ANNUAL EDITIONS: American History, Volume 2, Nineteenth Edition
UNIT 1. Reconstruction and the Gilded Age1. The New View of Reconstruction, Eric Foner, American Heritage, October/November 1983
Prior to the 1960s, according to Eric Foner, Reconstruction was portrayed in history books as “just about the darkest page in the American saga.” He presents a balanced view of the era and suggests that, even though Reconstruction failed to achieve its objectives, its “animating vision” still has relevance.
2. 1871 War on Terror, David Everitt, American History, June 2003
During the post-Civil War period a terrorist organization that became known as the Ku Klux Klan arose in the South. Dedicated to keeping blacks in a subservient position, the organization committed atrocities against them and their white supporters. Everitt evalutes efforts to destroy the Klan.
3. Little Bighorn Reborn, Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian, April 2005
In 1991, after many years of Indian complaints, what had been called the Custer Battlefield became the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. That name change symbolizes the movement toward reconciliation between Indians and whites in commemorating the event.
4. The Spark of Genius, Harold Evans, U.S. News & World Report, October 11, 2004
Thomas Alva Edison took out 1,093 patents during his lifetime. His invention of the incandescent light bulb during the late 1870s changed the lives of millions. Evans argues that Edison’s real genius lay in his ability to develop his inventions from the experimental lab to commercial success.
5. Lockwood in ’84, Jill Norgren, Wilson Quarterly, August 2002
In 1884, lawyer Belva Lockwood ran for the presidency on the Equal Rights Party ticket. Although women’s suffrage was her priority, she took progressive stands on most of the day’s leading issues. She was the first and last woman (so far) to stay in a presidential race right up to Election Day.
6. A Day to Remember: November 18, 1883, Charles Phillips, American History, December 2004
Strange though it may seem to us today, by the mid-1800s, there were 144 official times in North America—no one cared very much during the horse and buggy era. Development of the railroad system changed all that. To avoid chaos, standard time zones were established that exist to this day with minor variations.
UNIT 2. The Emergence of Modern America7. Where the Other Half Lived, Verlyn Klinkenborg, Mother Jones, July/August 2001
The Mulberry Bend section was one of the most notorious slums in New York City. Danish-born reformer Jacob Riis photographed and wrote about the squalor and unbelievably crowded conditions in which the mostly immigrant population of the Bend had to live.
8. The Murder of Lucy Pollard, Caleb Crain, The New York Review, July 15, 2004
The 1890s have been described as the “nadir” of African-American history. The disenfranchisement of blacks in the South was near total and lynchings were at an all time high. In 1895 three black women and a black male were charged with murdering a white woman on the flimsiest evidence. This article analyzes the case and the contribution to it of a crusading black newspaper editor.
9. Our First Olympics, Bob Fulton, American Heritage, July/August 1996
The first modern Olympic games were held in Greece in 1896. The Frenchman who organized the games hoped they would promote international harmony. Organized American athletic groups spurned the event, with the result that the United States was represented by a rag-tag group which surprisingly did very well.
10. T.R.’s Virtuoso Performance, Henry J. Hendrix II, American History, February 2004
Having conquered the continent, some Americans in the early 20th Century believed the nation’s future lay in expansion across the oceans. Hendrix analyzes President Theodore Roosevelt’s actions in securing rights to build a transoceanic canal across the Panamanian region of Colombia.
11. And Still Champion, Gary Cartwright, Texas Monthly, January 2005
In 1908, black prizefighter Jack Johnson won the heavyweight championship by beating his opponent so badly that the final moments of newsreel coverage were cut in order to protect the public from the spectacle of a white man being “knocked silly” by a black man. Cartwright tells the story of this supremely talented fighter who refused to knuckle under to the stereotypes of the day.
UNIT 3. From Progressivism to the 1920s12. The Fate of Leo Frank, Leonard Dinnerstein, American Heritage, October 1996
In 1913, Leo Frank, convicted for the murder of a young girl in Marietta, Georgia, was removed from jail and lynched by an angry mob. Frank was innocent, but the “injustices caused by industrialism, urban growth in Alanta, and fervent anti-Semitism conspired to wreck one man.”
13. The Ambiguous Legacies of Women’s Progressivism, Robyn Muncy, OAH Magazine of History, Spring 1999
Hundreds of thousands of women threw themselves into Progressive reform, the legacies of which are with us today. Most students assume that such activism and power must have tended unambiguously to liberate women. Robyn Muncy points out that the truth is not that simple, and that female Progressive activism left a complicated legacy.
14. Uncovering History, Sue Anne Pressley, The Washington Post National Weekly Edition, June 28–July 11, 2004
The diary of a young Black soldier who served in France during World War I reveals a number of petty humiliations he had to suffer because of his race. Nonethless, according to one historian, he and other black soldiers in France found “an intellectual freedom that had been stifled in their own country.”
15. American Biography: Edith Galt Wilson, Colleen Roche, American History, December 2004
Some referred to Edith Galt Wilson as the first woman president. Woodrow Wilson treated his second wife more as a partner than any president in memory. “By the summer of 1915,” according to Roche, “he had begun to send her packets of state papers, and he expected her to comment on the issues contained therein.” Following a series of incapacitating strokes Wilson suffered in 1919, Edith may have become president in all but name.
16. The Home Front, Ronald Schaffer, OAH Magazine of History, October 2002
American entry into World War I subordinated progressivism to the needs of national mobilization. Government propaganda and increasing regimentation of the economy were some of the tools used. Efforts to create national unity raised the question “of whether the United States Government could be strong enough to defend the nation without destroying American freedoms.”
17. From Front Porch to Back Seat: A History of the Date, Beth Bailey, OAH Magazine of History, July 2004
Until the 1920s, young men used to “call” on young women “expecting to sit in her parlor, be served some refreshments, and perhaps listen to her play the piano.” By the middle of the decade, “dating” had almost completely replaced “calling.” Bailey examines how this phenomenon developed.
UNIT 4. From the Great Depression to World War II18. ‘Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?’, Henry Allen, The Washington Post National Weekly Edition, October 25, 1999
“It’s not like you go out on your porch and see the Depression standing there like King Kong,” Henry Allen writes—“Most neighborhoods, things look pretty normal… .” But beneath the appearance of normality, many people were leading lives of desperation from which they saw no escape.
19. A Promise Denied, Wyatt Kingseed, American History, June 2004
On July 28, 1932, under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, US troops attacked a group called the “Bonus Army.” It was composed of World War I veterans who had come to Washington to demand that Congress pay them bonuses already promised. The use of violence against veterans shocked many Americans and severely damaged President Herbert Hoover’s reputation.
20. A Monumental Man, Gerald Parshall, U.S. News & World Report, April 28, 1997
Gerald Parshall discusses Franklin D. Roosevelt’s personal characteristics: his famous smile, his speeches, “fireside chats,” and his ability to “treat kings like commoners and commoners like kings.” Special attention is paid to “FDR’s splendid deception”—his determination to conceal the fact that a 1921 bout with polio had left him unable to walk.
21. The Greatest Convention, Charles Peters, The Washington Monthly, July/August 2004
Modern political conventions are tedious affairs that usually just ratify presidential candidates—determined months in advance. It was not always so. Peters analyzes the Republican convention of 1940, in which a tumultuous struggle took place between the isolationist and internationalist wings of the party. The “dark horse” candidate, Wendell Wilkie, won the nomination and advocated foreign policies similar to those of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
22. We Need to Reclaim the Second Bill of Rights, Cass R. Sunstein, The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 11, 2004
In January, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed what became known as the “Second Bill of Rights.” He said that the main objective in the future for the United States could be put in one word: Security. He explains that the term applied to safety from foreign attack, in addition to “economic security, social security, and moral security.” Sunstein argues that we have strayed form FDR’s vision and should try to recapture it.
23. What They Saw When They Landed, Douglas Brinkley, Time, May 31, 2004
June 6, 1944, D-Day, has provided material for countless books, movies, and television shows. “Everything about the day was epic,” author Brinkley writes, “but the best way to appreciate it is to hear the story one soldier at a time.”
24. The Biggest Decision: Why We Had to Drop the Atomic Bomb, Robert James Maddox, American Heritage, May/June 1995
Some critics have argued that Japan was so close to surrender during the summer of 1945 that the use of atomic bombs was unnecessary. Robert Maddox shows that this criticism is misguided. The Japanese army, which controlled the situation, was prepared to fight to the finish, and it hoped to inflict such hideous casualties on invading forces that the United States would agree to a negotiated peace.
UNIT 5. From the Cold War to 200625. The Tangled Web: America, France, and Indochina, 1947-1950, Sami Abouzahr, History Today, October 2004
Following the worst winter in memory, Western Europe’s war-devastated economies seemed on the verge of collapse in the spring of 1947. The United States inaugurated the Marshall Plan to help these nations to get back on their feet. An unanticipated consequence was that France used Marshall Plan money to finance its war in Indochina. This marked the beginning of the American involvement in Vietnam.
26. From Rosie the Riveter to the Global Assembly Line: American Women on the World Stage, Leila J. Rupp, OAH Magazine of History, July 2004
The decade of the 1950s, according to Rupp, has gone down as “a period of prosperity, conformity, domesticity, and suburbanization.” Rosie the Riveter of World War II was supposed to trade in her tools for an apron. This article shows that much of the discontent that burst out during the 1960s had roots in the previous decade—particularly with regard to the status of women.
27. The Split-Level Years, Henry Allen, The Washington Post National Weekly Edition, November 8, 1999
The 1950s brought us Elvis, Howdy Doody, and McDonald’s. There were also rumblings of discontent during this decade of conformity. Henry Allen guides us through the era of Marilyn Monroe, “Ozzie & Harriet,” and teenage rebellion.
28. The Rise of Conservatism Since World War II, Dan T. Carter, OAH Magazine of History, January 2003
In 1964 conservative presidential candidate Barry Goldwater went down to a crushing defeat. Carter examines the sources of conservative discontent that began in the 1950s, and shows how these dissidents seized control of the Republican party. In retrospect, conservatives lost a battle but not the war in 1964.
29. The Spirit of ’68 , John B. Judis, The New Republic, August 31, 1998
According to John Judis, “America passed irreversibly during the Sixties from a culture of toil, sacrifice, saving, and abstinence to a culture of consumption, lifestyle, and quality of life.” He attributes these changes to the emergence of consumer capitalism, in response to which the counterculture as well as the religious right emerged.
30. The Cold War and Vietnam, George C. Herring, OAH Magazine of History, October 2004
“On April 30, 1975,” Herring writes, “North Vietnamese tanks crashed the gates of Saigon’s presidential palace, signifying the end of America’s longest war.” Herring places the Vietnam war within the context of the decades-long struggle against the Soviet Union.
31. Soft Power: Reagan the Dove, Vladislav M. Zubok, The New Republic, June 21, 2004
Ronald Reagan, once considered by many to be a bungling incompetent, now occupies a much higher place in the ranks of 20th Century presidents. This transformation has come about, Zubok argues, not because of his embrace of militant policies such as Star Wars but because he sought the path of peace with the Soviet Union when the opportunity arose.
32. The Tragedy of Bill Clinton, Garry Wills, The New York Review, August 12, 2004
Most people agreed that Bill Clinton was an able politician, regardless of whether they agreed with his objectives. This article analyzes the man and the scandals that mortally wounded his presidency. Wills argues that Clinton would have better served himself and his programs had he resigned from office.
33. The Pros From Dover, John Prados, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January/February 2004
“President Bush surrounded himself with what should have been a crack team of national security experts,” writes Prados, “So what went wrong?” Was it the system that failed to descern the threat of terrorism prior to 9/11? Or was it because the Bush team had more important things on its agenda, such as the run up to the war against Iraq?"
UNIT 6. New Directions for American History34. Breaking the Global-Warming Gridlock, Daniel Sarewitz and Roger Pielke Jr., The Atlantic, July 2000
The debates over global warming, the authors claim, have focused on the wrong issues and distracted attention from what needs to be done. They argue that it is imperative “to ameliorate the social and political conditions that lead people to behave in environmentally disruptive ways.”
35. A Legend’s Soul Is Rested, Ellis Cose, Newsweek, November 7, 2005
Rosa Parks’ defiant refusal to move to the back of a Montgomery, Alabama bus in 1955 catapulted her to fame. Her death in 2005 serves as a reminder of what remains to be done. “Its easy looking back some 50 years to see the insanity of the Southern system,” Cose writes, “but much more difficult to see (or become enraged about) the harm in today’s softer form of segregation.” He points to the alarming fact that school segregation is increasing and "remains a fundamental American reality."
36. Ending the Fool’s Game: Saving Civilization, Douglas Mattern, The Humanist, March/April 2004
“The greatest terrorism by far,” Mattern tells us, “is that each day the people of the world continue to be under the threat of nuclear incineration whether by an accidental missile launch, a computer error, or by design.” He echoes John F. Kennedy’s warning that “The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us.”
37. Pssst…Nobody Loves a Torturer, Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, November 14, 2005
“Ask any American Soldier in Iraq when the general population really turned against the United States,” Zakaria writes, “and he will say ’Abu Ghraib.’” Yet, despite the furor over revelations of torture conducted there, the Bush administrative resists any attempts to curb treatment of prisoners in the future.
38. The Bubble of American Supremacy, George Soros, The Atlantic, December 2003
President Bush’s response to September 11 introduced what Soros refers to as a “discontinuity” into American foreign policy. “The abnormal, the radical, and the extreme,” he writes, “have been redefined as normal.” He believes the United States should pursue its interests within the framework of collective security, not unilateralism.
39. The Case Against Perfection, Michael J. Sandel, The Atlantic, April 2004
Is genetic engineering the wave of the future? The prospects appear dazzling, but Sandel warns of genetic arms races to produce what he calls “designer children” and “bionic athletes.”
40. A Politics for Generation X, Ted Halstead, The Atlantic Monthly, August 1999
According to Ted Halstead, today’s young adults may indeed be more disengaged politically than any others in American history. He claims they have less confidence in government and a weaker allegiance to country or party. They are also more materialistic. Will their political agendas become the wave of the future in this country?
