Sentimental Democracy: The Evolution of America's Romantic Self-Image

Examines the emotional dynamic and the metaphorically rich language which Americans developed to express their guiding principle: that the New World would improve upon the Old. Draws on newspapers, private letters, speeches, and diaries to show how the 18th-century "culture of sensibility" encouraged early Americans to make a heartfelt commitment to the Enlightenment's optimism about a global society. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Andrew Burstein, born in 1952, graduated from Columbia College and received his M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of Michigan, after which he spent a number of years as a consultant to U.S. firms trading in the Far East. Returning to academic life, he obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1994; since then, he has taught U.S. history at the University of Virginia, Mount Holyoke, and the University of Northern Iowa. He is the author of The Inner Jefferson (1995).