The Early American Republic 1789 1829

This brief text covers the political, social, and cultural history of the United States from 1789-1829. While many books approach the period of the Early Republic from two distinct standpoints--either from a social and cultural perspective or from a political point of view--this book synthesizes all aspects of U.S. history during this era. The Early American Republic 1789-1829 centers on two main themes: the politics and the process of nation-making, from the origins of government under the Constitution through the inauguration of Andrew Jackson, and the beginnings of American market society. Discussing the politics of American nationhood, democracy, and capitalism, it also examines 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.

The Oxford History of the United States is by far the most respected multi-volume history of our nation. The series includes three Pulitzer Prize winners, two New York Times bestsellers, and winners of the Bancroft and Parkman Prizes. Now, in the newest volume in the series, one of America's most esteemed historians, Gordon S. Wood, offers a brilliant account of the early American Republic, ranging from 1789 and the beginning of the national government to the end of the War of 1812. As Wood reveals, the period was marked by tumultuous change in all aspects of American life--in politics, society, economy, and culture. The men who founded the new government had high hopes for the future, but few of their hopes and dreams worked out quite as they expected. They hated political parties but parties nonetheless emerged. Some wanted the United States to become a great fiscal-military state like those of Britain and France; others wanted the country to remain a rural agricultural state very different from the European states. Instead, by 1815 the United States became something neither group anticipated. Many leaders expected American culture to flourish and surpass that of Europe; instead it became popularized and vulgarized. The leaders also hope to see the end of slavery; instead, despite the release of many slaves and the end of slavery in the North, slavery was stronger in 1815 than it had been in 1789. Many wanted to avoid entanglements with Europe, but instead the country became involved in Europe's wars and ended up waging another war with the former mother country. Still, with a new generation emerging by 1815, most Americans were confident and optimistic about the future of their country. Named a New York Times Notable Book, Empire of Liberty offers a marvelous account of this pivotal era when America took its first unsteady steps as a new and rapidly expanding nation.

Reginald Horsman's powerful and comprehensive survey of the early years of the American Republic covers the dramatic years from the setting up of the US Constitution in 1789, the first US presidency under George Washington, and also the presidencies of Adams, Jeffersen and Madison. A major strength of the book is that the coverage of the traditional topics about the shaping of the new government and crisis in foreign policy is combined with chapters on race, slavery, the economy and westward expansion, revealing both the strengths and weaknesses of the government and society that came into being after the Revolution. Key features include: Combines extensive research with the best recent scholarship on the period A balanced account of the contributions of the leading personalities Impressive coverage is given to questions of race and territorial expansion Chapter One provides a concise and lucid account of the state of American politics and society in 1789 Extensive chapter bibliographies The work will be welcomed by students studying the early republic as well as general readers interested in a stimulating and informative account of the early years of the American nation.

Presidents Above Party: The First American Presidency, 1789-1829

Relatively little attention has been paid to American military history between 1783 and 1812—arguably the most formative years of the United States. This encyclopedia fills the void in existing literature and provides greater understanding of how the nation evolved during this era. This encyclopedia offers a comprehensive examination of U.S. military history from the beginning of the republic in 1783 up to the eve of war with Great Britain in 1812. It enables a detailed study of the Early Republic, during which ideological and political divisions occurred over the fledgling U.S. military. The entries cover all the important battles, key individuals, weapons, Indian nations, and treaties, as well as numerous social, political, cultural, and economic developments during this period. The contents of the work will enable readers at the high school, college, university, and even graduate level to comprehend how political parties emerged, and how ideological differences over the organization, size, and use of the military developed. Larger global developments, including Anglo-American and Franco-American interactions, relations between Middle Eastern states and the United States, and relations and warfare between the U.S. government and various Indian nations are also detailed. The extensive and detailed bibliographies will be immensely helpful to learners at all levels.

From distinguished author John R. Vile comes a new history of the American early republic period, presented through primary documents that are illuminated and explained in context. This new book in the Documents Decoded series provides readers with an understanding of the key documents and debates in the early American republic—from the presidency of George Washington through that of John Quincy Adams. With more than 50 edited primary documents relevant to American history from 1789 through 1828, the primary source material is organized in sections that will help readers to identify and appreciate multiple perspectives on key issues. The primary documents in this reference volume include laws, sermons, presidential speeches, court decisions, proclamations, treaties, and debates that will illuminate key issues such as the structure of government, the protection of individual rights, slavery, and the respective rights of the state and national governments. Examples subjects include Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson's debates, the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, "The Star-Spangled Banner," the Monroe Doctrine, and the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

THE EARLY AMERICAN REPUBLIC UNCOVERING THE PAST: DOCUMENTARY READERS IN AMERICAN HISTORY “Selected with imagination and wisdom, these incisive and wide-ranging texts will provide a ‘road map’ for students of the first sixty years of American independence.” Daniel Walker Howe, Winner of 2008 Pulitzer Prize for History “A nice blend of comprehensiveness and coherence, the selections are individually interesting, relate well to each other, and provide a wide-ranging, imaginative, and disciplined conversation about the Early Republic.” Paul E. Johnson, University of South Carolina “This handy collection of speeches, documents, private letters, and pieces of literature, complete with context-setting prefaces, will be invaluable in any course covering major themes in the history of early national America.” Joanne Freeman, Yale University “Expertly edited and chock-full of enlightening and telling primary documents, this reader conveys a beautifully textured sense of the past and attends to all of the key issues during the formative years of the United States.” Mark M. Smith, University of South Carolina “Finally, a primary sources reader that includes the full breadth of voices (both familiar and lesser known) that characterized the Early American Republic. Sean Adams’s informative introduction ties these voices together well, making this book a helpful teaching tool for conveying the rich variety of social and political issues that the young nation faced.” Steven Deyle, University of Houston “Students will marvel at the fifty-year struggle to forge a nation in the decades following the American Revolution.” Seth Rockman, Brown University