America in the Twentieth Century

by Moss, George Donelson

• ISBN13: 9780131831810
• ISBN10: 013183181X
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

From the Gilded Age to the dawn of the twenty-first century, George Donelson Moss's comprehensive narrative spans the twentieth century to provide readers with an accurate story of the American past. Written in a clear and concise style, this survey text is logically organized into parallel topical and chronological sequences that are easy to understand and a pleasure to read. bull; bull;NEW-New chapter covering the new millennium-Features the disputed 2000 Presidential election: the 2002 Congressional elections; the first two years of G.W. Brush's presidency: and the tragic events of 9/11/2001, the war on terrorism and war with Iraq. bull;NEW-Emphasis on social history-Includes the current status of women and minorities, recent immigration trENDs, and labor history. bull;NEW-Coverage of the current economy-Includes the recession, the sTOCk market crash, corporate scandals, and consumer confidence. bull;NEW-The global economy and society-Analyzes U.S. events within the framework of globalization.

Table of Contents

A Society in Transition

The Progressive Era

The United States and the World

The Twenties

The Great Depression

The New Deal

Diplomacy between Wars

World War II

The Rise of the Cold War

The Age of Consensus

New Frontiers

Reform, Rebellion, and War

The Nixon Era

An Era of Limits

America in the Eighties

Americans and the Post-Cold War World

The New Millennium

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

For over four decades, I have been telling the story of modern American history to my students and to anyone else who showed a serious interest in the topic. This textbook derives naturally and inevitably from my vocation as one of the professional keepers of the American people's collective memory of themselves. It represents my best efforts to write a comprehensive narrative synthesis spanning the years of the twentieth century and beyond. This book focuses on the public life of the American people. Historically, Americans have come together in the public sphere to compete and cooperate with one other. It is within the public sphere that the great decisions for war and peace, for reform and reaction, which shaped the democratic life of the American people, have been determined. It is within the public arena that powerful contending ideologies and interests have sought allegiance, and economic and cultural forces have shaped the destiny of the nation and forged the character of its people. This narrative also incorporates much demographic, social, and cultural history in order to bring the experiences of all Americans into the mainstream of history. It is an inclusive account that records the historical experiences of those groups that were often ignored or neglected in conventional history. Special attention has been given to the history of women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and other Americans who have come together to create the most successful multicultural society in the history of the planet. I also have given a lot of attention to the role that the United States has played in world affairs in modern times. Such a focus is particularly appropriate for the post-World War II era, when the United States has been the preeminent national power in the world and has forged a network of global interests. Today, the destinies of Americans and the planet's other 6 billion inhabitants are inextricably intertwined. I am delighted to have an opportunity to offer this Fifth Edition ofAmerica in the Twentieth Century.The book has been thoroughly revised. Each chapter has been carefully reworked. In some chapters, new material has been added, in others material has been abbreviated or deleted. Chapter 16, covering the, 1990s has been redesigned and rewritten. A new chapter has been added that covers the momentous events occurring at the dawn of the twenty-first century, including the horrific terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 and the resulting war on terrorism. I have imposed a coherent structure on the chaos of modern U.S. history, and I have employed a clear, concise style that avoids social scientific jargon, "psychobabble," and esoteric intellectual constructs. This book is accessible to anyone who wants to understand the major contours of modern U.S. history. It is a good place to begin one's study of modern and postmodern America. The story of America in the twentieth century and beyond unfolds chapter-by-chapter in carefully structured categories. Each chapter carves out a chronological segment. Within each time frame, the particular topics that define an era and give it its historical significance are developed. The master themes of modern American historical development undergird the events and personalities treated in individual chapters. These themes provide the story of America with its underlying coherence and continuity. They include the growth in the size, cost, power, and scope of authority of the national government; the expanding role the United States plays in world affairs, which often involves fighting in wars; the development and application of new systems of technology; the development of the consumer economy; the continued growth of a vital popular culture and systems of mass communication; the increasing plurality and diversity of American social life; the continual empowerment of women and peo