Documenting American Violence: A Sourcebook

by Michael A. Bellesiles and Christopher Waldrep

Book Overview

Violence forms a constant backdrop to American history, from the revolutionary overthrow of British rule, to the struggle for civil rights, to the present-day debates over the death penalty. It has served to challenge authority, defend privilege, advance causes, and throttle hopes.
In the first anthology of its kind to appear in over thirty years, Documenting American Violence brings together excerpts from a wide range of sources about incidents...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019515004X
• ISBN13: 9780195150049
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A thought-provoking collection

Violence in our society is so pervasive, yet many believe that it is a recent development. The documents exerpted here demonstrate that America has been awash in violence from its inception. These selections, and the insightful comments, form a disturbing panorama of historical episodes from many viewpoints. I was particularly riveted by the section on the American Westward expansion on the Plains, especially the Native American narratives. Enlightening and engaging. I would recommend this for the reading list of any American History course, or anyone interested in an alternate view of our culture's past.