The American Spirit I-II. [antikvár]

Preface The American Spirit attempts to recapture the spirit and reveal the meaning of American history by focusing the spotlight on personalities. These include the great and the near-great who shaped events, and the not-so-great and obscure whose lives were touched by them. I have therefore ferreted out clearly written and pim-gently phrased items that combine intrinsic human interest with significant observations or conclusions. The men and women who made American history were not ghostly skeletons rattling around in a vacuum. To reclothe them with flesh and blood, to restage the color and drama, to revive the clash and controversy I have sifted countless personal letters, diaries, autobiographies, editorials, propaganda leaflets, public debates, and interviews. These are the documents behind the ofiicial documents. Virtually all of them are in the words of contemporaries, and many of them are here republished for the first time. They are supplemented by scores of illustrations, most of them cartoons—"pictorial editorials." The general approach is designed to stimulate thoughtful analysis rather than memory work. My primary objectives are to implant meaningful ideas, attitudes, and viewpoints; to cultivate an open mind, a balanced judgment, and an appreciation of the problems and prejudices of others. I consequently devote much attention to the unpopular or unsuccessful side of controversial issues, to the grievances of minorities, and to the criticisms of foreigners. A number of these selections will incidentally introduce the reader to the techniques of historical criticism. I have designed The American Spirit to be a chapter-by-chapter companion piece to my The American Pageant, but the orthodox chronological framework will facilitate its use with other basic survey textbooks. It can stand on its own feet. Continuity is provided by the Prologues, the prefatory notes, the inserted explanations, and the italicized postscripts. Cohesion is provided by grouping the individual selections under heads and subheads. Guidance is provided by the pre-questions in the introductions, by the end-chapter Thought Provokers and bibliographies, and by the twenty-three specially drawn maps. The archaic language of bygone days, though quaint, can often be difficult or misleading. I have therefore undertaken, in accord with accepted practice, to modemize obsolete spelling, italicizing, pimctuation, and capitalization. I have also broken up overlong paragraphs. The original meaning remains unaffected. Thomas A. Bailey Department of History Stanford University Stanford, California