The Sum Of Our Dreams: A Concise History Of America

Description

In The Sum of Our Dreams, Louis P. Masur offers a sweeping yet compact history of America from its beginnings to the current moment. For general readers seeking an accessible, single-volume account, one that challenges but does not overwhelm, and which distills and connects the major events and figures in the country's past in a single narrative, here is that book. Evoking Barack Obama's belief that America remains the "sum of its dreams," Masur locates the origin of those dreams-of freedom, equality, and opportunity-and traces their progress chronologically, illuminating the nation's struggle over time to articulate and fulfill their promise. Moving from the Colonial Era, to the Revolutionary Period, the Early Republic, and through the Civil War, Masur turns his attention to Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, the Progressive Age, World War One, the Great Depression, World War Two, the Cold War, Civil Rights, Vietnam, and Watergate, and then laying out clearly and concisely what underlies the divisiveness that has characterized American civic life over the last forty years-and now more than ever. Above all, however, Masur lets the story of American tell itself. Inspired by James Baldwin's observation that "American history is longer, larger, more beautiful and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it," he expands our notion of that history while identifying its individual threads. The Sum of Our Dreams will be the new go-to single volume for anyone wanting a foundational understanding of the nation's past, and its present. Contents......Page 10 List of Images......Page 14 Prologue: “Land of Hope and Dreams”......Page 16 Virginia and Southern Colonies......Page 20 Massachusetts and New England Colonies......Page 27 New York and Middle Colonies......Page 34 Native Americans......Page 37 Seven Years’ War......Page 42 Chapter 2 If Men Were Angels......Page 48 Revolution......Page 49 Constitution......Page 54 Political Parties......Page 59 War of 1812......Page 65 Missouri Compromise......Page 71 Nullification......Page 76 Revival......Page 82 Removal......Page 87 MexicanAmerican War......Page 91 Westward the Course of Empire......Page 96 Chapter 4 A Higher Law......Page 102 Compromise of 1850......Page 103 Abolition......Page 107 Bleeding Kansas......Page 112 Dred Scott......Page 117 John Brown’s Raid......Page 122 Chapter 5 Government of the People......Page 127 Secession......Page 128 Civil War......Page 133 Emancipation......Page 138 Home Fronts......Page 143 Reconstruction......Page 146 Chapter 6 Survival of the Fittest......Page 154 Corruption......Page 155 Competition......Page 159 Cooperation......Page 165 Frontiers......Page 169 Imperialism......Page 174 Immigration......Page 180 Progressivism......Page 186 Segregation......Page 191 Socialism......Page 196 World War I......Page 200 Prohibition......Page 206 Depression......Page 213 Dust Bowl......Page 217 New Deal......Page 221 World War II......Page 226 Consumerism......Page 234 Cold War......Page 240 Civil Rights......Page 246 Counterculture......Page 253 Vietnam War......Page 258 Chapter 10 Government Is the Problem......Page 265 Watergate......Page 266 The Great Inflation......Page 271 New Right......Page 276 New Democrats......Page 281 New World Order......Page 286 Chapter 11 The Change That We Seek......Page 293 War on Terror......Page 294 Globalization......Page 301 Vote for Change......Page 305 Social Media......Page 310 American Ideals......Page 315 Epilogue: “Let America Be America Again”......Page 323 Acknowledgments......Page 326 Notes......Page 328 Further Reading......Page 352 Index......Page 360