PDF American History: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Paul S. Boyer in History

Description

In a miracle of concision; Paul S. Boyer provides a wide-ranging and authoritative history of America; capturing in a compact space the full story of our nation. Ranging from the earliest Native American settlers to the presidency of Barack Obama; this Very Short Introduction offers an illuminating account of politics; diplomacy; and war as well as the full spectrum of social; cultural; and scientific developments that shaped our country. Here is a masterful picture of America's achievements and failures; large-scale socio-historical forces; and pivotal events. Boyer sheds light on the colonial era; the Revolution and the birth of the new nation; slavery and the Civil War; Reconstruction and the Gilded Age; the Progressive era; the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression; the two world wars and the Cold War that followed; right up to the tragedy of 9/11; the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and the epoch-making election of Barack Obama. Certain broad trends shape much of the narrative--immigration; urbanization; slavery; continental expansion; the global projection of U.S. power; the centrality of religion; the progression from an agrarian to an industrial to a post-industrial economic order. Yet in underscoring such large themes; Boyer also highlights the diversity of the American experience; the importance of individual actors; and the crucial role of race; ethnicity; gender; and social class in shaping the contours of specific groups within the nation's larger tapestry. And along the way; he touches upon the cultural milestones of American history; from Tom Paine's The Crisis to Allen Ginsberg's Howl.American History: A Very Short Introduction is a panoramic history of the United States; one that covers virtually every topic of importance--and yet can be read in a single day.