honor! (which I believe starts in the 1830s) and the series takes readers through the settling of most of the western states. 
by Dana Fuller Ross
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Laura Ingalls Wilder
by Barbara Handy-Marchello (no photo) (more focused on North Dakota)
by Elizabeth Hampsten (no photo)Also for an epic novel (not nonfiction) also not a Little House on the Prairie book - there is always The Grapes of Wrath.
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John SteinbeckThe novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of sharecroppers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, and changes in financial and agricultural industries. Due to their nearly hopeless situation, and in part because they were trapped in the Dust Bowl, the Joads set out for California.
Laney that is a good question for our members and this thread. You might also try posting your question on our I am looking for a book thread. Your question may reach a wider audience and I am always impressed by the recommendations from our members. Here is the thread: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...Good luck!
Thank you Craig and Bentley, I'll look in to all of those!Alisa, thank you for pointing that thread out! I'm still trying to get used to Goodread's layout!
Glad to do it. We are here to help. Poke around the threads, it is a great way to discover what is out here. Let us know when you need a hand.
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Bentley wrote: "Janice, this is not the right thread for the above and we do consider it self promotion even though your story was very heartfelt."What would be the appropriate thread to give information about the Veterans History Project along with the link?
This is my first attempt at adding a book. Hope I get it right.
Since my retirement, one of my goals has been to focus my reading on "contemporary" history, which to me means history I've missed or misunderstood during my own lifetime, 1939-present.
One of the first books I chose was The Coldest Winter because in the early 1960s I was stationed with the 1st Cavalry Division headquarters in Korea in the public information office. We were located just south of the demilitarized zone and part of my job was to escort visiting newsmen into the demilitarized zone, a mile-wide no-man's land separating North from South Korea after the armistice.
I was a young (intellectualy) man fresh out of college and frankly, I knew very little about the Korean War. Yet, I learned enough to take the press on tours. It's embarrassing to admit this now, but I knew very little and got away with it.
Well, a few years ago I came across The Coldest Winter and was stunned at what I learned. This book is well-written and debunks much of the mythology surrounding the war including the inept and remote leadership of its commander, General Douglas MacArthur.
I highly recommend this book.
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David HalberstamYou might want to find the thread called Mechanics of the Board and the Help Desk folder and that will help you with all of the details to getting it right.
Probably your post should be on the Korean War thread but first I am going to respond to it here and then I will move it.
I happened to have read and discussed Halberstam's book and though I loved Halberstam I did not feel this was his finest work and I did think he was unreasonably hard on MacArthur (despite MacArthur's big ego, etc.) - he still was a brilliant militarist on many levels. Now of course, there were errors made by even the most brilliant of military leaders which cost men their lives. And that of course should have been kept to a minimum. I also thought that the book did not really talk about the battles and the nitty gritty of the war but more the political undercurrent and of course MacArthur who he obviously had some animosity for.
Getting to your personal story - what an interesting one. And you took the press on tours (smile) and you admit you knew very little at the time - that just shows you how little the media knew too (smile).
The demilitarized zone must have been quite an experience for you.
And I do have to agree with you that Halberstam's style is exceptional - but I did think that this book had a bias to it from my perspective but I do agree it had some stunning revelations.
Regards,
Bentley
Thanks for your insight on the book, Bentley. And you point out the mistake of reading just one viewpoint on any issue.I do have some interesting stories/experiences, but I don't know that this is the place to talk about them. I only shared a tidbit in order to explain why the book had such meaning for me.
Didn't know there was a Korean War thread and I appreciate you moving my post to that location.
Finally, I will look for the Mechanics of the Board thread. I did find a post earlier that was quite a good "how to", but lost it somehow. I'm sure I'll get the education I need on the Mechanics of the Board.
As always, Bentley, I appreciate what you do.
I'm sorry to be so much trouble, Bentley, but I'm not good at navigation yet.1. Can't find the Mechanics of the Board thread.
2. Don't understand what 2/3 I missed. Need to know in order to find answers in Help.
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Jerry first things first - go to the introduction thread and introduce yourself. After you introduce yourself - one of the assisting moderators will automatically give you all of the links you need to navigate the site and one of the them will be the Mechanics of the Board thread.
Here is the link to the introduction thread:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
Here is also the link to the Mechanics of the Board thread:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
Here is a thread which is also in the Help Desk folder where you can get help from a Mod - It is called Ask a Mod
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
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Here is a book that I just finished reading that has a very good insight to the events leading up to the Constitution and Bill of Rights.A well written book of a grandfather telling his grandchildren the story of our founding fathers and the building of a great nation.
He goes into detail of the events leading up to the Constitution, Bill of Rights and beyond covering events like the Mayflower Compact, Articles of Confederation, The Stamp Act, the First and Second Continental Congresses, Townsend Act, Mt Vernon Conference, Annapolis Convention and the Constitutional Convention. He also covers the French Indian War, the War of Jenkins Ear and the Revolutionary Wars.
This book also tells the fabulous history of the “Super Six” of the fifty five delegates of the Constitution. It goes into great detail on the lives of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton.
This is a history book that all ages will enjoy with a little twist of humor.
Pilgrims To Patriots, A Grandfather Tells The Story
John, thanks for adding a recommendation here. Don't forget to use the citation format of book cover, author photo (when availabl) and author link. Your mention would look like this:
by Alex Bugaeff (no photo)When there is no author photo simply add (no photo) after the hyperlink rather than using a blank avatar.
Thanks.
All the Great Prizes : The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt
by John Taliaferro (no photo)Synopsis:
From secretary to Abraham Lincoln to secretary of state for Theodore Roosevelt, John Hay remained a major figure in American history for more than half a century. His private life was as glamorous and romantic as it was privileged. This first full-scale biography since 1934 is a reflection of American history from the Civil War to the emergence of the nation as a world power as Woodrow Wilson is about to take office.
Much of what we know about Lincoln’s years in the White House is drawn from the writings of the young John Hay, the president’s secretary, who was with Lincoln at the Gettysburg Address and at his bedside when he died.
Afterward, Hay successfully worked to elect fellow Ohioans James Garfield, Rutherford B. Hayes, and William McKinley for president. As McKinley’s Secretary of State, he plotted the nation’s emergence as a world power after the Spanish-American War. Hay arranged the annexation of the Philippines, the treaty for a canal across Panama, the Open Door policy for China.
After McKinley’s assassination, Theodore Roosevelt persuaded the aging Hay to stay on. The relationship between Hay and Roosevelt, which has not been explored, is of lasting interest. If Lincoln was a second father to Hay, Hay was a second father to TR—Roosevelt the bully wielder of the big stick; Hay the polished, urbane diplomat who walked softly, carried out TR’s policies, and helped him win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Hay is one of the most pivotal figures in American public life. But, as Taliaferro writes, that is only half the story. He knew everybody from Mark Twain to Henry James, and every president and world leader. He was best friends with Henry Adams, and the two were in love with the same married woman, Lizzie Cameron, the Madame X of Washington Society. Both wrote her voluminous letters.
All the Great Prizes chronicles a life that reflects the story of America from the devastation of the Civil War to its emergence as a world leader and power.
This post was move from another topic. It is from Richard Brawer and looks like a very good book for the American history fan."I just bought the Imperial Season despite the one star review where the reviewer mentioned some historical mistakes like playing golf at Augusta in the 1920s when the reviewer said Augusta didn't open until the 1930s.
The reviewer also said that the author refers to us winning the War of 1812 while "Most scholars today suggest that no one won."
However in the War of 1812 we did win and agreement from the English to stop conscripting our sailors so that could be considered a win.
Anyway I bought the book because all the other reviews were so great including one I read in a newspaper. I'll let you know.
Richard Brawer"
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by William Seale (no photo)Don't forget to do the citation - good move Jill - some interesting comments from Richard B. Thanks.
This is from Richard:I just finished reading The Imperial Season by William Seale. It is set in 1893 to 1919 and is about europe's awakening to the U.S. and the building of the missions and embasies European countries built in Washington. Also it is about the expansion of Washington as it became a great world capital.
I found myself a bit bored when the author wrote about the designing of the buildings and the layout of D.C. To me, the best part of the book was when he wrote about the diplomats that came to Washington, the Americans in the state department that greeted them and Americas rich that hosted parties for the diplomatic corp.
If you are not familiar with D.C. have a map next to you when you read.
by William Seale (no photo)
Grand Old Party: A History of the Republicans
by Lewis L Gould (no photo)Synopsis:
From Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War through the disputed election of George W. Bush and beyond, the Republican Party has been at the dramatic center of American politics for 150 years. In this exciting new book, the first comprehensive history of the Republicans in 40 years, Lewis L. Gould traces the evolution of the Grand Old Party from its emergence as an antislavery coalition in the 1850s to its current role as the champion of political and social conservatism. Gould brings to life the major figures of Republican history--Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush--and uncovers a wealth of fascinating anecdotes about Republicans, from “the Plumed Knight,” James G. Blaine, in the 1880s, to Barry Goldwater in the 1960s, to Newt Gingrich in the 1990s. Gould also uncovers the historical forces and issues that have made the Republicans what they are: the crusade against slavery, the rise of big business, the Cold War, and opposition to the power of the federal government.
Written with balance and keen insight, Grand Old Party is required reading for anyone interested in American politics. Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike will find their understanding of national politics deepened and enriched. Based on Gould’s research in the papers of leading Republicans and his wide reading in the party’s history, Grand Old Party is a book that will outlast the noisy tumult of today’s partisan debates and endure as a definitive treatment of how the Republicans have shaped the way Americans live together in a democracy. For the next presidential election and for other electoral contests to come, this book will be an invaluable guide to the unfolding saga of American politics
On His Own Terms: A Life of Nelson Rockefeller
by Richard Norton Smith (no photo)Synopsis:
Fourteen years in the making, this magisterial biography of the original Rockefeller Republican draws on thousands of newly available documents and over two hundred interviews, including Rockefeller’s own unpublished reminiscences.
Grandson of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, Nelson coveted the White House from childhood. “When you think of what I had,” he once remarked, “what else was there to aspire to?” Before he was thirty he had helped his father develop Rockefeller Center and his mother establish the Museum of Modern Art. At thirty-two he was Franklin Roosevelt’s wartime coordinator for Latin America. As New York’s four-term governor he set national standards in education, the environment, and urban policy. The charismatic face of liberal Republicanism, Rockefeller championed civil rights and health insurance for all. Three times he sought the presidency—arguably in the wrong party. At the Republican National Convention in San Francisco in 1964, locked in an epic battle with Barry Goldwater, Rockefeller denounced extremist elements in the GOP, a moment that changed the party forever. But he could not wrest the nomination from the Arizona conservative, or from Richard Nixon four years later. In the end, he had to settle for two dispiriting years as vice president under Gerald Ford.
In On His Own Terms, Richard Norton Smith re-creates Rockefeller’s improbable rise to the governor’s mansion, his politically disastrous divorce and remarriage, and his often surprising relationships with presidents and political leaders from FDR to Henry Kissinger. A frustrated architect turned master builder, an avid collector of art and an unabashed ladies’ man, “Rocky” promoted fallout shelters and affordable housing with equal enthusiasm. From the deadly 1971 prison uprising at Attica and unceasing battles with New York City mayor John Lindsay to his son’s unsolved disappearance (and the grisly theories it spawned), the punitive drug laws that bear his name, and the much-gossiped-about circumstances of his death, Nelson Rockefeller’s was a life of astonishing color, range, and relevance. On His Own Terms, a masterpiece of the biographer’s art, vividly captures the soaring optimism, polarizing politics, and inner turmoil of this American Original.
This comment by L.J. was moved from another post.______________________________________________________
If you're interested in the Minnesota uprising, Candice Simar has a Western Writer's of America SPUR award winning series that I think is more than wonderful. Fiction, but well based in fact. ABERCOMBIE TRAIL, POMME DE TERRE, BLOOMING PRARIE and BIRDIE, all fabulous reads.
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Candace Simar
From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776
by
George C. HerringSynopsis:
The Oxford History of the United States is the most respected multi-volume history of our nation in print. The series includes three Pulitzer Prize-winners, a New York Times bestseller, and winners of prestigious Bancroft and Parkman Prizes. From Colony to Superpower is the only thematic volume commissioned for the series. Here George C. Herring uses foreign relations as the lens through which to tell the story of America's dramatic rise from thirteen disparate colonies huddled along the Atlantic coast to the world's greatest superpower.
A sweeping account of United States' foreign relations and diplomacy, this magisterial volume documents America's interaction with other peoples and nations of the world. Herring tells a story of stunning successes and sometimes tragic failures, captured in a fast-paced narrative that illuminates the central importance of foreign relations to the existence and survival of the nation, and highlights its ongoing impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. He shows how policymakers defined American interests broadly to include territorial expansion, access to growing markets, and the spread of an "American way" of life. And Herring does all this in a story rich in human drama and filled with epic events. Statesmen such as Benjamin Franklin and Woodrow Wilson and Harry Truman and Dean Acheson played key roles in America's rise to world power. But America's expansion as a nation also owes much to the adventurers and explorers, the sea captains, merchants and captains of industry, the missionaries and diplomats, who discovered or charted new lands, developed new avenues of commerce, and established and defended the nation's interests in foreign lands.
From the American Revolution to the fifty-year struggle with communism and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, From Colony to Superpower tells the dramatic story of America's emergence as superpower--its birth in revolution, its troubled present, and its uncertain future.
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Is a book I read a few months ago about the History of New York and I really enjoyed it
Ooh, nice, Arantxa, I will have to read this. You are doing much better on the citations. All you need is an author link and you will be a master:
by
Edward Rutherfurd
Bryan wrote: "Ooh, nice, Arantxa, I will have to read this. You are doing much better on the citations. All you need is an author link and you will be a master: by is his "formula" He picks a place, New York, London, Russia,etc and tells the history of the place with the characters of a few families so it's quite easy to read as your are also reding the story of this families
This post from Paddy was moved from another area."History hidden in fiction interests me. I found Orphan Train shared a disturbing time on our country. The author couched it with a modern pseudo-orphan's story. Does this type of history interest you? "
by
Christina Baker Kline
This is an eye-opener:
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James W. LoewenSynopsis:
In this groundbreaking work, bestselling sociologist James W. Loewen, author of the national bestseller Lies My Teacher Told Me, brings to light decades of hidden racial exclusion in America. In a provocative, sweeping analysis of American residential patterns, Loewen uncovers the thousands of “sundown towns”—almost exclusively white towns where it was an unspoken rule that blacks could not live there—that cropped up throughout the twentieth century, most of them located outside of the South. These towns used everything from legal formalities to violence to create homogenous Caucasian communities—and their existence has gone unexamined until now. For the first time, Loewen takes a long, hard look at the history, sociology, and continued existence of these towns, contributing an essential new chapter to the study of American race relations.
Sundown Towns combines personal narrative, history, and analysis to create a readable picture of this previously unknown American institution all written with Loewen’s trademark honesty and thoroughness.
Cited:
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James W. Loewen
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This post by K was moved from another thread."Not sure if you've already added this to a subset or not. I absolutely loved this book during my graduate studies. It teaches a lot about the political climate of the united states alongside the movie industry, cold war topics, etc.
by Lary May(no photo)I have a film studies/screenwriting masters, and my focus was on social justice and politics."
I recently finished reading Mau VanDuren's "Many Heads and Many Hands: James Madison's Search for a More Perfect Union." The book explores Madison's international influences to write the Constitution, and sheds light on the origins of the virtues and rights Americans value so much. I'd love to know what fellow history buffs think.
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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12...
But these two paragraphs stand out in the article and they did hit home:
"In our present state without a significant enemy, our union is likely not at risk. However, the infighting and divisions will weaken the nation. Furthermore, dysfunctional government allows non-governmental forces, i.e. corporations and moneyed individuals, to dismantle those parts of the State that regulate or otherwise restrict their freedom of movement. Inequality will likely increase. Product safety will decrease. Social welfare will suffer.
According to some economists these consequences will benefit the wealthy in the short term but will harm them in the long run. After all, who will buy the products if the people have no money? Who will pay for infrastructure needed to move goods if there is no tax revenue? What entity will be able to control epidemics that break out in poor, squalid neighborhoods?"
Maxwell wrote: "I recently finished reading Mau VanDuren's "Many Heads and Many Hands: James Madison's Search for a More Perfect Union." The book explores Madison's international influences to write the Constituti..."It sounds very good. I'll have to check it out. Don't forget to add your citation. It would look like this:
by
Mau VanDuren
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Calhoun: The South Asks for Justice, Simple Justice
During the first half of the 19th century, leaders of the United States could find no answer to the question of slavery. The dispute grew more threatening after the war with Mexico in 1849.
Northern states refused to permit slavery in the new territories of California and New Mexico. Southern states declared that they had a constitutional right to bring slaves into the new lands. The South was ready to secede – to leave and break up the Union of states.
Then, in 1850, Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky offered a compromise to avoid secession, and a likely war between the North and South.
He said the Union was permanent and created for all future Americans. He attacked the South's claim that it had the right to leave. He warned the war that would follow southern secession would be long and bloody.
One week after Senator Clay spoke, Senator Jefferson Davis of Mississippi explained his position. He did not say much about Clay's proposed compromise.
The audio and remainder of the article reviews the speeches of Clay, Calhoun, Jefferson Davis and Daniel Webster (who was the most conciliatory) - very powerful speeches.
John C. Calhoun - A portrait of John C. Calhoun painted by G.P.A. Healy around 1846
Link: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/co... - (audios)
Henry Clay proposed a compromise over the issue of slavery in the United States in 1850
This is an undated portrait of American congressman & orator, Daniel Webster (1782-1852). Webster of Massachusetts was accused of ``scarlet infamy'' in 1851 when he backed a North-South compromise that forestalled the dissolution of the Union. (AP Photo)
Source: VOA
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Henry Clay proposed a compromise over the issue of slavery in the United States in 1850
The United States faced a deep national crisis in 1850. That crisis threatened to split the nation in two.
It began over the issue of slavery in the new territories of California and New Mexico. Many northerners wanted to ban slavery in the new territories. But southern states believed the federal government did not have the right to decide where slavery could or could not go.
President Zachary Taylor had no clear policy on the issue. He attempted to be neutral. He hoped the problem would solve itself. But he did not get his wish.
Split Over Slavery Widens
In fact, the split between North and South grew wider. Many southerners said the South should declare its independence from the rest of the country. Then, Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky stepped forward with a plan to save the Union.
Clay had left the Senate in 1842, but returned in 1849. He was surprised to find how bitter the North and South had grown toward each other in his seven years out of the Senate. Clay urged his friends in the “border states” -- those between the northern and southern states -- to work to build public support for the Union. He believed their support would help prevent the South from seceding.
Clay also began to think about a compromise that might settle the differences between the two sections of the country. He once said: "I go for honorable compromise whenever it can be made. Life itself is but a compromise between death and life. The struggle continues through our whole existence until the great destroyer finally wins. All legislation, all government, all society is formed upon the principle of mutual concession, politeness, and courtesy. Upon these, everything is based."
Clay was sure that a compromise between North and South was possible. Near the end of January in 1850, Clay completed work on his plan. Most parts of it already had been proposed as separate bills. Clay put them together in a way that both sides could accept.
Clay Proposes Compromises to Save Union
Clay proposed to the Senate that California join the Union as a slave-free state. He said territorial governments should be formed in other parts of the western territories, with no immediate decision on whether slavery would be permitted.
Clay proposed the western border of Texas be changed to give New Mexico most of the land disputed by them. In exchange, he said, the national government should agree to pay the public debts that Texas had when it became a state.
He proposed that no more slaves be sold in the District of Columbia for use outside the federal district. But he also said that slavery should not be ended in the district unless its citizens and those of Maryland approved. Clay said a better law was needed for the return of fugitive slaves to their owners.
And, he proposed that Congress declare it had no power to interfere with the slave trade between states. Senator Clay believed these eight steps would satisfy the interests of both the North and the South.
Senator Jefferson Davis of Mississippi declared that Clay's compromises did not offer anything of value to the South. He said the southern states would accept nothing less than extending the Missouri Compromise line west to the Pacific Ocean. Extending the line meant that land to the south would be open to slavery.
Clay answered that no power on earth could force him to vote to establish slavery where it did not exist. He said Americans had blamed Britain for forcing African slavery on the colonists. He said he would not have the future citizens of California and New Mexico blaming Henry Clay for slavery there.
Remainder of article:
Link: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/co...
There is a good audio to accompany the article - and it is a great site for our global friends learning English.
Source: VOA
Neither Snow nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service
by Devin Leonard (no photo)Synopsis:
The United States Postal Service is a wondrous American creation. Seven days a week, its army of 300,000 letter carriers delivers 513 million pieces of mail, forty percent of the world’s volume. It is far more efficient than any other mail service—more than twice as efficient as the Japanese and easily outpacing the Germans and British. And the USPS has a storied history. Founded by Benjamin Franklin, it was the information network that bound far-flung Americans together, fostered a common culture, and helped American business to prosper. A first class stamp remains one of the greatest bargains of all time, and yet, the USPS is slowly vanishing. Critics say it is slow and archaic. Mail volume is down. The workforce is shrinking. Post offices are closing.
In Neither Snow Nor Rain, journalist Devin Leonard tackles the fascinating, centuries-long history of the USPS, from the first letter carriers through Franklin’s days, when postmasters worked out of their homes and post roads cut new paths through the wilderness. Under Andrew Jackson, the post office was molded into a vast patronage machine, and by the 1870s, over seventy percent of federal employees were postal workers. As the country boomed, USPS aggressively developed new technology, from mobile post offices on railroads and air mail service to mechanical sorting machines and optical character readers.
Neither Snow Nor Rain is a rich, multifaceted history, full of remarkable characters, from the stamp-collecting FDR, to the revolutionaries who challenged USPS’s monopoly on mail, to the renegade union members who brought the system—and the country—to a halt in the 1970s. An exciting and engrossing read, Neither Snow Nor Rain is the first major history of the USPS in over fifty years.
The Burning of the White House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812
by
Jane Hampton CookSynopsis:
It's unimaginable today, even for a generation that saw the Twin Towers fall and the Pentagon attacked. It's unimaginable because in 1814, enemies didn't fly overhead; they marched through the streets, and for 26 hours in August, the British enemy marched through Washington, D.C. and set fire to government buildings, including the U.S. Capitol and the White House.
Relying on first-hand accounts, historian Jane Hampton Cook weaves together several different narratives to create a vivid, multidimensional account of the burning of Washington, including the escalation that led to it and the immediate aftermath. From James and Dolly Madison to the British admiral who ordered the White House set aflame, historical figures are brought to life through their experience of this unprecedented attack. The Burning of the White House is the story of a city invaded, a presidential family displaced, a nation humbled, and an American spirit that somehow remained unbroken.
The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910
by
Esther CrainSynopsis:
The drama, expansion, mansions and wealth of New York City's transformative Gilded Age era, from 1870 to 1910, captured in a magnificently illustrated hardcover.
In forty short years, New York City suddenly became a city of skyscrapers, subways, streetlights, and Central Park, as well as sprawling bridges that connected the once-distant boroughs. In Manhattan, more than a million poor immigrants crammed into tenements, while the half of the millionaires in the entire country lined Fifth Avenue with their opulent mansions.
The Gilded Age in New York captures what is was like to live in Gotham then, to be a daily witness to the city's rapid evolution.
Newspapers, autobiographies, and personal diaries offer fascinating glimpses into daily life among the rich, the poor, and the surprisingly large middle class.
The use of photography and illustrated periodicals provides astonishing images that document the bigness of New York: the construction of the Statue of Liberty; the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge; the shimmering lights of Luna Park in Coney Island; the mansions of Millionaire's Row.
Sidebars detail smaller, fleeting moments: Alice Vanderbilt posing proudly in her "Electric Light" ball gown at a society-changing masquerade ball; immigrants stepping off the boat at Ellis Island; a young Theodore Roosevelt witnessing Abraham Lincoln's funeral.
The Gilded Age in New York is a rare illustrated look at this amazing time in both the city and the country as a whole. Author Esther Crain, the go-to authority on the era, weaves first-hand accounts and fascinating details into a vivid tapestry of American society at the turn of the century.
Here is an interesting book - a collection of essays that seeks to look at the early years of the American republic, but without the recent emphasis in popular history on the founding fathers. It's not "great men" and momentous times, but a look at everyday lives and people who were also a part of the making of the nation. An occasional big name makes an appearance - such as Thomas Jefferson and his big cheese (literally) - but it's mostly people and movements that most of us haven't heard of, such as:- Young Federalists in the War of 1812
- The Anti-Rent wars of upstate New York
- Early electioneering rituals
- An enlightening look at the 2nd Amendment as it was interpreted around 1800
- and a lot more. It is sometimes dense reading, sometimes fun, and very enlightening.
by Jeffrey L. Pasley (no photo)
Another great one, Dave. Thank you for your contribution. I've actually been reading a little about the War of 1812.
I really enjoyed this look at the development of laws and regulations in the early United States. I know it sounds boring, but it isn't really. We see the development from English Common Law to the regulations that create a "well regulated society." An early example is found in disaster - a fire in New York that threatened the entire city. The mayor ordered blocks of buildings torn down as a firebreak, and that saved the day. Should the people whose buildings were torn down be compensated. Or what if the exercising of your freedom impinges on the freedom or "pursuit of happiness" of another. Who has to give? That's a conflict that is still the subject of court cases today. If you're curious about how our legal judgments evolved, this is a good start. 
by William J. Novak (no photo)
This is a fascinating look at the wage laborers at the very bottom of the economic food chain in the early 1800s. Historians have written about the artisans in this time period, but for the most part have neglected the poorest of the poor - women who do the wash and work as seamstresses, men who constantly worked to dredge the Baltimore Harbor or were "street scrapers" (use your imagination - horses were the basic mode of transport, so what do you think they were scraping?) Baltimore was an especially interesting city to study in the 1800s because it was part northern, part southern. There were many freed blacks as well as slaves. The freedpeople worked not just to feed and shelter themselves, but also often were trying to save enough to buy a family member's freedom. During a time when many fortunes were made in America, this is a picture of the workers whose labors enabled that wealthy class to rise. 
by Seth Rockman (no photo)
This is a collection of essays by nine historians who study the early years of capitalism in the United States. Some get a little heavy at times, but most are very readable, and provide a background to our economy that most of us are not aware of. Think the toxic debt for the 2008 crash was new? The essay by Edward E. Baptist outlines an all too similar situation that led to the Panic of 1837. Why don't we learn from history? There is much to learn in these essays. 
by Michael Zakim (no photo)
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According to Lawrence Goodwyn, the Populist movement of the late 1800s is difficult to understand because it was quite complicated. He tries to simplify it here and succeeds to some extent, but, well, it's complicated!He starts his story in Texas where farmers are being overcharged by merchants and railroads, charged exorbitant interest rates by banks, and sometimes forced to sell crops at or below cost. A Farmers Alliance tries to resolve these issues, runs into the same problems and turns to politics to try to aid the farmers.
The 1890s were the period of intense activity - their last hurrah is in 1896. As an indication of internal strife and the difficulty of sustaining the movement, the Populists actually select the Democrat's candidate, William Jennings Bryan, to be their presidential candidate too.
Goodwyn's last chapter paints a bleak picture, seeing the Populists as a lost opportunity and America's best chance for the people to regain power from the corporate interests. He wrote his book in 1978, and it stands the test of time. I don't agree with everything he concludes in his last chapter, but it's good to see his argument.
by Lawrence Goodwyn (no photo)
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Wilderness at Dawn: The Settling of the North American Continent (other topics)The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge (other topics)
This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War (other topics)
50 Great American Places: Essential Historic Sites Across the U.S. (other topics)
A People's History of the United States: American Beginnings to Reconstruction (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ted Morgan (other topics)David McCullough (other topics)
Brent D. Glass (other topics)
Drew Gilpin Faust (other topics)
Paul Johnson (other topics)
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