Our Nation's Archive: The History of the United States in Documents - Rilegato

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 1579120679 ISBN 13: 9781579120672

Casa editrice: Black Dog & Leventhal Pub, 1999

Riassunto

Encompassing more than one thousand primary sources and documents, a history of the United States presents an array of articles, speeches, letters, court cases, and more, all organized chronologically and divided by subject, ranging from the Declaration of Independence and America's first cookbook to the Starr Report.

Su questo libro

L'autore:

Erik Bruun has been a reporter, editor, and freelance writer for more than twenty years. His books includeOur Nation's Archive and American Values and Virtues. In his home community, he has taken a leadership role in several organizations that advocate for social change. He has three children.

Jay Crosby is a researcher who lives in New York.

Dalla seconda/terza di copertina:

A sweeping array of documents detailing every aspect of America's storied history, OUR NATION'S ARCHIVE provides first person glimpses of the events, major and minor, that have shaped our nation. Featuring hundreds of voices spanning three centuries, these documents present the United States through the eyes of those who were there, bringing life to the past by showing history in its starkest and most immediate form--in the words of the men and women who lived it. Ours is a country based, first and foremost, on ideas. Here are those ideas laid bare, allowing readers to make their own interpretations.

These are the stories of the famous, the infamous and the forgotten; landmark legal documents; poems from our most cherished thinkers; news reports from the frontlines of war; speeches that still reverberate in our public consciousness. All of the important public documents and articles or legislation are included, from the Mayflower Compact to the Contract with America. Eyewitness accounts chronicle the history of America at every stage of its development, from the struggles of the early colonists to eke out a living and devise a system of government, to the United States' current status as the dominant player in world culture. We feel the chill of persecution reading the transcipt of a Salem witch trial, the thrill of accomplishment as Charles Lindbergh describes his descent into Paris to complete the first flight across the Atlantic and the nation's shared anxitey as we consider the Articles of Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton. These primary sources bring our nation's story to life in testimony that is by turns wrenching, enlightening, humorous and provocative, lending an unusually candid and insightful voice to history.

Conventional historical texts construct a story line of events, dates, and prominent individuals. This approach makes for a simple, easy-to-tell account of our past, but at the same time it strips away the contributions of those who did not make the historian's cut and sidesteps the diverse viewpoints of those whose ideas faded with the passage of time. It is easy to forget that each of us has an impact on the course of our nation's history; we all contribute to our national and collective heritage. The perspectives in OUR NATION'S HERITAGE are as varied as the nation's people: farm boys who trained hunting muskets on Redcoats; mothers who sacrificed their children for the Union's cause; Cherokee elders and Puritan clergy; crusading suffragists and Confederate soldiers; inventors, tycoons, musicians and writers. Their testimony traces the major events--wars, elections, the struggle for individual rights--but also provides surprisingly poignant glimpses into the humble lives of everyday citizens--curious recipes from the first American cookbook, harrowing stories from children in factories and survivors of the Los Angeles riots, and poetic interpreations of American life as the 20th century draws to a close.

America's path has not always been marked by glory, and many of the renowned national figures featured in OUR NATION'S ARCHIVE are those who dedicated their lives to giving a voice to those too long silent are righting the wrongs of the past. As the American nation unfolds, themes of history emerge. Step by step, women have elevated their political and economic rights. The shameful schism between European settlers and the African slaves has been narrowed, but it is yet to be fully bridged. The virtues of thrift and hard work were necessities in the colonies when survival was at stake and remain in place in America today. The basic principles of liberty, freedom and equality continue to serve as the nation's basic goals, even if there are different interpretations of what they mean and opposing views of how to best achieve them.

OUR NATION'S ARCHIVE is a comprehensive anthology of documents from the United States' history, a complte resource for everything from early Native American relations to contemporary foreign policy. At the same time, it is an acknowledgement of the millions of individuals who helped shape events and forge a successful democracy of the people, for the people. Their voices combine with the words of the legendary icons of American history to offer a uniquely vivid and moving portrait of our nation's history.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Black Dog & Leventhal Pub
• Data di pubblicazione: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1579120679
• ISBN 13: 9781579120672
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 886
• Redattore: Bruun Erik A., Crosby Jay