New spirits : Americans in the gilded age, 1865-1905 / Rebecca Edwards.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Edwards, Rebecca, 1966-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--History--1865-1921.

United States.

History.

United States--Social conditions--1865-1918.

Social conditions.

Physical Description:

296 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 2006.

Summary:

New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age, 1865-1905 provides a fascinating look at one of the most crucial chapters in U.S. history. Rejecting the stereotype of a "Gilded Age" dominated by "robber barons," author Rebecca Edwards invites us to look more closely at the period when the United States became a modern industrial nation and asserted its place as a leader on the world stage. Employing a concise, engaging narrative, Edwards recounts the contradictions of the era, including stories of tragedy and injustice alongisde tales of humor, endurance, and triumph. She offers a balanced perspective that considers a number of different viewpoints, including those of native-born Anglos, Native Americans, African Americans, and an array of Asian, Mexican, and European immigrants. Beginning with Emancipation and ending with the first deployment of U.S. troops overseas, New Spirits traces the roots of today's diverse and conflicted nation. The book reveals a world of hopeful immigrants and striving professionals; generations in conflict with one another; a new West and South; and religious, political, intellectual, and sexual experimentation. Offering a fresh, sweeping narrative, New Spirits is ideal for readers seeking an introduction to this critical epoch, and for undergraduate and graduate courses on the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, and twentieth-century U.S. history.

Contents:

Introduction: Democratic Vistas 1

Part I The Wedge 9

1 An Uneasy Peace 11

2 Reach 37

3 Work 60

4 Money 81

Part II The Exchange 105

5 Youth 107

6 Sex 130

7 Science 151

8 Faith 171

Part III The Fires 197

9 A State of War 201

10 Cooperative Dreams 225

11 Executive Powers 254

Epilogue: The Partridges and the Hippopotamus 277.

Notes:

Includes bibliographic references and index.

ISBN:

0195147286

0195147294

OCLC:

58919459