Seven Events That Made America America

Notable conservative historian Larry Schweikart takes an in-depth look at seven transformative moments in our nation's history and provides an analysis of how each of them spurred a trend that either confirmed or departed from the vision our Founding Fathers had for America.

A conservative historian examines some of the pivotal, yet often ignored, moments that shaped our history All students of American history know the big events that dramatically shaped our country. The Civil War, Pearl Harbor, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and 9/11 are just a few. But there are other, less famous events that had an equally profound impact. Notable conservative historian Larry Schweikart takes an in- depth look at seven of these transformative moments and provides an analysis of how each of them spurred a trend that either confirmed or departed from the vision our Founding Fathers had for America. For instance, he shows how Martin Van Buren's creation of a national political party made it possible for Obama to get elected almost two centuries later and how Dwight Eisenhower's heart attack led to a war on red meat, during which the government took control over Americans' diets. In his easy-to-read yet informative style, Schweikart will not only educate but also surprise readers into reevaluating our history.

For the past three decades, many history professors have allowed their biases to distort the way America’s past is taught. These intellectuals have searched for instances of racism, sexism, and bigotry in our history while downplaying the greatness of America’s patriots and the achievements of “dead white men.” As a result, more emphasis is placed on Harriet Tubman than on George Washington; more about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II than about D-Day or Iwo Jima; more on the dangers we faced from Joseph McCarthy than those we faced from Josef Stalin. A Patriot’s History of the United States corrects those doctrinaire biases. In this groundbreaking book, America’s discovery, founding, and development are reexamined with an appreciation for the elements of public virtue, personal liberty, and private property that make this nation uniquely successful. This book offers a long-overdue acknowledgment of America’s true and proud history.

Long before the United States was a nation, it was a set of ideas, projected onto the New World by European explorers with centuries of belief and thought in tow. From this foundation of expectation and experience, America and American thought grew in turn, enriched by the bounties of the Enlightenment, the philosophies of liberty and individuality, the tenets of religion, and the doctrines of republicanism and democracy. Crucial to this development were the thinkers who nurtured it, from Thomas Jefferson to Ralph Waldo Emerson, W.E.B. DuBois to Jane Addams, and Betty Friedan to Richard Rorty. The Ideas That Made America: A Brief History traces how Americans have addressed the issues and events of their time and place, whether the Civil War, the Great Depression, or the culture wars of today. Spanning a variety of disciplines, from religion, philosophy, and political thought, to cultural criticism, social theory, and the arts, Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen shows how ideas have been major forces in American history, driving movements such as transcendentalism, Social Darwinism, conservatism, and postmodernism. In engaging and accessible prose, this introduction to American thought considers how notions about freedom and belonging, the market and morality -- and even truth -- have commanded generations of Americans and been the cause of fierce debate.

Contains alphabetically arranged entries that provide information on the Founding Fathers, their actions, and their intentions in writing the U.S. Constitution.

Designed to help students better understand the vitally important historical events of 18th century American history, this volume in the acclaimed series presents 10 major events in separate chapters. From the Great Awakening early in the century to Jefferson's Revolution of 1800, each chapter goes beyond the traditional textbook treatment of history by considering the immediate and far-reaching ramifications of each event. Events covered are: The Great Awakening, The Era of Salutary Neglect, The French and Indian War, The Stamp Act, The Boston Tea Party, The Declaration of Independence, The American Revolution, The Constitutional Convention, The XYZ Affair, and The Revolution of 1800. Each chapter features an introductory essay that presents the facts of the event, followed by an interpretive essay that places the event in a broader context and promotes student analysis. The introductory essay provides factual material in a clear, concise, chronological manner that makes complex history understandable. The interpretive essay, written by a recognized authority in the field and written in a style designed to appeal to a general readership, assesses the event in terms of its political, economic, sociocultural, and international/diplomatic significance. With its emphasis on factual details and interpretive analysis, an illustration, and an annotated bibliography for each event, a glossary of names, events, and terms of the period, a timeline of important events in eighteenth-century history, and a table of the population of the colonies and selected colonial towns, Events That Changed America in the Eighteenth Century is an ideal addition to the high school, community college, and undergraduate reference shelf, as well as excellent supplementary reading in social studies and American history courses.

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