Books in UNITED STATES HISTORY series

The North had won the Civil War and reunited the Union. African-American slaves were freed and made citizens. The South was in ruins. The period after the Civil War was a troubled time for the United States. Known as Reconstruction, the South, which had fought for its independence, was bitter. Former slaves were freed, made citizens, and granted the right to vote, but still faced terrible discrimination. Author Marsha Ziff highlights the people and events involved in this turbulent period, examining the frustration and the determination of African Americans as they began their journey out of the ruins of slavery and the Civil War toward freedom and equality. This book is developed from RECONSTRUCTION FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICAN HISTORY to allow republication of the original text into ebook, paperback, and trade editions.

Author Karen Zeinert follows the rise and fall of McCarthyism and anti-Communist hysteria in the United States from its roots in the straining of American-Soviet relations after the Bolshevik Revolution and how it led to the "witch hunt" atmosphere of the Cold War. Zeinert details the fearful climate of the post-World War II years and how those like McCarthy took advantage to sustain an anti-Communist movement, smearing the reputations of many innocent Americans. The author also examines how the age of McCarthyism finally came to an end as the perceived threat of communism faded when the Soviet Union declined.

The Oxford History of the United States is by far the most respected multi-volume history of our nation. In this Pulitzer prize-winning, critically acclaimed addition to the series, historian Daniel Walker Howe illuminates the period from the battle of New Orleans to the end of the Mexican-American War, an era when the United States expanded to the Pacific and won control over the richest part of the North American continent. Howe's panoramic narrative portrays revolutionary improvements in transportation and communications that accelerated the extension of the American empire. Railroads, canals, newspapers, and the telegraph dramatically lowered travel times and spurred the spread of information. These innovations prompted the emergence of mass political parties and stimulated America's economic development from an overwhelmingly rural country to a diversified economy in which commerce and industry took their place alongside agriculture. In his story, the author weaves together political and military events with social, economic, and cultural history. He examines the rise of Andrew Jackson and his Democratic party, but contends that John Quincy Adams and other Whigs--advocates of public education and economic integration, defenders of the rights of Indians, women, and African-Americans--were the true prophets of America's future. He reveals the power of religion to shape many aspects of American life during this period, including slavery and antislavery, women's rights and other reform movements, politics, education, and literature. Howe's story of American expansion culminates in the bitterly controversial but brilliantly executed war waged against Mexico to gain California and Texas for the United States. Winner of the New-York Historical Society American History Book Prize Finalist, 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction

The period after the Civil War was a troubled time for the United States. Known as Reconstruction, the South, which had fought for its independence, was bitter. Former slaves were freed, made citizens, and granted the right to vote, but still faced terrible discrimination. Author Marsha Ziff highlights the people and events involved in this turbulent period, examining the frustration and the determination of African Americans as they began their journey out of the ruins of slavery and the Civil War toward freedom and equality.

Prior to the end of the Civil War in 1865, many considered slavery vital to the economy of the United States, especially in the South. Most people in the North, though, came to reject slavery for moral or political reasons. Influential Northerners spearheaded the abolition movement. In this well-researched account, author Linda Jacobs Altman explores how abolitionists used words, money, violence, or simply courage, to fight to free the slaves. Tracing the history of slavery from its origins in America through its legal end with the Thirteenth Amendment, Altman shows how abolitionistsand slaves themselveshelped make the Civil War a fight not only to preserve the Union, but to make the nation free.