History
1700 :
American Civilization
Dr.
Harris' Reading List
: List of books for extra-credit assignment
Documents
These
links will take you to online versions of primary materials needed
for class assignments. Other information is included to broaden your
experience of these historic documents.
Narrative
of the Life of Frederick Douglass,
An American Slave
Brief
Biography of Frederick Douglass : from PBS.org
Gettysburg
Address
- Given
November 19, 1863 by Abraham Lincoln
Online
Exhibit of the Gettysburg Address : from the Library of Congress
First
Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Information
about Franklin D. Roosevelt : from the Internet Public Library
Reading
List
American Civilization
Dr. Harris
For this assignment, worth ten extra credit points, you are going
to write book review of 4-5 pages in length on one of the books listed
below. This assumes that you have read the book carefully and thought
about its contents. In organizing your review, you should include
the following parts:
I. Your first section or introduction should contain a short
summary of the work. What is the book trying to say, what is its major
theme?
II. The middle or body of your review should contain an analysis
of the principal meanings and qualities of the author's argument.
What evidence does the author use to support his/her point? Is the
author's argument persuasive? Be advised that this section is the
most important part of the assignment, and one that should command
the most attention in your paper.
III. The conclusion of your review should be your overall
reaction to the book. Would you recommend it to others? What did you
learn by reading the book?
If a book is in the Browning Library collection, it is followed with
a call number. Books with call numbers beginning with numerals (973.46
G665a) are in the Dewey Decimal collection on the 2nd floor (upstairs)
in the library. Books with call numbers beginning with letters (E
302.6 .H2 K66 2002) are in the Library of Congress collection
on the main level of the library. If a book is on Course Reserve,
it may be checked out for a limited time period at the Circulation
Desk. Electronic books are accessible on campus through the links
provided. To access e-books from off campus, log in to the library
catalog using the username and password available from a librarian
(you must present current DSC ID card).
Please note that Browning Library has MOST of the books on this list;
however, if there is a book the Library does not own, you can see
if the Washington
County Library owns it. If they don't, you may order it through
Interlibrary Loan. This
free service will locate the book and borrow it from another library,
which takes 7-10 days.
Time Periods
British
Colonial America
Constitutional
Beginnings
Founding
Fathers
American
Revolution
Early
Republic
Sectionalism
& Slavery
Civil
War & Reconstruction
The American
West
Immigration
/ Progressivism / World War I
Great
Depression & World War II
Civil Rights
and Political Equality
1960s
and Beyond
British Colonial
America
Colin G. Calloway, New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans and
the Remaking of Early America (1997) -a wonderful piece of
scholarship detailing the rich and complex culture that Indians and
Englishmen forged in early America; it covers everything from disease
and war to trade and sex to foods and medical cures; a solid book
970.02 C163n
James Deetz and Patricia Scott Deetz, The Times of Their Lives:
Life, Love, and Death in Plymouth Colony (2000) -written by
two historical archeologists, this book explores Pilgrim life and
culture; it's well written, funny, and it dispels some commonly held
myths about Thanksgiving and early Pilgrim culture F 68 .D4 2001
Frank Lambert, The Founding Fathers and the Place of Religion
in America (2003) -a fascinating discussion of how America
evolved from a country that merged church and state from its earliest
settlements to one that embraced religious pluralism by the Founders'
generation; the author writes in clear and crisp prose BR 526 .L29
2003
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Goodwives: Image and Reality in the
Lives of Women in Northern New England, 1650-1750 (1982) -wow,
did these women work hard! I like the author's depiction of women
as "deputy housewives"; this book is an excellent study
of the activities of women in the New England colonies 301.412
UL7g
Jon Butler, Becoming America: The Revolution before 1776 (2000)
-religious pluralism, ethnic diversity, a burgeoning transatlantic
economy-sounds like modern America, right? This trendy little book
by a prominent Yale historian argues that all the trappings of a "modern"
society were fully present in the American colonies long before the
colonists severed ties with Great Britain E 188 .B97 2001
James Axtell, Natives and Newcomers: The Cultural Origins of
North America (2001) -a fascinating collection of essays exploring
the clash of cultures between Native Americans and European settlers;
shows in great detail how both cultures defined and shaped the other;
my favorite essay is the one on scalping-very interesting
Edmund S. Morgan, American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal
of Colonial Virginia (1975) -the parts of this book are much
greater than the whole; the chapter on "lazy Englishmen"
might be a bit passé by now, but I never tire of reading it;
also, it's good on some aspects of early colonization
Mary K. Geiter, William Penn (2000) -this book provides
a vivid portrait of the founder of Pennsylvania and examines the impact
his religious and political thought had on England in general and
Pennsylvania in particular
Patricia Seed, Ceremonies of Possession in Europe's Conquest
of the New World, 1492-1640 (1995) -this important work of
comparative history shows how Europeans forged an array of "ceremonies"
to conquer their foes in the new world; a captivating thesis
Marcus Rediker, Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in
the Golden Age (2004) -this energetic little book explores
the "Golden Age" of piracy in the Atlantic World; in it
you'll meet an array of figures, from the swashbuckling rebel Blackbeard
to an unnamed peglegged pirate, who was likely Robert Louis Stevenson's
model for Long John Silver in Treasure Island F 106 .R42 2004
Karen Kupperman, Indians & English: Facing Off in Early
America (2000) -a beautifully written account demonstrating
why contemporary observers never spoke with a single voice about early
English encounters with Native Americans E 59 .F53 K86 2000
Jon Butler, Awash in a Sea of Faith: Christianizing the American
People (1992)-this preeminent religious historian makes some
startling claims about religion in early America; the most fascinating
part of the book is the discussion on magic and Christianity BL
2525 .B87 1992
Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies
(1997) -an important book explaining how the environment is
more important in shaping civilizations than biological differences
among the people themselves 303.4 D537g
Richard Dunn, Sugar and Slaves: The Rise of the Planter Class
in the English West Indies (1972) -depicts the ugly cruelties
of slave life in one of the empire's most wretched colonies
Pat Bonomi, Under the Cope of Heaven: Religion, Society, and
Politics in Colonial America (1986) -how religious were colonial
Americans? What impact did religion have on colonial politics? These
are just two of the questions that this skilled historian tries to
answer
Richard Godbeer, Sexual Revolution in Early America (1999)
-just what the title says; a lively account challenging the notion
that early Americans were priggish in their private behavior [note:
this is an electronic book] http://site.ebrary.com/lib/dixie/Doc?id=10021616
Peter H. Wood, Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina
from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion (1974) -a riveting account
of the largest slave revolt in early America
William Cronon, Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and
the Ecology of New England (1983) -a master historian contrasts
Native American and Puritan use of the environment
John Demos, A Little Commonwealth (1970) -once a classic
always a classic, this little book explores family life in the Pilgrim
colony 301.42 D399L
Carol F. Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft
in Colonial New England (1987) -a feminist account of the
Salem Witch Trials; I recommend BF 1576 .K37 1989
Peter Hoffer, The Salem Witch Trials: A Legal History
(1997) -what would happen if you lived in a society without due process?
What would happen if you were charged with a crime, couldn't face
your accuser, have an impartial judge and jury, or have an attorney
represent you? This tiny book explains just that, using the Salem
Witch Trials as a case study-a thought-provoking book KFM 2478.8
.W5 H645 1997
Frank Lambert, "Pedlar in Divinity": George Whitefield
and the Transatlantic Revivals (1994) -a lively study of the
most important revivalist preacher in the colonies; the book focuses
on the various ways Whitefield "marketed" his message
Ramón A. Gutiérrez, When Jesus Came, the Corn
Mothers Went Away: Marriage, Sexuality, and Power in New Mexico, 1500-1846
(1991) - the author examines the meanings of gift exchange, ownership,
trade, sexual rights, labor, kinship, social status, religious beliefs,
honor and other items as each relates to the interacting cultures
in Spain's remote colonial American empire prior to Anglo contact
Francis Jennings, The Invasion of America: Indians, Colonialism,
and the Cant of Conquest (1975) -this work challenges the
notion that America was a "virgin" land when the Puritans
first settled New England; says that Puritans swiped the land out
from under the Natives' feet through duplicitous dealings and fraudulent
transactions; this is an angry book, but Jennings is the profession's
consummate provocateur and for that alone he's worth reading
T.H. Breen, Tobacco Culture: The Mentality of the Great Tidewater
Planters on the Eve of Revolution (1985) -a study of wealthy
tobacco farmers and the coming of the American Revolution; an important
book
Edmund S. Morgan, Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop
(1958) -a well-written account of the first governor in Massachusetts
Bay, detailing the intense struggle of one man's attempt to live his
religion in a culture that was becoming increasingly secular F
67 .W798 1958
Alden T. Vaughn, American Genesis: Captain John Smith and the
Founding of Virginia (1975) -compare this version of Captain
Smith to Disney's Pocahontas and you'll be startled at what you find
975.501 V465a
Bruce C. Daniels, Puritans at Play: Leisure and Recreation
in Colonial New England (1995) -an eminent historian has said
that the only enjoyment Puritans got out of life "lay solely
in their furniture." Well, not so, according to Daniels; these
folks knew how to have a good time
Mary Rowlandson, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God,
edited by Neal Salisbury (1997) -this is a first-person account of
one women's experience in captivity among Indians during Metacom's
War; very interesting
Bernard Bailyn, The Peopling of British America (1986)
-a brief look by one of America's best historians examining the early
wave of migrations that peopled North America
Hugh Thomas, African Slave Trade (1997) -this book
is massive, but that shouldn't deter you from reading it; it will
give you a sense of what countries were involved in the slave trade,
and how many slaves were actually traded (at least insofar as Thomas
can determine)
Betty Wood, The Origins of African Slavery: Freedom and Bondage
in the English Colonies (1998) -if you have an appointment
at the doctor's office bring this book with you; it's just what the
title says, and you'll have it finished before the good Doc. is done
with you
Alan Gallay, The Indian Slave Trade: The Rise of the English
Empire in the American South, 1670-1717 (2002) -this prize-winning
book is the first ever to chronicle the traffic of Indian slaves in
the American South; the book convincingly demonstrates the process
by which Europeans and Native Americans became participants in it,
and how it shaped the South and its peoples HT 1162 .G35 2002
Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah
Equiano Written by Himself, edited by Robert Allison (1995)
-a firsthand account of one slave who was extracted from his homeland;
scholars believe this is one of the only accounts that describes the
gruesome Middle Passage through the eyes of someone who experienced
it; this book is, quite honestly, absorbing
David Freeman Hawke, Everyday Life in Early America (1988)
-ever wonder what early Americans ate, drank, or what they wore? Ever
wonder what colonial doctors were like and how they treated their
patients? Here's your book…
Leon Higgonbotham, Jr. In the Matter of Color (1978)
-this path breaking study demonstrates how the American legal system
aided and abetted America's "peculiar institution"; the
author, a federal appeals court judge, examines pro-slavery legislation
in each of the 13 colonies and concludes that the courts played an
active role in the enslavement of generations of people
Neal Salisbury, Manitou and Providence (1982) -an excellent
study exploring pre-settlement relations between Native Americans
and Englishmen in what is today the northeastern United States
John Demos, The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story in Early
America (1995) -a gripping story of a Puritan minister's daughter
who was swept away in an Indian raid and refused to return home; reads
like a novel E 197 .D46 1995
Karen Kupperman, Roanoke: The Abandoned Colony (1984)
-this tiny book examines one of the first settlements in North America
and why it failed; a good, quick read F 229 .K9 1984
Edmund S. Morgan, Puritan Family (1966) -a solid overview
of how the family unit was a building block for all Puritan communities
309.174 M821p
Constitutional Beginnings
Catherine Drinker Bowen, Miracle at Philadelphia (1966)
-best account ever written on the Constitutional Convention; Bowen
is an outstanding writer, and she has a talent for telling a story;
this book will help you understand how and why the Constitution was
written (and you'll learn about some interesting characters too) 342.73
B786m
Clinton Rossiter, 1787: The Grand Convention (1966)
-not as good as Bowen's account but close; the author, a political
scientist, was one of the leading scholars in his field; one of the
most useful parts of the book is when the author rates the particular
effectiveness of each of the fifty-five Founders who helped write
the Constitution 342.73 R736
Carol Berkin, A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the Constitution
(2002) -hot off the press, will rival Bowen's book as the
best treatment on the Constitutional Convention E 303 .B47 2002
(Course Reserve)
Forrest McDonald, Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins
of the Constitution (1985) -this book might be a bit much
for the faint hearted, but if you're serious about the Constitution
it is a must read 342.73029 M145n
Jack Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics, Ideas in the Making
of the Constitution (1996) -same as above, although McDonald
is a much better writer than Rakove (sorry Jack) 342.73029 R1620
Leonard Levy, Origins of the Bill of Rights (1999)
-the right to bear arms, assemble, worship, it's all here; written
by America's foremost constitutional historian, this book offers some
judicious insights into the origins of American liberties KF 4749
.L488 2001
Saul Cornell, The Other Founders: Anti-Federalism & the
Dissenting Tradition in America (1999) -this author makes
the important point that the Federalists won the battle over ratification
of the Constitution, but it's the guys who opposed it-and their ideas-that
continue to define and shape the soul of American politics today
David P. Szatmary, Shays' Rebellion: The Making of an Agrarian
Insurrection (1980) -debtors, creditors, and angry farmers-this
"agrarian insurrection" provided the needed "umpth"
to get state legislatures to appoint delegates to the Constitutional
Convention
Jackson Turner Main, The Antifederalists: Critics of the Constitution,
1781-1788 (1961) -this is the standard account of those who
opposed the Constitution and why
Herbert Storing, What the Antifederalists Were For (1981)
-a brief book on an important topic written by a prominent political
theorist
Robert Rutland, The Birth of the Bill of Rights, 1776-1791
(1991) -the standard account of America's first ten amendments
Founding Fathers
Joseph Ellis, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
(2000) - intrigue, duplicity, double-crossing, backroom deals-what
more can you want! Gives a broad sweep of some of our most influential
Founding Fathers (okay, Brothers), and it's written by the best writer
on the planet E 302.5 .E45 2000
Annette Gordon-Reed, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings: An
American Controversy (1997) -this book explores the controversial
issue of Jefferson's relationship with his slave, Sally Hemmings;
a must read if you're a student of Jefferson 973.46 G665a
John Ferling, Setting the Word Ablaze: Washington, Adams, Jefferson
and the American Revolution (2000) -compares and contrasts
three great leaders and discusses their contributions during the War
for Independence E 302.5 .F46 2000
Richard Brookhiser, Alexander Hamilton, American (1999)
-Hamilton was brash, impudent, and careless at times but he was an
important Founder; have a peek and see why E 302.6 .H2 B76 1999
Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,
(1964) -the classic account of how to become successful by one who
knew 923.273 F 854f (2 copies); Audio E 302.6 .F7 A2 1997
Richard Brookhiser, Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington
(1996) -shows how Washington's moral leadership was indispensable
to the American founding 923.173 W318b
Joseph Ellis, American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson
(1997) -how can a man own 200 slaves and say that "all men are
created equal"? This is one of the riddles this author explores
in this well-written and well-argued account E 332.2 .E45 1998
John Ferling, John Adams: A Life (1992) -the best,
most balanced account of one of our "lesser-known" presidents;
Adams is cranky and bull-headed, but he's a fascinating character
and a first-rate political thinker 923.173 Ad18f
Paul Finkleman, Slavery and the Founders (2001) -this
guy seems like he's sucking on a pickle, but he makes some irrefutable
points; it's obvious he loathes Jefferson (but I don't) KF 4545
.S5 F565 2001
Robert Rutland, James Madison: The Founding Father (1987)
-a brief look at the "Father of the Constitution" 923.173
M265r
Garry Wills, "Negro President": Jefferson and the
Slave Power (2003) -another book on the hot topic of T.J.
and his slaves (but an important one)
Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
(2003) -a funny, witty, and well-written account on one of the most
distinguished Founders; without question one of the best biographies
ever written on Franklin
R.B. Bernstein, Thomas Jefferson (2003) -the best,
brief study of Jefferson's life and career E 332 .B47 2003
Milton E. Flower, John Dickinson: Conservative Revolutionary
(1983) -a solid narrative of one of the most important yet
least understood of the Founding Fathers; one of the only major Founders
who refused to sign the Declaration of Independence
Edmund Morgan, Benjamin Franklin: A Biography (2002)
-this brief book is particularly good on Franklin in Europe, but it
explores other aspects of his life as well
Stephen F. Knott, Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of
Myth (2002) -Hamilton was a man for all seasons; this book
traces Hamilton in historical memory; a good read E 302.6 .H2 K66
2002
Edward Gaustad, Neither King nor Prelate: Religion and the
New Nation, 1776-1826 (1993) -a highly regarded religious
historian examines the "religion" of Franklin, Washington,
and Adams, and demonstrates how the Enlightenment shaped their private
beliefs
James Thomas Flexner, George Washington: The Indispensable
Man (1974) -this is the classic bio. on G.W.
Henry Wiencek, An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves
and the Creation of America (2003) -a wonderful account of
how Washington viewed slavery, how he treated his slaves (sometimes
not so good), and how slavery occupied a central role in his political
career E 312.17 .W6 2003
Bernard Bailyn, To Begin the World Anew: The Genius and Ambiguities
of the American Founders (2003) -one of America's best historians
tells us what he knows about the Founders in less than 200 pages-this
is good stuff E 302.1 .B16 2003
American Revolution
Joy Buel & Richard Buel, Jr., The Way of Duty: A Woman
and Her Family in Revolutionary America (1984) -this remarkable
book tells the moving story of how the American Revolution changed
the life of Mary Silliman and her family; highly recommended 973.3
B861w
Alfred Young, The Shoemaker and the Tea Party (1999)
-this book demonstrates how "common" folks participated
in the Revolution; it's short, concise, and always interesting E
215.7 .Y68 1999
James Kirby Martin, A Respectable Army: The Military Origins
of the Republic, 1763-1789 (1982) -a fine overview of some
of the major military campaigns during the War for Independence E
230 .M34 1982
Mary Beth Norton, Liberty's Daughters: The Revolutionary Experience
of American Women, 1750-1800 (1980) -a fascinating study of
women's participation in the American Revolution based on extensive
research in journals, diaries and other primary source accounts 302.4120973
N825L
Eric Foner, Tom Paine and Revolutionary America (1976)
-an absorbing account of a radical political thinker and how his prized
pamphlet, Common Sense, impacted pre-revolutionary America
David Hackett Fischer, Paul Revere's Ride (1994) -a
fascinating discussion of Paul Revere's ride through the countryside;
it's very good at dispelling commonly held myths about British and
American soldiers and the conflict that erupted at Lexington and Concord
973.3311 F529p
Robert Gross, The Minutemen and Their World (1976)
-an interesting study of how the American Revolution transformed a
small Massachusetts town from a relatively homogeneous community to
one that became divided over the war
Benjamin Labaree, Boston Tea Party (1964) -a classic
book that explores how a group of Boston radicals protested oppressive
British policies 973.31 L111
Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of
Independence (1997) -a dandy of a book; traces the writing
of the Declaration and how it became "American Scripture"
973.313 M217a
Edmund S. Morgan, The Stamp Act Crisis: Prologue to Revolution
(1963) -mobs, tar and feathering-it's all there; shows in vivid detail
how some colonials responded to Parliament's most despised tax 973.311
M821
Hiller Zobel, The Boston Massacre (1970) -just what
the title says; demonstrates how both the colonists and British propagandized
the Massacre
Ray Raphael, A People's History of the American Revolution:
How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence (2001)
-a fast read, the subtitle sums up the author's thesis
E 275 .A2 R37 2001
Bernard Bailyn, The Ordeal of Thomas Hutchinson (1974)
-this book explores the ways in which one royal official became hated
and vilified during the American Revolution
James Kirby Martin, Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An
American Warrior Reconsidered (1997) -a little longer than
most books on this list, but well worth the read; it's a riveting
account of how one zealous patriot turned against his country and
joined the enemy 973.382 M381b
Charles Ackers, Abigail Adams, An American Woman (1980)
-a brief bio. of a very influential women; this lady was not afraid
to speak her mind! 923.173 A211a
T.H. Breen, The Marketplace of Revolution: How Consumer Politics
Shaped American Independence (2004) -this study offers an
innovative interpretation of the American Revolution by explaining
how American consumerism brought ordinary men and women together to
resist British taxes; it's a very insightful book
Early Republic
Thomas Dublin, Women at Work: The Transformation of Work and
Community in Lowell, Massachusetts, 1826-1860 (1979) -this
is social history of the best kind; this work hones in on a group
of young women and captures their experience while living and working
at a small textile mill in Lowell, Massachusetts
John Ferling, Adams Vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election
of 1800 (2004) - the campaign itself was a barroom brawl every
bit as ruthless as any modern contest, with both political parties
slinging mud, calling names, and accusing the other of betraying the
Revolution of 1776; today's politicians would recoil in horror at
the level of nastiness that occurred in this election E 330 .F47
2004
W.J. Rorabaugh, The Alcoholic Republic: An American Tradition
(1979) -a "sobering" look at the amount of alcohol
Americans consumed in the early nineteenth century and how it affected
American culture and life
Jack Larkin, The Reshaping of Everyday Life (1988)
-a gifted writer explains how ordinary Americans coped with the realities
of the social and economic changes in the early nineteenth century
James Roger Sharp, American Politics in the Early Republic:
The New Nation in Crisis (1993) -the best discussion out there
on how and why political parties were formed; it's written by one
of my former teachers, and it's a gem E 310 .S48 1993
Robert Remini, The Life of Andrew Jackson (1997) -Jackson
is in good hands with this master storyteller; details Jackson's strong
presidential leadership, as well as other aspects of his public and
private life, from dueling to bigamy to his hot temper on the battlefield-an
outstanding read E 382 .R454 1997
Andrew Burstein, The Passions of Andrew Jackson (2003)
-contrast this one with Remini's and see how it fares [note: this
is an electronic text] http://site.ebrary.com/lib/dixie/Doc?id=10056636
Joanne B. Freeman, Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the
New Republic (2001) -gossip, slander, dueling-you don't want
to miss this one; shows the role that "honor" played in
framing America's institutions E 310 .F85 2002
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha
Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 (1990) -this is a superb
book written by a superb historian; it's about a midwife who practiced
her craft on the shores of the Kennebec River in Hallowell, Maine;
it's so good they made a movie of it (but read the book!) 920.72
B212u
Thomas P. Slaughter, The Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue
to the American Revolution (1986) -this book explains why
angry farmers revolted against their government and how President
Washington sent in federal troops to restore law and order; an interesting
story
Carol Sheriff, The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the
Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862 (1996) -a persuasive account
of how and why the canal was built; particularly strong on how the
canal changed American commerce
William Stinchcombe, XYZ Affair (1980) -the sad saga
of how three American diplomats failed in their efforts to negotiate
a peace treaty with the French during a difficult time in Franco-American
relations
Anthony F.C. Wallace, The Long, Bitter Trail: Andrew Jackson
and the Indians (1993) -shows how one president supported
a policy that led to the displacement of thousands of Native Americans
970.5 W187L
Richard Bushman, Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism
(1984) -a respected Columbia University historian explores
the rise of a religious movement that took root in upstate New York
during the Second Great Awakening; arguably the best study of its
kind BX 8695 .S6 B87 1984
Harry L. Watson, Liberty and Power: The Politics of Jacksonian
America (1990) -a solid overview of a transforming era in
our nation's history; shows how politics and economics were at the
center of political party developments
Francis Stiles, John Marshall: Defender of the Constitution
(1981) -this man served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
for 35 years; he did more than any other living soul to define and
shape the nature of the court
Roger Rogow, A Fatal Friendship: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron
Burr (1998) -these two friends turned enemies and the result
was fatal to one of them 973.40922 R735f
Nathan Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity
(1989) -this Notre Dame historian makes the compelling argument
that Christianity became "democratized" in the early nineteenth
century; an interesting thesis BR 525 .H37 1989
Andrew Burstein, America's Jubilee (2001) -this author
shows what independence meant to a generation of Americans some four
decades after the Declaration of Independence was signed; a good read
E 285 .B88 2001
William Nelson, Marbury v. Madison: The Origins and Legacy
of Judicial Review (2000) -in the last one-hundred years the
Supreme Court has invalidated dozens of federal and state laws through
a doctrine known as judicial review; check out the case that established
this doctrine; the book is written by one of America's preeminent
legal historians
Ralph Ketcham, Presidents Above Party: The First American Presidency,
1789-1829 (1984) -an engaging study that makes the important
point that every president from Washington to Monroe shunned factions
and embraced the notion that they were "presidents above party"
John Ehle, Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee
Nation (1989) -a vivid look detailing the cruel realities
of one of the most tragic events in American history
Stephen Ambrose, Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas
Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West (1996) -a
popular author recounts the story of Lewis and Clark's adventures
in the American west 917.8 A496u
Sectionalism & Slavery
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852; reprint,
1981) -one of my favorite books, a work of historical fiction that
probes the cruelties of slavery; it was the Harry Potter equivalent
of its day (in other words, it was a bestseller) 813.378 L697 (multiple
copies) [also available as an electronic book] http://site.ebrary.com/lib/dixie/Doc?id=10015468
David Blight, ed., Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass:
An American Slave (1993) -this book is enormously popular
among students; it's a first-person account of one man's experience
in bondage and how he escaped and made a life for himself 923.273
D747n (Course Reserve) [also available as an electronic
book] http://site.ebrary.com/lib/dixie/Doc?id=2002322
Paul Finklemen, ed., Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Brief History
with Documents (1997) -scholars have said that this is the
worst Supreme Court case in American history; read the case and the
newspaper coverage of it and see if you agree
Howard Jones, Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt
and its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy (1987)
-read this book and see how it compares with Spielberg's movie 326.0973
J77m
Kenneth Greenberg, ed., The Confessions of Nat Turner and Related
Documents (1996) -this first-hand account is a gripping story
of one of the largest and bloodiest slave revolts in the early nineteenth
century; read the newspaper coverage of the massacre too
Margaret Walker, Jubilee (1966) -a wonderful work of
historical fiction that captures slave life in antebellum America
PS 3545 .A517 J835 1999
David Potter, The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861 (1976)
-the standard account of sectionalism and secession in pre-Civil War
America; gives a solid overview of the events leading up to the Civil
War E 459 .P67 1976
Bruce Levine, Half Slave and Half Free: The Roots of Civil
War (1992) -an outstanding study of the conflicts and contrasts
in the North and South
John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community: Plantation Life in
the Antebellum South (1979) -an outstanding book depicting
what slave life was like on the plantation
Catherine Clinton, Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom
(2004) -a riveting study of the so-called Underground Railroad and
how one determined woman helped to free "her people" E
444 .T82 C57
Civil War & Reconstruction
Drew Gilpin Faust, Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding
South in the American Civil War (1996) -this book shows in
remarkable fashion how the war impacted southern women; an excellent
read 973.71 F261m
David Herbert Donald, Lincoln (1995) -the best one-volume
bio. on Lincoln 923.173 L736do
Roy Blount, Jr., Robert E. Lee (2003) -this brief bio.
is particularly good on Lee's personality and image; a good overview
of an important southern leader E 467.1 .L4 B58 2003
Daniel Farber, Lincoln's Constitution (2003) -if you
know a little bit about the Civil War and enjoy constitutional issues
I'd recommend this book; the author, a respected legal scholar, zeroes
in on Lincoln's constitutional thought and demonstrates how he understood
such explosive issues as southern secession, civil liberties, and
states' rights E 457.2 F216 2003
William McFeely, Grant: A Biography (1981) -a classic
study of an important 19th-century American; particularly strong in
its coverage of Grant as military leader and president 923.173
G767m and E 672 .M15 1987
James McPherson, Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution
(1990) -an outstanding collection of essays-my favorite is the one
comparing Lincoln to confederate president Jefferson Davis 923.173
L736mc
Gabor S. Boritt, Why the Civil War Came (1996) -a fascinating
collection of essays ranging from African-American involvement in
the Civil War, to women essayists protesting slavery, to the first
shots fired at Fort Sumter
Merrill Peterson, Lincoln in American Memory (1994)
-a respected southern historian traces the Lincoln image in the American
mind; a fun book 923.173 L736p
Michael Shaara, The Killer Angels (1974) -this work
of historical fiction is a magnificent recreation of one of the most
important battles during the Civil War; it gives great insight into
what the war was about and what both sides thought they were fighting
for 813.5 Sh11k
William C. Harris, Lincoln's Last Months (2004) - this
book beautifully captures the last years of Lincoln's life; I couldn't
put it down E 457.45 .H37 2004
Garry Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America
(1992) -this book details how a short funeral oration became a standard
American classic; the genius of the speech is that Lincoln redefined
and reshaped the definition of democracy to make it more inclusive
for all Americans 973.7092 L638w
William Gienapp, Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America: A Biography
(2002) -the best brief bio. on Lincoln E 457 .G46 2002
C. Vann Woodward, The Strange Career of Jim Crow (1957)
-a leading historian shows how racist laws were implemented in the
North and South in the last decades of the 19th century and how these
laws paved the way for a segregated society in the 20th century 301.45196
W8715
Emory Thomas, The Confederate Nation, 1861-1865 (1979)
-a solid overview of a very important subject
Eric Foner, A Short History of Reconstruction, 1863-1877 (1990)
-American's best 19th-century historian explains why reconstruction
was an "unfinished revolution"; the book is a condensed
version from a larger work
Michael Les Benedict, The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
(1973) -a probing examination of the first president to be impeached
James McPherson, For Cause and Comrades: Why Men fought in
the Civil War (1997) -America's leading civil war historian
writes that northerners did not fight to end slavery; they fought
for something else-read on… E 492.3 .M38 1997
Mark E. Neely, Jr., The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and
Civil Liberties (1991) -putting the Bill or Rights on hold
during the Civil War; this book won the Pulitzer Prize, the highest
award given in the academy 973.7092 N379f
Leon Litwack, Trouble in Mind: Black Southerners in the Age
of Jim Crow (1998)-a graphic look at the injustices committed
against African Americans in the five decades after the Civil War;
this book will leave you frustrated and angry, but you'll be glad
you read it
The American West
Leonard Arrington, Brigham Young: American Moses (1985)
-the best account of one of America's most fascinating (and controversial)
religious figures; for you folks who enjoy Utah history, this is must
reading 922.83 Yo84a
H.W. Brands, The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and
the American Dream (2003) -the author tells a riveting story
of how the gold rush of 1848 was a watershed event in American history
[this is an electronic book] http://site.ebrary.com/lib/dixie/Doc?id=10046662
John Mack Faragher, Women and Men on the Overland Trail (1979)
-the trek west was an arduous and dangerous enterprise; meet some
of the folks who made it (and some who did not)
John Mack Faragher, Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an
American Pioneer (1992) -fact and fiction come together in
this gripping book; the author, a Yale University historian, knows
more about the American West than anyone alive 920 B642f
John Mack Faragher, Sugar Creek: Life on the Illinois Frontier
(1986) -if you enjoyed Little House on the Prairie as a kid
you'll like this book
Patricia Nelson Limerick, The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken
Past of the American West (1988) -a fast-paced account on
an array of topics, ranging from the environment, the myth of the
frontier, and last but not least the cowboy F 591 .L56 1988
Henry Nash Smith, Virgin Land: The American West as Symbol
and Myth (1950) -from Kit Carson to Buffalo Bill, this book
has all the great western figures; author discusses the rise and decline
of the American West as a defining cultural symbol of 19th- century
America 978 Sm58v
Patricia Nelson Limerick, Something in the Soil: Legacies and
Reckonings in the New West (2000) -the essays in this book
are rich, absorbing, and enormously informative; I'd read anything
this author writes F 591 .L57 2000
Immigration / Progressivism
/ World War I
Edward J. Larson, Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and
America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion (1997)
-a wonderful treatment of the clash between science and religion in
the early twentieth century; this book shows in vivid detail the "Scopes
Monkey Trial" and the great impact it had on teaching evolution
in the U.S.
Michael Gold, Jews Without Money (1931) -an immigrant
tells the story of how difficult life was for his family after they
migrated to America; the book also has a decisive political edge,
but I'll let you read to discover it on your own; this book was fun
reading - my wife loved it
Frederick Lewis Allen, Only Yesterday: An Informal History
of the 1920s (1931) -a fast-paced account of the 1920s by
someone who lived through it; flappers, speakeasies and, yes, the
Stock Market Crash-it's all there 973.91 AL53
Roger Daniels, Coming to America: A History of Immigration
& Ethnicity in America (1990)-the standard account of
immigration in America 325.73 D228c
John K. Galbraith, The Great Crash, 1929 (1961) -a
penetrating study on the Stock Market Crash of '29; it's written by
an economist, and it's a darn good read HB 3717 1929 .G3 1961 (Course
Reserve)
H.W. Brands, Woodrow Wilson (2003) -Wilson was the
president who led Americans through WWI and this lively little book
shows how he did that
William Leuchtenburg, The Perils of Prosperity, 1914-1932 (1958)
-a gem of a book, exploring the cultural and economic excesses of
early modern America 330.973 L571p
Robert Wiebe, The Search for Order, 1877-1920 (1968)
-a seminal study of how the middle classes responded to the hustle-n-bustle
of urbanization and industrialization 320.9 W634s
Ron Chernow, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1998)
-a study of America's richest man (in the early 20th century, that
is) that reads like a novel CT 275 .R75 C47 1998
David Kennedy, Over Here: The First World War and American
Society (1980) -the best one-volume study of the economic
and political impact of the war on the American homefront; the author
is a very good writer
Paul L. Murphy, World War I and the Origin of Civil Liberties
in the United States (1979) -to what extent can our civil
liberties be curbed in time of war? Can we shout "fire"
in a crowded theatre without punitive action? How about stopping Communists
from passing out anti-war literature in the interest of national security?
A noted constitutional scholar tackles these questions and more
Joan Hoff Wilson, Herbert Hoover: Forgotten Progressive (1975)
-a noble attempt to revive the character and contribution of one ill-despised
president during America's darkest hour 923.173 H769w
Ellen Fitzpatrick, Endless Crusade: Women Social Scientists,
and Progressive Reform (1990) -did you know that women were
at the forefront of America's reform crusade in the decade before
WWI?
Great Depression & World
War II
Roger Daniels, Prisoners Without Trial: Japanese Americans
in World War II (1993) -I'm embarrassed at what happened to
Japanese Americans during WWII; this book answers the "what happened"-and
why <in process>
Doris Kearns Goodwin, No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor
Roosevelt, the Homefront in World War II (1995) -one of the
most absorbing books I have read in quite some time; particularly
rich on FDR and those who influenced him E 807 .G66 1994
William Leuchtenburg, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal
(1963) -if you want to know how Pres. Roosevelt responded
to the Great Depression, look no further-this is your book 973.917
L571
Roger Biles, A New Deal for the American People (1990)
-as this succinct book demonstrates, the New Deal had some very interesting
programs and it helped some very interesting people
William Leuchtenburg, The Supreme Court Reborn: The Constitutional
Revolution in the Age of Roosevelt (1995) -good essays on
a wide range of topics; the most interesting essay is on Buck v. Bell,
a Supreme Court case upholding a Virginia law requiring sterilization
for the mentally retarded and handicapped; Roosevelt's attempt to
"pack" the court is a good one, too
Paul Conklin, The New Deal (1967) -a liberal scholar
critiques a liberal president-a good, quick read
Alan Brinkley, Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin,
and the Great Depression (1982) -these guys pestered FDR to
no end; they were all demagogues, and they all made their voices heard
(to FDR's chagrin)
David Kennedy, Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression
and War, 1929-1945 (1999) -an engrossing book on an engrossing
topic; it's a big book, but the author has a knack for telling a story;
after you read it you'll feel great sympathy for those who endured
two of the greatest catastrophes of the twentieth century E 801
.K36 1999
Susan Ware, Beyond Suffrage: Women and the New Deal (1981)
-a good look at Francis Perkins and other influential women during
the New Deal years
Gar Alperovitz, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb and the
Architecture of an American Myth (1995) -a controversial book
about a controversial topic; author argues that dropping the A-Bomb
on Japan was only done to scare the socks of the Russians; in other
words, it shouldn't have been dropped
John Morton Blum, V Was for Victory: Politics and American
Culture during World War II (1977) -Rosie the Riveter and
Zoot Suits make up part of this fascinating story; the other part
reveals how America mobilized on the homefront to stop Hitler 973.917
B658v
Robert Dallek, Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy,
1932-1945 (1979) -shows how America's foreign policy moved
from one of isolationism to internationalism in a short span of 13
years; argues that the Cold War began as a result of FDR's refusal
to open up a second front in France until the summer of 1944; this
left the Russians and Germans to exhaust each other-and it also left
the Russian dictator Stalin a bitter man
Civil Rights and Political
Equality
Douglas Brinkley, Rosa Parks: A Biography (2002) -this
author tells the important story of an African American women who
refused to give up her bus seat to a white man; an outstanding read
written by an outstanding historian
Howard Ball, The Bakke Case: Race, Education, and Affirmative
Action (2000) - should minorities be given preferential treatment
in college admissions? Allan Bakke, an aspiring medical doctor, didn't
think so; read this book and see where you stand
Claude Brown, Manchild in the Promised Land (1965)
-this book is graphic and at times downright disgusting, but it needs
to be read; it's a first-person account that captures the plight of
inner-city blacks in the two decades after WWII 309.174 B812
Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1971) -a
sobering look at the treatment Native Americans experienced at the
hands of the U.S. government and its people E 81 .B75 1971
Martin Luther King Jr., Why We Can't Wait (1964) -America's
leading civil rights leader explains why African- American grievances
need to be addressed at once 323.1196 K53w
Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) -a
classic study of one who opposed what MLK was doing 920 L725h
Jonathan Kozol, Savage Inequalities (1991) -a fast-moving
account of how African American children in inner-city schools fared
during the Reagan-Bush years (and they didn't fare well) 371.967
K849s
Stephen L. Carter, Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby
(1991) -a learned critique of affirmative action programs
by an African American law professor who benefited from them; Carter
is one of the most well respected conservative scholars writing today
331.33 C325r
James T. Patterson, Brown v. Board of Education: A Civil Rights
Milestone and its Troubled Legacy (2001) -one of my favorite
books on civil rights; the author tells a great story plus it is full
of action and excitement; details how segregation ended, and shows
its "troubled legacy" KF 4155 .P38 2001
Morton Horwitz, The Warren Court and the Pursuit of Justice
(1998) -what do search warrants, Miranda rights, and the right to
an attorney have in common? Why is school prayer and scripture reading
(as a form of religious devotion) forbidden in public schools? Read
Horwitz and find out KF 8742 .H67 1999
Kevin Phillips, The Politics of Rich and Poor (1990)
-a prominent Republican strategist offers a brilliant account of the
growth of economic inequality that characterized the 1980s; in plain
English, this means that during the Reagan years "the rich got
richer and the poor got poorer"; an important study with grave
implications for American democracy HC 110 .W4 P48 1990
Peter Hoffer and N.E. Hull, Roe v. Wade: The Abortion Rights
Controversy in American History (2000) -an informative study
of an on-going controversial issue; will Roe be overturned? Stay tuned
KF 228 .R59 H85 2001
1960s and Beyond
William Leuchtenburg, In the Shadow of FDR (1983) -makes
the important point that every president after WWII has operated in
Roosevelt's shadow; even Reagan, the conservative of conservatives,
fell under the spell of Rooseveltian eloquence; the crux of the book
is that FDR's liberal views defined and shaped the policies of every
president who succeeded him; a must read if you're a student of the
modern presidency 973.92 L571i
Ellen Schrecker, Many Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in America
(1998) -the best study yet of the rise and fall of Wisconsin
Senator Joseph McCarthy E 743 .S37 1998
John Lewis Gaddis, What We Now Know (1997) -a leading
scholar of the Cold War offers some judicious insights of what Russian
dictator Joseph Stalin was up to in the years following WWII
George C. Herring, America's Longest War: The United States
and Vietnam, 1950-1975 (3rd ed., 1996) -a harrowing study
demonstrating that cold war foreign policy was based on flawed assumptions
and bad intelligence DS 558 .H45 2002
G. Edward White, Alger Hiss's Looking Glass Wars: The Covert
Life of a Soviet Spy (2004)-an exceptional book discussing
the ways in which Alger Hiss, a communist spy, covered his tracks;
this books reads like a mystery novel! E 743.5 .H55 W47 2004
Anthony Lewis, Gideon's Trumpet (1964) -have you ever
heard "if you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided
for you"? Thank Clarence Earl Gideon, a poor Florida prisoner,
for this one 347.7 L585g
Robert Dallek, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963
(2003) -this famous presidential historian argues that Kennedy was
an effective president, despite his womanizing and ill health; an
outstanding biography with a captivating thesis E 842 .D28 2003
Garry Wills, Reagan's America: Innocents at Home (1987)
-if you can get beyond the Huck Finn, Mark Twain stuff, it's worth
the trouble 923.173 R287w
Keith W. Olson, Watergate: The Presidential Scandal that Shook
America (2003) -hot off the press, this book shows why Nixon
was the first president in American history to resign the office of
the presidency; it's full of colorful figures and shady characters
E 860 .O47 2003
Doris Kearns, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
(1976) -the author knows LBJ unlike none other; she examines Johnson's
difficulties in fighting a war at both home (Great Society) and abroad
(Vietnam), and she laces her story with plenty of juicy tidbits-one
of my favorites E 847 .G64 1976 and E 847 .G64 1987
Lou Cannon, President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime
(1991) -a big book that moves along at a fast pace; you Reagan lovers
will like this one E 877 .C35 1991
Isaac Kramnick and R. Laurence Moore, The Godless Constitution
(1996) -these two respected scholars offer a stinging rebuke
to the religious right's interpretations of American history and the
American founding; this book is part of an on-going culture war between
conservatives and liberals and the very nature of America's moral
values 322.1 K89g
David Mariniss, First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton
(1995) -Clinton didn't like this one but I did; particularly
strong on Clinton's early years and on the teachers and mentors who
influenced him 923.173 C641m
David Gergen, Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership,
Nixon to Clinton (2000) -this is a very readable book on the
leadership of four presidents; the author, a noted Republican speechwriter,
is particularly adept at analyzing and evaluating the strengths and
weaknesses of his subjects JK 516 .G493 2001
Carl Bernstein and Carl Woodward, All the President's Men (1974)
-two political journalists detail the unfolding of a major political
scandal (but I won't tell you what it is; you'll have to read the
book [grin]) E 860 .B47 1974
Robert Justin Goldstein, Flag Burning & Free Speech: The
Case of Texas v. Johnson (2000) -can you burn the flag, really?
See what the court has to say and see if you agree
Terry H. Anderson, The Movement and the Sixties (1995)
-a highly readable account of the cultural and political upheavals
of the 1960s; particularly strong on the anti-war protest movement,
as well as the hippie and drug culture that emerged 303.484 A551m
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Disuniting of America (1992)
-a well-respected liberal scholar challenges the cold warriors on
the "right"; this book will take you a football game to
read 973 Sch38d
E.J. Dionne, Why Americans Hate Politics (1991) -a
no-holds-barred account of why Americans dislike and distrust their
government; it's written by a prominent political journalist, and
it's worth the short time it will take you to read it 320.5 D622w
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