Americans: A Collision of Histories [Paperback]

Edward Countryman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 1997

In this social history, Edward Countryman shows how interactions among America's different ethnic groups have contributed to our sense of nationality. From the earliest settlements along the Atlantic seaboard to the battle over our nation's destiny in the aftermath of the Civil War, Countryman reveals Americans in all their diverse complexity and shows why the very identity of "American"--forged by the African, the Indian, and the European alike--is what matters.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Whether America is a "melting pot" of hybrid breeds dissolved into a composite people or a "tossed salad" of distinct groups roughly mixed is a debate that has grown considerably in recent years. Edward Countryman, a Southern Methodist University professor and author of several history books, weighs in with a sweeping examination of America's early years. Or specifically, he provides a look at the histories of the ethnic groups that make up the country. His conclusions are not simple generalizations, but rather a story laid bare of cultures clashing and the confused result. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

If its conclusions are unoriginal, this effort to define the American identity is dazzling in its scope and vision. Countryman, the 1982 Bancroft Prize-winning historian (A People in Revolution) and author of a classic text (The American Revolution), focuses on the disparate racial, economic and cultural backgrounds of the people whom a maturing capitalism sought to use and control. He emphasizes how the American economy exacerbated and perpetuated the exploitation of blacks and Native Americans, and the "almost pornographic quality that racially focused violence has possessed within American culture." From pre-Revolutionary to post-Civil War times, Countryman connects this theme with the development of cities and regions, the roles of women, the frontier ethic and North-South divisions. He admires the Constitution but also notes that, regarding slavery, it was, as the abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison said, "a covenant of death and a document from Hell." Yet, while smashing many romantic myths of American identity, this powerful and stimulating book confirms the strengths in its diversity. "Do I contradict myself?" Countryman quotes Walt Whitman, "Very well, I contradict myself."
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Hill and Wang (April 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809015986
• ISBN-13: 978-0809015986
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,776,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding historical interpretation of early America, February 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Americans: A Collision of Histories (Paperback)

This book is packed full of valuable insights and stories enriching one's understanding of diversity and the way it has been interpreted by Americans through the mid-19th century. As a college professor of history myself, I find the book an incomparable resource for adding to my knowledge and looking at various problems through different lenses. So many books simply tell the same story; Countryman's book is outstanding in its perspective of trying to look at our history through the lenses of women, native and African Americans in intriguing ways. The book makes me think, and I keep going back to it. For example, on the Revolution itself, he asks the question of what the consequences of the decision of which side to support were for Native Americans, for slaves, and for loyalist men and women. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in U.S, History. It is written very well, with anecdotal evidence and a fresh perspective.