This text delves into the many facets of the colonial uprising and its aftermath, concluding with the ratification of the Bill of Rights. The volume combines primary sources, analytical essays, chapter introductions, and headnotes to encourage students to think critically about the revolutionary era.
Benjamin Rush, On the Defects of the Confederation, May 1787
Book Description
The Revolutionary Era, Third Edition, provides a vivid historical account of the forces that shaped early nineteenth-century Europe. Thoroughly revised and updated in light of recent scholarship, the text introduces compelling perspectives on the French and Industrial Revolutions, integrates new discussions of cultural and social history, and expands coverage of southern and eastern Europe. While preserving the integrity of earlier editions, new co-author Matthew Levinger broadens the analysis by exploring the everyday experiences of the working classes with those of the political and social elites.
Customer Reviews:
pricey, but very nice introduction.......2007-03-10
I'm currently trying to read through the "Norton History of Modern Europe" series, and this is the third I've read (and reviewed for amazon). This one, like the others, was an excellent introduction, summarily covering political history as well as cultural and social history. I think the series as a whole, including this book, is a little weak on intellectual history--although that is my strength, so my judgment might be distorted.
This book covers the French Revolution, the era of Napoleon, the industrial revolution, the revolution of 1830, the revolutions of 1848, and the romantic movement. That's a lot of ground in such a brief book, but Breunig and Levinger move through it quickly and concisely.
Among the other books in this series, "The Age of Religious Wars" by Richard S. Dunn and "The Foundations of Early Modern Europe" by Eugene F. Rice, Jr., were excellent, but I skipped Leonard Krieger's "Kings and Philosophers" because the writing nearly killed me. (I've started Norman Rich's "Tradition and Progress," and so far it's excellent, maybe the best of the series.) Each of the 3 books I've read stands well on its own.
HOWEVER--even though I think reading the whole series forms a very good project for anyone interested enough to do it--for about the same cash, John P. McKay's textbook, "A History of Western Society: Since 1300," is much better for students, and even for adult readers I actually recommend it above this series. Boorstin's trilogy beginning with "The Discoverers" emphasizes intellectual history, and is a great pleasure to read; I strongly recommend checking it out. Finally, I haven't read the classic histories by Eric Hobsbawm, but they probably make stimulating reading, even for people already rather familiar with modern history.
Book Description
The Founding Fathers--their most important speeches, letters, and writings--brought together in a single edition
The Founding Fathers--Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, Adams, Madison. Subjects of seemingly infinite biographies, they are rarely allowed to speak to us in their own words. But it was their words that mattered most to them. As James Madison once wrote, "the biography of an author must be a history of his writings." Here, finally, these towering figures come together in one volume--in conversation with each other, and with us.
The Founders were thinking revolutionaries--they read, questioned, debated, and, most of all, wrote. They theorized about government and political institutions; considered the problem of parties and factions; and reflected on religion and education. In this volume, eminent historian Susan Dunn brings together the Founders' most important letters, speeches, and essays and sets them in the context of their lives and times.
Through their words, the Founders created the first democracy of the modern world. Their courage, imagination, and genius would never be surpassed. Here they are, in the present tense of their extraordinary lives. To truly understand them, this is where we must begin.
Customer Reviews:
American History Learning Tool.......2007-09-22
This is a fabulous book for teachers and children to show how our country came about. It is a good concrete example of primary sources and is colorful and inviting. It does not give the impression of another boring history book. The kids in my class love it!
The Founding of the United States Experience: 1763-1815.......2007-05-15
This book is a excellent example of authors who do not waste words and are able to condense volumes of information into an easily understandable volume. We have placed ours n the coffee table in our living room where guests of all ages have been inspired to further study the founding of the United States of America. The inserts of important documents of the day are an added value, as is the CD which is included that expands on the written word. A true value and a book that every family interested in the U.S.A. should own.
The perfect historical book for any history buff!.......2007-01-12
For kids and teens, this book is wonderful for learning about historical facts and the beginning of the nation. It has remarkable facts and documents in sleeves within the book. Comes with a CD which is great! It is worth the money!
Excellent Collection of American History Reproductions.......2006-10-19
This is an excellent collection of American History replicas. I have several of these books that detail this style of "history in a box". This is one of the best. The period covered is from the French and Indian War to the War of 1812. I can only hope these authors will continue to the present in future volumes.
Book Description
A powerful reinterpretation of the founding of America, by a Pulitzer Prize -- winning historian "The creation of the United States of America is the central event of the past four hundred years," declares Walter McDougall in his preface to Freedom Just Around the Corner. With this statement begins McDougall's most ambitious, original, and uncompromising of histories. McDougall marshals the latest scholarship and writes in a style redolent of passion, pathos, and humor in pursuit of truths often obscured in books burdened with political slants.
From the origins of English expansion under Henry VIII to the founding of the United States to the rollicking election of President Andrew Jackson, McDougall rescues from myth or oblivion the brave, brilliant, and flawed people who made America great: women and men, native-born and immigrant; German, Latin, African, and British; as well as farmers, engineers, planters, merchants; Protestants, Freemasons, Catholics, and Jews; and -- last but not least -- the American scofflaws, speculators, rogues, and demagogues.
With an insightful approach to the nearly 250 years spanning America's beginnings, McDougall offers his readers an understanding of the uniqueness of the "American character" and how it has shaped the wide-ranging course of historical events. McDougall explains that Americans have always been in a unique position of enjoying "more opportunity to pursue their ambitions...than any other people in history." Throughout Freedom Just Around the Corner the character of the American people shines, a character built out of a freedom to indulge in the whole panoply of human behavior. The genius behind the success of the United States is founded on the complex, irrepressible American spirit.
A grand narrative rich with new details and insights about colonial and early national history, Freedom Just Around the Corner is the first installment of a trilogy that will eventually bring the story of America up to the present day -- story as epic, bemusing, and brooding as Bob Dylan's "Jokerman," the ballad that inspires its titles.
Customer Reviews:
Do We Really Need to Know ALL This?.......2007-09-28
Although McDougal has written exhaustively about the early history of the colonies and United States (exploding some myths and revealing some shocking details), he also tended to exhaust this reader, at least, with unnecessary minutiae. Admittedly, some insights proved enlightening to the particular subject at hand, but his style certainly does not invite me to plow through his coming two volumes--this one being over 600 pages if 87 pages of endnotes (17 percent of the book) are included.
There is SO much information to deal with, but I will only mention one that kept popping up in the book: The Freemasons. It seems that anyone who was ANYONE had to be a member of this secretive, mysterious (snobbish?), childishly-ritualistic society/fraternity of "ancient origins" that functioned as an old-boys' network and good luck charm combo. We're talking Lewis and Clark, John Jacob Astor, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, George Washington and most of the state and national politicians and many, many more with aspirations of (or actually) being influential or rich--and this continues to this day!
Excellent Research - Great Writing.......2005-07-19
This is obviously a well researched book. Mr. McDougall does not only a good job of presenting the reader with the actions and prevailing sentiments leading up to the American Revolution, but he also gives more in-depth explanations than you'd find in 'standard' American history books. The motives for revolution were far more complex and varied than the popular conception in this country. Additionally, Mr. McDougall reminds the reader that independence from Britain was not an overwhelming choice for all members of the thirteen colonies. And the author traces the backgrounds of the people who make up those colonies to provide the reason for this. My only (minor) problems with the book were that the included maps did not live up to the quality of the text and I think the author tries a little to hard to make his point that America was built by 'hustlers.' But this is certainly a book I highly recommend for anyone interested in the forming of the country. For a real treat, read it in conjunction with Alan Taylor's American Colonies.
Also recommended: American Colonies by Alan Taylor, Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose.
The Textbook You Wish You'd Had in School.......2005-06-26
Did we need one more history of the US? Even McDougall isn't so sure about that. But he manages to find a path that hasn't been beaten down.
Where the tendency of American historians has been to find One Big Peg on which to hang their histories, McDougall pitches a big tent and tries hard to fit everybody under it. He works hard to tell the whole story without trying to shape it to lead to a particular moral.
For example, McDougall's approach to America's Christian roots. He doesn't try to minimize them and pretend that they weren't really there or didn't really matter, but neither does he try to elevate them into a thesis about Americans being God's Chosen People. He acknowledges them and presents them thoroughly without trying to shape them to prove something.
If McDougall has a point of view, it is that of a mild cynic. His one thesis is that Americans have always been hustlers in both senses of the word-- hard workers and scammers. This gives the work a tendency to shy away from Big Deep Ideas and philosophical cant. Where many historians have tried to layer American history in fancy clothes (This cigar is really a symbol of the repressed oppression of growing economic anti-humanistic struggling), this book leaves the impression of a more direct view (This is a cigar).
Beyond that, most of his organizational tools are about analysis rather than interpretation. His language is relaxed, cleasr and sometimes even colloquial, and his reach is considerable. There's a great deal of information here, but explained and organized so that the reader comes away with a clear view of a large picture.
If I were a high school history teacher, I'd be begging for sets of this book to teach from. A great and clear read.
Like a Novel.......2004-12-03
McDougall nails who we are as Americans, where we come from morally, socially, politically and why. This book is like citizenship therapy.
The Greatest Story Ever Told.......2004-09-15
Move over Charlton Heston. The founding of America is the greatest story ever told. McDougall tells it with panache, humor, and exactly the right measure of detail to make it come alive and keep on moving at the same time. You don't even have to be a history buff to love this book. It's tops.
Book Description
It was a contest of titans: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two heroes of the Revolutionary era, once intimate friends, now icy antagonists locked in a fierce battle for the future of the United States. The election of 1800 was a thunderous clash of a campaign that climaxed in a deadlock in the Electoral College and led to a crisis in which the young republic teetered on the edge of collapse. Adams vs. Jefferson is the gripping account of a turning point in American history, a dramatic struggle between two parties with profoundly different visions of how the nation should be governed. The Federalists, led by Adams, were conservatives who favored a strong central government. The Republicans, led by Jefferson, were more egalitarian and believed that the Federalists had betrayed the Revolution of 1776 and were backsliding toward monarchy. The campaign itself was a barroom brawl every bit as ruthless as any modern contest, with mud-slinging, scare tactics, and backstabbing. The low point came when Alexander Hamilton printed a devastating attack on Adams, the head of his own party, in "fifty-four pages of unremitting vilification." The stalemate in the Electoral College dragged on through dozens of ballots. Tensions ran so high that the Republicans threatened civil war if the Federalists denied Jefferson the presidency. Finally a secret deal that changed a single vote gave Jefferson the White House. A devastated Adams left Washington before dawn on Inauguration Day, too embittered even to shake his rival's hand. With magisterial command, Ferling brings to life both the outsize personalities and the hotly contested political questions at stake. He shows not just why this moment was a milestone in U.S. history, but how strongly the issues--and the passions--of 1800 resonate with our own time.
Customer Reviews:
Well rounded work.......2007-08-01
I picked this up at a discount book store to brush up on my early American history. As I read it, I was surprised I had never heard of Ferling before now. He is concise and well written. His insight into the election illustrates the complexities of our electoral process showing it not to be perfect, but better than most in the world. I have a new sense of respect for Adams now, before I was not too fond of him. I am a big fan of Hamilton, who is portrayed in a negative manner at times. In retrospect it was accurate as Hamilton, like all other politicians then and now were/are opportunists. I look forward to more Ferling works and am glad I found this piece.
A great read on the most contentious of all elections, replete with radically differing idealogies.......2007-05-20
Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800 is a wonderful addition to the Pivotal Moments in American History being published by the Oxford University Press. John Ferling does a superb job, in fairly short order, bringing the reader into the time when our nation was in its nascent stages - prior to political parties dominating the electoral landscape. He describes robustly and vividly the radically differing ideas between the Federalists and Anti Federalists (Republicans). The book traces the ideological roots of the struggle between those favoring a strong central government and those favoring a much loser confederation of states.
Both Adams and Jefferson are treated fairly and evenly by Ferling. Their growing differences and eventual break are covered well. This work clearly demonstrates that the American Revolution didn't end at Yorktown but, rather, continued as a political struggle through a clash of ideologies both in the press and on the ballot. Interestingly, it also shows the ugliness of current American politics is far from new. Some of the vitriol written then about the leaders of the time is alone worth the read.
The rather quick decline of the paternal and elitist Federalist Era is a topic that other authors seem to have trouble limiting their pages on. Ferling, while fairly thorough, is quick in his analysis. He traces the political struggle that led to the demise of Federalism in the contentious and pivotal election of 1800 back to and including the Revolution itself.
Ferling's writing is direct and highly engaging. "Unlike Adams, Jefferson had never wavered in his belief that the American Revolution had been a glorious success. The `flames kindled on the 4th of July 1776 have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism,' he remarked in 1821, adding that the `light and liberty are on a steady advance". In his final letter, written in 1826, Jefferson reiterated his belief that the American Revolution had been, and would continue to be, `the signal arousing men to burst the chains' that bound them and to secure the `blessings and security of self-government'".
This is one terrific book on a very interesting period in American history. I can't imagine anyone with any appreciation of our history not greatly enjoying it.
ELECTION BATTLES.......2007-02-20
I liked this book. It is about friends who are running against each other becoming bitter enemies. It is one of the earliest mud slinging books about election battles and dirty politics about the election of 1800. My sister gave me this book as a Christmas Gift in 2005 and enjoyed reading about election tactics, and tis book is a must for history buffs. I rate this book 4.5 to 4.75 stars.
Great addition to a wonderful series.......2007-01-02
This is one of the best displays of political history in a long time. The tactics of the Federalists and the Jeffersonian are well presented here in the election that showed American democracy was a reality. The author does a wonderful job of weaving together the complex issues that were involved. For those who feel today's campaigns are filled with personal attacks they have nothing on 1800. The book is very well written and is an excellent addition to a great series. This book serves as a summary for the lives of Adams and Jefferson as well as looking at the development of political parties in the United States. There is some consideration thrown on to Hamilton although a little more would have solidified the arguments. Despite that this is a great book to start with or if you are an expert in this area it is one you will enjoy.
Humanizes legends, an excellent read.......2006-12-11
Ferling has captured one of the pivotal moments in American history, the first peaceful transfer of power from one "party' to another. The individuals who are key players: Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, Burr, etc. have passed into myth and legend in the popular mind. Ferling presents a real picture, which includes both the virtues and faults of the various characters. As a few other reviewers have pointed out, Hamilton gets hammered a bit, but evidence suggests that this was not entirely undeserved. Of course, history buffs will long for more in-depth analysis of other characters in the drama, as well as the actual mechanics of the governmental procedures in place at the time. Such was not the goal of the work. The goal was to describe the behavior of the most key individuals involved and the implications of the outcomes for future events. What I always find interesting in such works is just how easily events could have gone a different way, with predictably dramatic consequences for our current ways of life and thinking. In this, the book achieves the aim admirably.
Book Description
Synthesizing political, social, and cultural aspects of early U.S. history, The Early American Republic, 1789-1829 provides a unique and integrated overview of the era. Focusing on the politics and process of nation-making and the birth of American market society, the book addresses two main subjects. First, it recounts the history of national politics from the presidency of George Washington through the inauguration of Andrew Jackson. During that period, the Founders struggled to make a national republic, then watched as their United States became bigger, more democratic, and more divided than anything they had envisioned. Second, the book describes the beginnings of American market society, demonstrating how many Americans began to organize their lives around earning, buying, and selling. The Early American Republic, 1789-1829 illustrates the formative years of American nationhood, democracy, and free-market capitalism. While most people consider these to be inevitably American, the book demonstrates that none were natural, inevitable, or undisputed in 1789. Examining all aspects of the Early Republic, the book explores such topics as family life, religion, the construction and reconstruction of gender systems, the rise of popular print and other forms of communication, and evolving attitudes toward slavery and race. It also covers the social history of market society, territorial expansion, and the growth of slavery, offering detailed region-, race-, and class-specific considerations of family life and religion. Providing a brief, comprehensive, and clearly written synthesis of American political, economic, social, and cultural development, The Early American Republic, 1789-1829 is ideal for courses in the early national period.
Customer Reviews:
good general introduction .......2006-03-25
There has been a recent interest in the early American period, with best sellers on specialized topics. To enjoy these books, one needs a good general introduction to the era. This is it.
Average customer rating:
|
The Revolutionary War Era (American Popular Culture Through History)
Randall Huff
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Popular Culture
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Revolution & Founding
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Social History
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Amazon Upgrade
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
History
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0313322627 |
Book Description
This volume in Greenwood's American Popular Culture through History series recreates the many ways in which a new American culture took root during the Revolutionary period. Tavern culture and pamphlet literature played integral parts in debates surrounding the Revolution. Newspapers spread information while printing the first advertisements. Courtship and marriage rituals varied greatly among the rich and poor, and among city and country folk. Public performance art was a hotly debated component of the increased schism between secular and religious concerns, though many Americans enjoyed recreations of recent military battles. Foodways were distinctly regional, yet food rationing was a universal hardship among army personnel. Randall Huff's narrative essays, as well as many extra front- and back-matter resources, help describe citizen's lives in the newly formed United States of America as the nation fought to win its independence. American Popular Culture through Historyis the only reference series that presents a detailed, narrative discussion of United States popular culture. This volume is one of 17 in the series, each of which presents essays on Everyday America, The World of Youth, Advertising, Architecture, Fashion, Food, Leisure Activities, Literature, Music, Performing Arts, Travel, and Visual Arts.
Books:
- Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible
- Mechanical Discipline-Specific Review for the FE/EIT Exam, 2nd ed.
- Microsoft Office XP Step-By-Step (With CD-ROM)
- Middle America: Its Lands and Peoples (3rd Edition)
- Museum of Lost Wonder
- Nauti Boy (The Nauti Trilogy, Book 1)
- Orange County Choppers (TM): The Tale of the Teutuls
- Out of the Ballpark
- Pink Box: Inside Japan's Sex Clubs
- Pop Memories 1890-1954: The History of American Popular Music
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More
- Seed to Seed
- Manhattan on Film Updated Edition : Walking Tours of Hollywood's Fabled Front Lot
- Library Of American Literature From The Earliest Settlement To The Present Time, A
- Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills
- Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers
- National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Trees of North America : East
- SAP BW Certification: A Business Information Warehouse Study Guide
- Estrategia y Administracion Agropecuaria
- Reading the Enemy's Mind : Inside Star Gate--America's Psychic Espionage Program
The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 (Oxford History of the United States)
Miracle At Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention May - September 1787
Race and Revolution
Major Problems in American Colonial History: Documents and Essays (Major Problems in American History Series)
Forced Founders: Indians, Debtors, Slaves, and the Making of the American Revolution in Virginia (Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture)
![America's Founding Charters [Three Volumes]: Primary Documents of Colonial and Revolutionary Era Governance](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21VR7FNE49L.jpg)
