The great contradiction : the tragic side of the American founding / Joseph J. Ellis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ellis, Joseph J., Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Race relations--History.

United States.

United States--Politics and government--1783-1865.

United States--History--1783-1865.

Slavery--United States--History.

Slavery.

Indians, Treatment of--United States.

Indians, Treatment of.

Indian Removal, 1813-1903.

Genre:

Informational works.

Physical Description:

x, 226 pages : maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

First hardcover edition.

Other Title:

Tragic side of the American founding

Place of Publication:

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2025.

Summary:

"A major new history from the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Founding Brothers and the National Book Award winner American Sphinx, on how America's founders--Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams--regarded the issue of slavery as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In this daring and important work, our most trusted voice on the founding era reckons with the realities and regrets of our founding and the tragedy of its two great failures: the failure to end slavery and the failure to avoid Indian removal"-- Provided by publisher.

"A major new history from the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Founding Brothers and the National Book Award winner American Sphinx, on how America's founders--Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams--regarded the issue of slavery as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In this daring and important work, our most trusted voice on the founding era reckons with the realities and regrets of our founding and the tragedy of its two great failures: the failure to end slavery and the failure to avoid Indian removal"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Forward: The way we were

An American dilemma

Angles of vision

The contradiction

Unpainted pctures

The ghost at the banquet

The epilogue

The treaty

Regrets at Mount Vernon

Memories at Monticello.

Part I: Overviews. An American dilemma

Part II: Contexts. The contradiction

Unpainted pictures

Part III: Southern vistas. Regrets at Mount Vernon

Memories at Monticello

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index.

Notes:

"A Borzoi book."

Includes bibliographical references (pages [195]-213) and index.

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Kennedy fund bookplate.

ISBN:

9780593801413

0593801415

OCLC:

1494135245