American History

Authors examine the rise of slavery in the colonies of British North America, how the American Revolution left the new country divided between the free North and the slave South, and how slavery became both a cause and casualty of the Civil War.

In Between Slavery and Freedom, Julie Winch explores the complex world of those people of African birth or descent who occupied the “borderlands” between slavery and freedom in the 350 years from the founding of the first European colonies in what is today the United States to the start of the Civil War.

Ball describes his experiences as a slave, including the uncertainty of slave life and the ways in which the slaves are forced to suffer inhumane conditions. He recounts the qualities of his various masters and the ways in which his fortune depended on their temperament.

From slavery to freedom describes the rise of slavery, the interaction of European and African cultures in the New World, and the emergence of a distinct culture and way of life among slaves and free Blacks.

The complete text of the bestselling narrative history of the Civil War--based on the celebrated PBS television series. This non-illustrated edition interweaves the author's narrative with the voices of the men and women who lived through that cataclysmic trail of our nationhood, from Abraham Lincoln to ordinary foot soldiers.

Essays discuss cultural differences between Native Americans and early white settlers, and look at warfare, forced relocation, exploitation, and current attempts at restitution

"Provides a comprehensive overview of the 1898 Spanish-American War, including political and social factors that led to the conflict, pivotal battles in the war, and its lasting impact on the United States, Spain, Cuba, and beyond. Includes a narrative overview, biographies, primary sources, chronology, glossary, bibliography, and index"

A critical assessment of the Mexican-American war and its divisive role in U.S. politics also evaluates its impact on the careers of James Polk, Henry Clay, and Abraham Lincoln and how it set the stage for the American Civil War.

Cashman describes the profound upheaval that African-Americans experienced as they moved from the outright racism of the South through the Great Migration northward from 1915, and sets the contribution of African-American leaders within their historical context: Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, A. Philip Randolph, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and many others. The work also describes the shift in emphasis in the movement from legal cases brought before the courts to mass protest movements and, later, the change in direction from civil rights to Black Power and, later, Pan-Africanism.

Civil Rights Journey recounts the coming of age of a young man shaped early by the crucibles of polio and segregation (both by decree and by custom) and later by that of the civil rights movement. Joe Howell's story depicts the effects of human vulnerability and of human cruelty.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was one of the most turbulent times in American history. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was eventually passed after years of conflict, demonstrations, and violence.

From the 1930s to the early 1960s civil rights law was made primarily through constitutional litigation. Before Rosa Parks could ignite a Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Supreme Court had to strike down the Alabama law which made segregated bus service required by law; before Martin Luther King could march on Selma to register voters, the Supreme Court had to find unconstitutional the Southern Democratic Party's exclusion of African-Americans; and before the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Supreme Court had to strike down the laws allowing for the segregation of public graduate schools, colleges, high schools, and grade schools.

From the backstory of the Constitution to the institution of the Electoral College, this primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining tidbits and concepts to help you learn about how the government of the United States actually works.

Understanding the state, quality and potential of political conversations provides a unique perspective for evaluating and potentially improving government "by the people."

A look at the American political parties chronicles their history and argues that these parties still remain the best vehicles for effectively channeling the contending ideological and social forces that define America.

Focused on the continued evolution and significance of parties in the American political system, separate chapters are devoted to key topics such as the impact of social media in the electoral process, and recent developments in campaign finance.