Unprecedented changes mark the American experience in the twentieth century—global and contained wars, great technological innovations, and enormous social changes. To help students better understand the major developments in this tumultuous century and our future direction as a nation, it is imperative to reflect on the century's seminal events and their lasting impact. Designed for students, this unique resource offers detailed description and expert analysis of the most important twentieth century events in America: Progressivism, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the development of atomic energy, the Cold War, the Civil Rights and women's rights movements, the rise of television, the Vietnam War, and the Reagan revolution.
Each of the ten events is dealt with in a separate chapter. A unique format features an introductory essay that presents the facts, followed by an interpretive essay that places the event in a broader context and promotes student analysis. The introductory essay provides factual material about the event in a clear, concise, chronological manner that makes complex history understandable. The interpretive essay, written by a recognized authority in the field in a style designed to appeal to a general readership, assesses the event in terms of its political, economic, sociocultural, and international/diplomatic significance. Some essays validate the norm, while others challenge conventional wisdom; all reflect the most recent scholarship concerning the event. Each interpretive essay is followed by an annotated bibliography that identifies the most important and most recent scholarship about the event. A photo of each event offers a visual component to the narrative. A timeline of important events in twentieth-century American history, glossary of names, events, and terms, and list of twentieth-century Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Secretaries of State complete the work. This work is perfect for the high school, community college, and undergraduate library reference shelf and as supplementary reading in social studies and world history courses.
Table of Contents:
Illustrations
Preface
Progressivism, 1901-1914
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by Laura Hague
World War I, 1914-1918
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by Jacob Vander Meulen
The Great Depression, 1929-c. 1939
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by Anders Greenspan
World War II, 1939-1945
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by Larry Thornton
The Development of Atomic Energy, 1945-1995
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by James W. Kunetka
The Cold War, c. 1946-1991
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by David Mayers
The Rise of Television, c. 1948-present
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by James E. St. Clair
The Civil Rights Movement, c. 1954-present
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by Thomas Clarkin
The Vietnam War, c. 1950-1975
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by Jerry A. Pattengale
The Reagan Revolution, 1981-1989
Introduction
Interpretive Essay by John Robson
Appendix B: Timeline
Appendix C: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Secretaries of State
Index
About the Author :
JOHN E. FINDLING is co-editor of the Greewood Press Events that Changed America series and the Greenwood Press Events that Changed the World series, which includes Events That Changed The World In the Twentieth Century (Greenwood, 1995). He is the author of Dictionary of American Diplomatic History (Greenwood Press, rev. ed. 1989), and Close Neighbors, Distant Friends: U.S.-Central American Relations (1987). He is the editor of Historical Dictionary of World's Fairs and Expositions (1990) and co-editor of Statesmen Who Changed the World: A Bio-Bibliographical Dictionary of Diplomacy (Greenwood Press, 1993). He is Professor of History at Indiana University Southeast.
FRANK W. THACKERAY is co-editor of the Greenwood Press Events That Changed America series, and the Greenwood Press Events that Changed the World series, which includes Events That Changed The World In the Twentieth Century (Greenwood, 1995). He is co-editor of Statesmen Who Changed the World: A Bio-Bibliographical Dictionary of Diplomacy (Greenwood Press, 1993), and author of Antecendents of Revolution: Alexander I and the Polish Congress Kingdom, 1815-1825 (1980). He is Professor of History at Indiana University Southeast. He received a Fulbright Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant to Poland and has written extensively about Russo-Polish relations in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Review :
"From Progressivism to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond, this fascinating book provides students with clear, reliable, and up-to-date assessments of major events in the modern history of the United States. Its readable essays and attractive format make it especially useful for survey courses. The authors have succeeded in illuminating key aspects of the American past in a manner that will spark productive and thoughtful discussion in many classrooms."-Lewis L. Gould Eugene C. Barker Centennial Professor in American History The University of Texas at Austin
