Excerpting American History from 1877 to 2001: Primary Sources and Commentary

Excerpting American History from 1877 to 2001: Primary Sources and Commentary provides students with a collection of government documents, newspaper accounts, manuscripts, letters, diaries, speeches, and more to provide them with an immersive and intimate exploration of the United States from the dawn of the Gilded Age to the harrowing events of September 11, 2001.

This volume, the second in a two-book series, analyzes American history from 1877 to 2001. Each chapter features an introductory essay by the author to provide readers with critical context and perspective, excerpts from primary documents, and questions to stimulate reflection and deep learning.

Readers learn about the industry, invention, and economic growth that boomed during the Gilded Age, but which also excluded many Americans, including new immigrants, farmers, African Americans, and women. They read about the progressive policies of Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. Select primary sources share perspectives on the Great War, the Second World War, the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Depression, the economic challenges of the 1970s, and more.

Excerpting American History from 1877 to 2001 is an exemplary text for courses in American history. Students can rewind their exploration of American history and revisit the past in the first volume in the series, which features primary sources and commentary chronicling 1492 to 1877.