Forging the American Character, Vol. I: Readings in United States History to 1877

An offensive against multiculturalism that reprints articles and book chapters deemed to portray the construction of a distinctive American character, from Columbus' landing in the Caribbean to Reconstruction. Among the topics are religion and politics from the first settlements to the Civil War, Hamilton's legacy, the mountain man as Jacksonian man, and slaves in biracial protestant churches. First published in 1991. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Key Benefit: This broad, balanced, readable collection of readings focuses on the various forces, ideologies, people, and experiences that have forged the distinctive American character. Coverage ranges from traditional fields such as historiography and social, political, cultural, diplomatic, and religious history to newer areas such as women's history. Wilson draws from an extensive, impressive variety of historical sources, including popular history journals, chapters from key books, and scholarly journals. Key Topics: This book features a detailed treatment of a wide variety of topics, including cultural, social, women's history, religious, military, economic, regional, and other areas of history. It includes articles by top scholars from Allan Nevins to Gar Alperovitz to Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Topics are organized to align with chapters in most major textbooks. It draws on material from the 1950s to the 1990s, recognizing that some articles are classics, but that perspectives on current issues shift rapidly.