Encyclopedia of American History: Seventh Edition (Hardcover)

~ Richard B. Morris (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The seventh edition of the Encyclopedia of American History updates this indispensable and classic reference book to cover the history of the United States from pre-Columbian times through the first year of the Clinton Administration. Unequaled in the amount of information contained within a single volume, and designed to be read as a narrative, the Encyclopedia chronicles all the essential facts of American history, from government and politics to science, thought and culture.

The Encyclopedia is divided onto four parts:

Part 1: "THE BASIC CHRONOLOGY" presents the main political and military events in the history of the United States, beginning with the era of discovery. It has been updated to reflect newly discovered facts and modern perspectives on domestic and foreign affairs.

Part 2: "THE TOPICAL CHRONOLOGY" records the nonpolitical aspects of American life and has been extensively revised to include a newly titled section "Land, Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment," as well as updated sections dealing with the American economy. A few of the topics covered in this section are the fine arts, religion, medicine, education, television and radio, immigration, population, United States expansion and Supreme Court decisions.

Part 3: "NOTABLE AMERICAN BIOGRAPHIES" contains profiles of 450 influential Americans from all walks of life and their outstanding achievements.

Part 4:"THE STRUCTURE OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT" includes tables of U.S Presidents and their cabinets, party strength in Congress from 1789, and Supreme Court justices, as well as the complete texts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

Jeffrey B. Morris, is professor of law at the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center of Touro College. Associate editor for the last two revised editions of the Encyclopedia of American History, Morris is the author of over a dozen books, including Federal Justice in the Second Circuit and To Administer Justice on Behalf of All the People: The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1965-1990. He has been professor of political science at City College of the City University of New York and the University of Pennsylvania and visiting professor of law at the Brooklyn Law School. From 1976 to 1981 Morris served as the chief research associate to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in Burger's role as head of the federal court system.

Richard B. Morris, (1904-1989) was Gouverneur Morris Professor of History at Columbia University and past president of the American Historical Association. Morris wrote more than 40 books spanning legal, labor, diplomatic, political and social history, including The Peacemakers: The Great Powers and American Independence, The Forging of the Union 1781-1789, Witnesses at the Creation, Government and Labor in Early America and Studies in The History of American Law. He lectured throughout the world, serving as Fulbright Research Professor at the Sorbonne and Distinguished Professor at the John F. Kennedy Institute of the Free University of Berlin.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1296 pages
• Publisher: Collins Reference; 7 Rev Sub edition (August 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062700553
• ISBN-13: 978-0062700551
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #692,477 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable reference book for scholars and novices alike, April 9, 1997

By A Customer

This is a one volume comprehensive work of American history from American Exploration to the first term of the Clinton Adminstration. This book has been divided into three major categories: A Basic Chronology of American events and life, a Topical Chronology of specific events such as population trends, American expansion, government, and thought and culture. The last part of the book comprises short biographies of 450 notable Americans. I believe that Mr. Morris has strived to write this book in an easy to read and understandable format, while keeping with a comprehensive scope of American history. The book portrays to be an invaluable resource to teachers, history scholars, as well as the average person. Being a history major, I would not only recommend this book as a reference tool, but this work should be included on a "must have" list of books every home library should have. Mr. Morris has done a superb job with this 7th edition

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Desk Staple, June 2, 2005

By	D. Orinski (Manassas, Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

II am a professional corporate historian. I research the corporate histories of many companies. I have very few things on my desk that are permanent, of which, three are books--the Chicago Manual of Style, the newest Merriam Webster's Dictionary, and the Encyclopedia of American History (7th ed). Whether you are a professional in the history field, a history "buff" or just an amateur social scientist, this is a book that you need to own. The four sections of this book are extremely helpful when looking for grand historical events or the smallest tidbit of information. While the internet is great for finding some of these items, this book is the most comprehensive volume of American History ever put together. I highly recommend this book--it is worth the money.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Necessity for American households, December 17, 2001

By	D. Carman "dcarman-86" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have a previous edition (1953) of the Encyclopedia of American History. It has been in our family forever (well since 1953!) All my siblings used it going through Junior High through College and at age 45 I'm still using it, so is my 20 year old daughter. I had to buy the newer version because the original one I have stops before the Korean War!. Excellent resource for students. Gives you the ability to quickly reference any event. An absolute must for any household with children.