A Compendium of the History of the United States from the Earliest Settlements to 1872 [Hardcover]

Alexander H. Stephens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999

Never in the history of the world has there been a generation which knows less about more than the one in which we live. Americans are as ignorant of the Constitution as they are of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. In our present delimma, books that reject the modern revision of our past and dare to set forth truth instead of propoganda are worth the proverbial King's ransom. This is why the reappearance of this volume is so important. The History of the United States by Alexander H. Stephens, a reprint of the 1872 original, is a foundational and valuable resource for Americans to know and understand the truth about the founding of this great nation. Readers will learn here things of which the vast majority of Americans have never heard but which are essential to understanding our past and the rationale for our political structures. Those who study this volume will gain an appreciation for the development of the Christian social order that occurred in this cou! ntry and which is vital to its future restoration.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephens, a U.S. congressman from 1843-59 and vice president of the Confederacy, was one of the most gifted constitutional scholars this country has ever produced.

"Times change and men often with them, but principles never!" Says the author, Alexander Stephens. Stephens, Vice-President of the Confederacy, was among the most brilliant men of his day. Stephens served in the U.S. House of Representatives twice -- once prior to the War Between the States and once after.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

(From page 174)

At this moment General Clinton arrived with reinforcements, and a third assault was made, which proved successful. The colonists retreated across Charleston Neck with no great loss, and fortified Prospect Hill, commanding the harbor of Boston. The British fortified Bunker Hill, but no further movements were made at that time by either army. The loss of the British in this battle was over a thousand killed and wounded; that of the colonists was about four hundred and fifty. One young officer was killed, who was greatley lamented, General Joseph Warren. This is known as the battle of Bunker Hill.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 513 pages
• Publisher: Sprinkle Pubns (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1928596002
• ISBN-13: 978-1928596004
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,303,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Different Type of History Book, May 9, 2001

By 

A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Compendium of the History of the United States from the Earliest Settlements to 1872 (Hardcover)

"History of the United States" by Stephens is a refreshing look at the history of this nation. It is refreshing in that Stephens has no agenda, is not concerned with political correctness, and is not catering to anyone. The book was written in 1872, just seven years after the end of the Civil War, so the thoughts of that era were very much on the author's mind.

Readers should understand that the book is geared towards students and serves as a general history. Stephens himself states (although at the end of the book) what the book is NOT: a study of economic trends, inventions, explorations, etc., although some of these aspects are touched upon. The best parts of the book are the early chapters concerning the settlement of the colonies and the last few chapters which summarize the Civil War. A bit too much detail (for me anyway) is given to the Presidential elections. I would rather have read in more detail about the policies and actions of each President. Again, understand that this is a general history book, a starting point if you will, and not a detailed study.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good companion book to any study of American History, October 3, 2000

By 

"crumpton23" (Moscow, ID) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Compendium of the History of the United States from the Earliest Settlements to 1872 (Hardcover)

A.H. Stephens was one of the foremost legal scholars of the 19th Century. This book would make an excellent companion volume for any young person interested in history. By tracing the development of the colonies in North America through Reconstruction, it serves as a good examination of the time period. It also would serve well to educate the public, about the time period without the modern trappings of political correctness.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too bad the author lived in the 19th Century, January 31, 2009

By 

Jason Carter "President of Aegis Strategies, ... (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Compendium of the History of the United States from the Earliest Settlements to 1872 (Hardcover)

Alexander Stephens was a U.S. Representative from Georgia prior to southern secession, and the Vice-President of the Confederate States under Jefferson Davis during the Late Unpleasantness. Diminutive in nature but large in wit, he once retorted to a colleague who insulted him by stating that he could eat him for breakfast by replying, "Well Senator, if you should eat me, you would have more brains in your stomach than you ever had in your head."

Stephens was certainly intelligent. In addition to the book under review, he also wrote "A Constitutional View of the Late War Between the States," a scholarly defense of the southern right of secession.

In this volume, Stephens does a solid job of tracing the key principles of American history from the colonial age through 1872. It is written in a readable narrative style accessible to the thoughtful junior high and high school student.

I give it four stars instead of five only because Stephens did us a disservice by not living in our generation and therefore ending his history so abruptly!