A Companion to 19th-Century America

A Companion to 19th-Century America is an authoritative overview of current historiographical developments and major themes in the history of nineteenth-century America. Twenty-seven scholars, all specialists in their own thematic areas, examine the key debates and historiography. A thematic and chronological organization brings together the major time periods, politics, the Civil War, economy, and social and cultural history of the nineteenth century. Written with the general reader in mind, each essay surveys the historical research, the emerging concerns, and assesses the future direction of scholarship.

• Complete coverage of all the major themes and current debates in nineteenth-century US history assessing the state of the scholarship and future concerns.
• 24 original essays by leading experts in nineteenth-century American history complete with up-to-date bibliographies.
• Chronological and thematic organization covers both traditional and contemporary fields of research - politics, periods, economy, class formation, ethnicity, gender roles, regions, culture and ideas.

Contributors vii

Introduction 1
William L. Barney

PART I: POLITICS AND PUBLIC LIFE

1 Early National Politics and Power, 1800±1824 5
Robert M. S. McDonald

2 The Jacksonian Era, 1825±1844 19
Jonathan Atkins

3 The Sectionalization of Politics, 1845±1860 33
John Ashworth

4 Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861±1877 47
Vernon Burton

5 The Gilded Age, 1878±1900 61
Robert W. Cherny and William L. Barney

6 American Law in the Nineteenth Century 73
John E. Semonche

PART II: FOREIGN RELATIONS

7 American Expansion, 1800±1867 89
John M. Belohlavek

8 The Global Emergence of the United States, 1867±1900 104
Eric Rauchway

PART III: THE ECONOMY AND CLASS FORMATIONS

9 The Emergence of a Market Economy before 1860 121
Stanley L. Engerman and Robert E. Gallman

10 Industrialization and the Rise of Corporations, 1860±1900 139
David B. Sicilia

11 Urbanization 152
Timothy J. Gilfoyle

12 The Development of the Working Classes 164
Kevin Kenny

13 The Evolution of the Middle Class 178
Cindy S. Aron

PART IV: RACE, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY

14 African Americans 195
Donald R. Wright

15 Native-American History 209
Michael D. Green and Theda Perdue

16 Gender and the Changing Roles of Women 223
Laura F. Edwards

17 Immigration and Ethnicity 238
Nora Faires

PART V: REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES

18 The South: From Old to New 257
Stephen W. Berry

19 The Middle West 272
Andrew R. L. Cayton

20 The Relational West 286
Molly P. Rozum

PART VI: CULTURES AND IDEAS

21 The Communications Revolution and Popular Culture 303
David Hochfelder

22 Interpreting American Religion 317
Catherine A. Brekus

23 Science and Technology 334
Alan I. Marcus

24 A History/Historiography of Representations of America 345
Barbara Groseclose

Bibliography 359

Index 399

“This volume proves that examining previous interpretations is an important task that can be thought-provoking and creative. The result is a group of compelling essays that highlight existing scholarship while providing a glimpse of avenues for future interpretation. A commendable characteristic of these essays is the decision to focus on the most relevant questions and scholarship. The essays are all concisely written … .The exhaustive bibliography will provide ample source material for readers intrigued by a particular topic or essay. For students and scholars who seek to expand or refresh their knowledge of important scholarship, this volume shows that with the right approach, historiography can indeed be both savory and beneficial.” (Journal of Southern History, November 2008)

“This series marks a major milestone in historiography and has no comparable, contemporary counterpart... The writing is jargon free, straightforward, and accessible to the scholar and sophisticated student as well as the general reader." (History: Reviews of New Books)

"The volume fulfils its mission admirably: teachers will get their students up to speed by recommending chapters...They will also find many essays a ready means of enrichment and updating." (Journal of American Studies)

William L. Barney is Professor of American History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has specialized in the history of the United States in the nineteenth century, especially the Civil War period, and is the author of The Road to Secession (1972), Flawed Victory: A New Perception of the Civil War (1975), and co-edited The American Journey: A History of the United States (1997). In 1987 he was a Fulbright Professor at the University of Genoa in Italy and served as Bowman and Gordon Gray Professor at the University of North Carolina from 1990 to 1993. A Companion to 19th-Century America presents the most up-to-date interpretations of the wide range of historical experience in nineteenth-century America. Twenty-seven scholars - all specialists in their own thematic areas - demonstrate how nineteenth-century American historiography has evolved, summarize current historical research, and assess the future direction of scholarship. Coverage of topics encompasses not only the traditional areas of political, economic, and diplomatic history but also more recent fields of academic enquiry such as the social construction of race, ethnicity, gender, class formations, and cultural identities.

Intended for scholars, students, and general readers of modern American history, this volume stands alone in providing a historiographical overview of nineteenth-century America that is both complete in its coverage and cutting-edge in its interpretations. Each chapter includes a select bibliography which serves as a convenient reference to additional reading.

"William Barney has assembled a talented and diverse group of scholars, including some of the most eminent historians in the field and a number of the brightest young scholars working in this period. Given the complexity of the period and richness of scholarship, this book does an excellent job summarizing the existing literature and suggesting new directions for future research."
–Saul Cornell, Ohio State University

"Anyone who cares about the history of the United States will find this book of great interest and value. The authors cover every important facet of American history in this pivotal century and do so with grace, fairness, and confidence. The essays are as engaging as they they are sophisticated and up to date."
–Edward L. Ayers, University of Virginia