Selected Historical Documents to Accompany America's History: Volume 2: Since 1865

by Samuel T. McSeveney, David L. Carlton, Samuel T. Mc Seveney

"How did that happen?" students wonder about their past. America’s History provides a clear explanation. Instructors rely on America’s History to help them teach that history matters — this means... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312193874
• ISBN13: 9780312193874
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Bedford Books
• Length: 466 Pages
• Weight: 2.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Good History

Great book and am glad it was available! Helped get an A in the class!

Comprehensive and detailed

American history can best be understood if the fundamental conditions that control both the social lives of ordinary people and the practice of politics are investigated through the decades. This means moving beyond conventional ways of organizaing a book around political events that historians like to think of as "turning points". Social change has a pace and rhythm of its own, and understaning its flow enables us to see poliitical changes in a new light. The authors have divided American history into three unique periods: Preindustrial America, from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the 1820s; Industrializing America, from the 1820s to the 1920s; and State and Society, from the 1920s to the present. Each of these periods has its own logic and contains special kinds of human relationships that prodice a distinct history of the United States.

Comprehensive and detailed

American history can best be understood if the fundamental conditions that control both the social lives of ordinary people and the practice of politics are investigated through the decades. This means moving beyond conventional ways of organizaing a book around political events that historians like to think of as "turning points". Social change has a pace and rhythm of its own, and understaning its flow enables us to see poliitical changes in a new light. The authors have divided American history into three unique periods: Preindustrial America, from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the 1820s; Industrializing America, from the 1820s to the 1920s; and State and Society, from the 1920s to the present. Each of these periods has its own logic and contains special kinds of human relationships that prodice a distinct history of the United States.

An outstanding textbook for AP US History

I grew up reading political and military history; that's what I was taught in high school and college, for the most part. When I took over my school's Advanced Placement program in US History, I decided that while I could teach the traditional forms of history, such as politics and the wars, I simply didn't know enough social history. Given the fact that social history is the dominant form of history today (and realizing that there simply wasn't that much new to say about politics or wars), I turned to this masterful textbook. My students love this book: it's readable, entertaining, and thorough. I add in the political and military stuff, when it's needed. About the only major hole in the text is some short-changing of the Monroe Doctrine, which is the biggest error that I could see. Teachers have to choose textbooks that address their shortcomings; if you don't know your political or military history, choose another textbook. But if you have the same background I do (and most people over thirty do), then choose this one. It's been very successful in my classroom.

A Well Balanced Textbook

I found this introductory level textbook extremely well balanced and inclusive of all Americans. It includes social, cultural, political, economic, diplomatic, and militiary history. I retain it as a teaching resource no matter which textbook I have assigned to the students. Particularly appealing aspects of the text are the "American Voices" highlights, which provide the reader with compelling primary source information, "American Lives" (biographies), and the timelines that end each chapter.