The History Book Club discussion
AMERICAN HISTORY
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INTRODUCTION - AMERICAN HISTORY
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Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief
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Feb 11, 2017 05:01PM
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Not sure of the best place to put this book, but this probably works. It's a very interesting book on recent history's commemoration of the nation's founding.In 1976, the nation celebrated its 200th birthday. Historian Tammy Gordon outlines the national efforts to pull this off - including what came to be known as the "buycentennial sellabration" - and the many local and state events that people most appreciated and remember. Planning for the commemoration began as much as 10 years earlier, but as late as 1974, the organization in charge at the national level was going through major upheavals and corruption charges. This was the first major historical commemoration to really involve consumerism and corporations, but in her epilogue, Gordon makes it clear that this was just the beginning. Ten years later, Liberty Weekend - the centennial of the newly refurbished Statue of Liberty, became a Hollywood-style extravaganza.
by Tammy Gordon (no photo)
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by K.M. Kostyal (no photo)Synopsis:
An American heirloom
America's presidents, revolutionaries, visionaries, inventors, entertainers, and even its most notorious villains come to brilliant, beautiful life through this richly illustrated reference from National Geographic. Taking us from pre-colonial America through the present day, Who's Who in American History features more than 400 authoritative entries complemented by lavish four-color photography and elegant illustrations drawn from our finest archives. Adding even deeper context, timelines, historical maps, intriguing stories, and images of key artifacts round out the narrative.
With a keepsake-quality design that sets it far apart from ordinary references, this treasury will become a cherished family heirloom across the generations.
About the Authors
K. M. Kostyal has written several works for National Geographic, including Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty.
John M. Thompson written or contributed to more than a dozen National Geographic books, including The Medieval World: An Illustrated Atlas.
William R. Gray served as director of the National Geographic Society's book division for more than ten years and is the author of numerous books, including The Pacific Crest Trail.
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https://www.khanacademy.org/humanitie...
Source: Khan Academy
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Founding Documents: Declaration of Independence
The shortest document with the biggest possible job.
Link: https://www.civics101podcast.org
Source: Civics 101 Podcast
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America the Story of US; can be downloaded on iTunes also:
http://www.history.com/shows/america-...
Source: History.com
Well I am looking for a book which is good and solid introduction to American history. Ideally it should cover what American students learn about their history till college or so. As a Non-American history buff interested in American history and culture it’s my goal to understand how Americans tick. I believe history is the best approach to do that.I own a copy of a history of the American people by Howard Zinn, but I understand that his approach to history was rather controversial so I wanna read the official stuff as well.
Can you guys suggest me some books?
An excellent book, now somewhat long in the tooth isThe Heritage of AmericaHenry Steele Commager — sorry I haven’t quite learned how to add book covers and author’s pictures yet — The glory of this particular book is that it serves up the historical documents in chronological order, beginning with a translation of a section of the journal of Christopher Columbus and ending with text of an inaugural speech of Franklin Roosevelt’s ... no interpretations given; you make your own judgements based on the document before you.
I havent read this book myself yet, but I have heard that this book was published as a rebuttal to Howard Zinn's and that is called "A Patriot's Guide to American History" by Larry Schweikart. Generally Americans are taught little to nothing about their history until they do get into college. There is no canon of American history. I would regard both Schweikart and Zinn as our own versions of HG Wells, just from the commentary and a bit of observation, I admit havent spent much effort minus a little commentary here and there that comes up in the usual media-and policy based controversies.
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Thank you so much for your posts and your adds - please keep them coming. We love all of the great conversations and posts on all of the threads. Remember this group is for all of you and the more participation, the better.
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by Henry Steele Commager (no photo)
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Paul Johnson
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Howard Zinn
by Larry Schweikart (no photo)
Thank you Bentley. Slowly, but surely, I’m beginning to get the hang of this. Your patience is much appreciated.
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Here is the interview that he had with Five Books:
I know this will inevitably be your own, personal, take, but what is important in American history?
"I’ve talked and written about American history being shaped by five major themes, which influenced my selection of historic places for Fifty Great American Places. These are: the story of freedom, the influence of war, the impact of innovation and technology, the tradition of diverse cultural experiences, and the influence of the American landscape. These themes cut across every period of American history and the events that shaped it.
by Brent D. Glass (no photo)Do you think that looking at it thematically rather than chronologically makes it less overwhelming?
"It’s not either/or, and it’s not overwhelming! My book makes American history accessible by integrating theme, chronology, and geography. Readers may start with the first chapter, on the National Mall in Washington, DC, a central place where these themes come together. The next forty-nine essays are in chronological order."
As a public historian, how easy is it to get people interested in history? How do you set about doing it?
'I wrote the book to encourage historical literacy and by that I also mean historical curiosity. The way we are taught in school often discourages an interest in history because there is such an emphasis on memorisation of dates and names. It doesn’t stimulate curiosity. I wrote my book with the expectation that people will use it as a springboard to stimulate their curiosity about American history. I want to encourage people to go out and experience American history, to have a first-hand look at these unique places that reflect our history and our heritage. And I want to encourage people to preserve historic sites. We often take for granted that many of these places have always been here and will always be here. In fact, many people—including many notable women leaders—have had the vision to recognise the importance of preserving history. I especially appreciate the National Park Service, a federal agency that is celebrating its centennial this year and plays a major role in preserving great historic places in the country. Probably half of the sites in the book are managed by the National Park Service."
Here in England, whenever we learn history, it seems whether as an undergraduate, at school, or even at primary school, you always learn about the Tudors. You start to get a bit fed up of the Tudors after a while. Is American teaching like that as well? Do people get a bit fed up of learning about certain events and wish that they had a broader perspective?
"It’s interesting. Not too long ago people were not too interested in the founders of America, and we’ve stopped called them ‘the Founding Fathers.’ But you’re probably aware of this new hit musical Hamilton which is about the first secretary of the Treasury. It’s an unlikely work to revive interest in American history but it has taken New York and the country by storm. It is an upbeat musical with period costumes, multicultural cast and stars, and hip-hop and rap music. It’s a fantastic way to generate new interest by a younger generation in the founding of the country and some of the issues that were being faced. Another period of American history that you think would have become worn out in terms of how much we can say is the Civil War in this country. It is the most talked about and the most written about. There are more films about the Civil War than any other war. But there seems to be no end of interest in that period. When you read a book like Drew Gilpin Faust’s This Republic of Suffering, I think you get an understanding of just how impactful the Civil War was on succeeding generations. The public memory of the Civil War continues to dominate America’s collective memory even today.
by Drew Gilpin Faust (no photo)And also, I sense from your books, that the history being written now is more unvarnished?
Yes, it’s not as sanitised as it once was. Going back to the early 1990s, Ken Burns, the documentary filmmaker, had a very major impact with his documentary, The Civil War, which was on public television. He showed images of Confederate and Union soldiers killed on the battlefield and some of the photographs of the wounded. He really brought into everyone’s living room the unvarnished story of how horrible that war was for hundreds of thousands of people.
Let’s talk about your first book, which is David McCullough’s The Great Bridge. I think this is relevant to your theme of technology?
"David McCullough is a friend and mentor. His subjects range from the Johnstown Flood in Pennsylvania to the biographies of presidents to the Wright Brothers. The Great Bridge was, for me, a pivotal book in understanding how you could tell a story about a great engineering accomplishment in the context of the backdrop of urban history and the development of New York. He is such a masterful storyteller that he can engage you in what seemed to be an unlikely subject for a full-length nonfiction narrative and succeed in spectacular fashion."
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David McCulloughJudging by the reviews on Amazon, people seem to think it’s an absolutely gripping book. When walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, it is amazing to think about that history. But why that particular bridge, that particular moment?
"I was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island so I have some personal connections with this particular site. But what suggested it to me was that this bridge is unique as an illustration of how nature and technology can be in harmony. When you see the Brooklyn Bridge, or you walk over the bridge, you feel as if it just belongs there. It has a sense of permanence, an enduring quality, a combination of beauty and functionality that has inspired artists and filmmakers and poets."
When you think that you can write a gripping book about a bridge, it also makes you think that interesting history could be written about all sorts of things if you just start digging around the subject.
"Exactly. The way he used sources—remember that this book was published in the early 1970s so he did not have access to all the sources that we have now via the Internet—he was able to use photographs and drawings and illustrations from magazines as a way of augmenting his research. It’s a very powerful story. Even though you know what the ending is—you know the bridge was built and that it’s still there—he creates a dramatic sense of just what it took to bring this bridge into being and to complete it. He also is very skillful at developing the characters, the human element, of the Roebling family: John Roebling, his son Washington Roebling, and, finally, Emily, Washington Roebling’s wife, who played a crucial role in the final years of the construction of the bridge because Washington Roebling was disabled by caisson disease. He ended up watching most of the construction of the bridge from his apartment window. His wife Emily was the key communicator between Roebling and the engineers working on the site. That was an important role and David McCullough brings that out in the book."
And the father also died as a result of an injury from the bridge.
Yes, he was one of the first causalities, if not the first. While he was serving the site, he fell and later died of tetanus.
Sources: Five Books, ThoughtCo.
Note: Also take a look at the following - The Brooklyn Bridge Construction In Vintage
Link: https://www.thoughtco.com/brooklyn-br...
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Looking down your list, death and dying do seem to be a unifying theme. Which book shall we talk about next?
"My next selection is Wilderness at Dawn by Ted Morgan. This book shaped my understanding of human geography. It reminds readers that America was settled by several different cultures and countries. It’s a triumph of storytelling about the different frontiers of America. We were often taught American history as going from East to West and the British settlement as being the preeminent story. Ted Morgan’s book emphasises the fact there were multiple settlements and multiple beginnings of American history. He spends the early chapters talking about American Indians and their presence on the landscape before European settlement. That influenced me quite a bit and shaped how I selected my sites for my book. The first two places I talk about are the Cahokia Mounds along the Mississippi river near St Louis in Illinois and the other is Mesa Verde in Colorado. Ted Morgan writes about both those places. But the Spanish presence, the French presence, and the Dutch—as well as the English later on—all play a major role in the settlement of North America".
by Ted Morgan (no photo)
Goodness! What great books! My TBR List is growing so I’m going to have to put a brick on its head.Thank you,
Andrea
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University
The American Revolution entailed some remarkable transformations--converting British colonists into American revolutionaries, and a cluster of colonies into a confederation of states with a common cause -- but it was far more complex and enduring then the fighting of a war.
As John Adams put it, "The Revolution was in the Minds of the people... before a drop of blood was drawn at Lexington"--and it continued long past America's victory at Yorktown.
This course will examine the Revolution from this broad perspective, tracing the participants' shifting sense of themselves as British subjects, colonial settlers, revolutionaries, and Americans.
This is the first video in the course - Introduction: Freeman's Top Five Tips for Studying the Revolution
Link: http://www.openculture.com/2017/12/th...
Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Link: https://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-116...
Source: Yale, Youtube, iTunes
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Please view the video just added. Jon Meacham and Annette Gordon-Reed (both Pulitzer Prize historians) discuss the current confrontation going on right now regarding protestors who would like to take history into their own hands regarding statues worldwide. Peaceful protesting regarding pivotal and important issues of the day like Black Lives Matter are critical to the dialogue that needs to be addressed on equality within the criminal justice system, police procedures, the chokehold, equitable housing and rights, etc. In fact, many different minorities face other pressing and needed discussions regarding immigration, equality in the workplace and salary. These are not new issues - just the same old ones that have not been adequately addressed. We also need to discuss our indigenous peoples and their needs too as well as white people who also face dire circumstances and injustices within their environments and who have healthcare and other basic necessity needs. Our inner cities also face challenges. And of course on top of all of this is the Covid 19 pandemic. 2020 has been quite the year.
Meacham and Gordon-Reed present another balanced and temperate approach on how to discuss our statues and our founding fathers - which is a timely discussion on this particular 4th of July.
President Trump deciding to have the 4th of July celebration during a pandemic at Mount Rushmore has only heightened and added fuel to the fire of these discussions.
With the backdrop of a very disturbing 2020 - today is also the 4th of July. We should celebrate our country and the values and ideals upon which it was founded - (if you are stateside).
If you are one of our global members - welcome to our site - we are a large global group with worldwide visitors from 171 countries and we are happy to have you with us on America's birthday.
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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