Each chapter in Contending Voices examines the lives of two individuals—some of them familiar historical figures and some of them lesser known—who took opposing positions on important issues in American history.
The biographies are followed by a set of 4–6 related primary sources, many in the individuals' own voices, a "Questions to Consider" section, and an annotated bibliography.
John Hollitz received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1981 and has been Professor of History at the Community College of Southern Nevada since 1992. Previously he taught at California State University, Chico. He is the author of Thinking Through the Past (Houghton Mifflin).