• Key Terms: while the iBook offers pop-up definitions to bold-face key terms, the PDF and online version do not. The text is well written. The text does fairly well with the pre-European contact period, although I’d still prefer more attention to North American Indians. As at least one other review has noted, stating that Americanization "left them bereft of their culture and history" is not accurate and a potentially damaging statement. It discusses the atomic bomb missions in detail (down to secondary targets), but merely alludes to the massive conventional bombing campaign. Chapter 3 The American Revolution It does not have the complicated and politicized jargon of other history textbooks. The interface needs improvement for accessibility; the free versions need variable line spacing and enlargeable fonts (features that the free PDF didn't offer). Additionally, the same Chapter 32.4 "implies" that Mitt Romney's loss to Barack Obama's in 2012 was based substantially on Romney's remark about the 47 percent of Americans dependent on government assistance without verifiable documentation: "Romney’s remarks about the 47 percent hurt his position among both poor Americans and those who sympathized with them.". Chapter 27.2 is the first chapter to be more inclusive of other cultures by addressing WWII home-front aspects of Hispanics and Asians (with marginal mention of Native Americans). In comparison with commercial textbooks, the range and coverage are good. I mentioned dating problems in the early chapters and the speed with which post-1945 decades are dispensed. For example, there were links to slave narratives and a site about the Carlisle Indian School. Why not make the online accessibility of an OER textbook a way to truly standout from other textbooks? The most puzzling to me is the treatment of Manifest Destiny. Although political history clearly serves as the organizing factor of this book, it does, at times, do well with social life—the urban life of chapter 19 being a good example. Overall, the composition of the text is easy to read and does not integrate complicated syntax or terminology. The "side bars" did not add significant thematic consistency. Reviewed by Matthew Lindaman, Professor, Winona State University on 8/21/16, Very comprehensive in scope and coverage. There are a few particular areas that do need clarification or revision, however. Some of the chapter images could be displayed more clearly: for example, time-line images, such as the one in Chapter 12.1 and the painting in 12.4, are not clear or difficult to view making them less advantageous as visual aids. I did hope for more non-English history after the "Colonial Powers" chapter, and found that political and elite intellectual history (think the Interregnum and Enlightenment, but without how they affected average folks) dominated social and cultural history. It is well-balanced and relatively error-free. The text appears relatively easily divided into reading assignments that could be used in isolation. The interface is fine, although I do wish literary primary sources had been incorporated in a less jarring manner. In the post-1945 periods,... It needs more people; the text seems to offer a bird's eye view of U.S. history. As an environmental historian, I think magnitude of the native depopulation... While there is not a lot of depth in the chapters, it makes a great overview do use if the instructor adds supplemental readings. Westward Expansion, 1840-1900, Industrialization and the Rise of Big Business, 1870-1900, The Growing Pains of Urbanization, 1870-1900, Leading the Way: The Progressive Movement, 1890-1920, Age of Empire: American Foreign Policy, 1890-1914, The Jazz Age: Redefining the Nation, 1919-1929, Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? There were large groups of people who were hunter-gatherers in 600 CE to be sure, as there large groups of pastoralists, but this sentence seriously decontextualizes the actual on-the-ground reality. Chapters 17 through 22 deal with post-Civil War industrialization, westward expansion, Progressivism, and American imperialism. The text is very comprehensive, and its 32 chapters give a broad overview of American history from Pre-Columbian times to the end of Barack Obama's presidency. Also, while many chapters are thematically centered, some topics in modern US history, such as the Vietnam War, is interspersed over several chapters (Chapters 28-30). US History is certainly comprehensive: the task of tracing the development of the United States from pre-colonial times to the second term of President Barack Obama is a daunting one. I think that the text might work better in a history course... As a professor used to seeing the same 50-100 pictures in a textbook, I plan to use this textbook as a multimedia resource for its unusual photographic finds. read more. This book will most like be used in a survey course and students will go on to take additional history courses, one of which might be the Atlantic World. US history textbooks are more likely to damage any enthusiasm students display in understanding US history than to nurture it. 7. Its 1052 pages include 32 chapters, beginning with the “Americas, Europe, and Africa Before 1492” and ending with the “Challenges of the 21st Century.” The first eight chapters explore colonial America, the War for Independence and the formation of a new republic. As history, the material is written in language that will probably not be outdated anytime soon. In some cases there are multiple chapters on one era. It covers a wide spread of concepts and historical elements but never goes into too much depth. It is most comparable to "brief edition" texts I have seen, and I often find those type of texts to be too brief to benefit my students very much. In those areas where the text provides, extensive coverage, it is up to date. At times, these sections are small or lacking deeper analysis though. As other reviewers mentioned- the history of Africa is not well told, especially compared to European history. I think moving forward this would be an ideal place for expansion. The language used is accessible to the vast majority of undergraduate students. The material is solid, but definitely enhanced with the use of images, embedded primary sources, and links to additional open source materials. Most presidents are given a brief biography and discussion of their importance within particular historical periods. The text certainly aspires to be comprehensive with thirty-two chapters moving from the pre-Columbian context to Barack Obama’s second term. The text is set out in such a way that it can be easily updated with 21st-century developments, and the chapters and sections are set out so that they could be enhanced without disturbing the overarching structure of the text. Chapters often overlap in terms of time period. At 1052 pages, "U.S. History" is nothing if not comprehensive. The text contains few grammatical errors that I could see. Some of this seems unnecessary, especially since Africa and the Americas do not get the same treatment. It will have a long shelf-life and can easily be updated should the need arise. ), much as I have criticized what I considered inadequate coverage of environment. The appendix mostly contains America's "founding documents" and adds very little you can't find already online. I found no significant errors in my reading. The vast majority of events, issues, and themes that I introduce in class and want my students to think about were covered, or at least introduced. Images are clear. This is exactly why we see so many studies of black and brown children in America who don’t feel they have role models. No conservative K-12 school board would be offended by this textbook. The state of Ghana likewise exploited the gold-for-salt trade using Berber and Tuareg intermediaries before Islam had made it to West Africa. read more. This begins right from the start, as the American colonies are examined within the context of European power struggles, and the creation of racialized chattel slavery is presented as the result of political and religious struggles among European nations, and with the Middle East and Africa. It is comprehensive in that it covers not just the major wars or conflicts, but also the industrialization, struggles of indigenous populations, and the development of a nation. Where the authors mention that there was talk in the early 1830s in the Virginia legislature of making manumission of slaves easier but that the idea was shot down, they might want to point out that the sentiment for regarding slavery as more trouble and danger than it was worth came largely from the state's western counties where land was less conducive to plantation agriculture, and that these counties would secede from the state and form West Virginia during the Civil War. The confluence of the rise of the women's movement with the rise of multiple other rights struggles, the hippie counterculture, the failure in Vietnam, and the general chaos of 1968 and 1969 is also effectively shown. Throughout the semester, the book was continuously updated with corrections. Do they not merit a mention? The text was conveyed in lively, consistent, and lucid prose. was linked to the rise and diffusion of Islam.” This statement is wildly vague and inaccurate. The book is longer on the 18th and 19th century than the 20th, so that is a concern. I am reviewing this text from the viewpoint of a community college survey course, whose students may or may not be at college level writing. There is far more detail on the pre-1945 period than the post-1945 period. In general, the textbook navigated a middle road, the most consistent focus on political, military, economic/business, and diplomatic subfields across chapters. Usefully organized, consistent in style. The depth of research and care in including pertinent information is well done. There should be a way back. Chapter 17 Americans Move West Though limited in content, the organizational framework/index of the text serves as a sufficient "guide" for a general survey course; however, it will need to be... Instructors that want to rearrange the material are easily able to do so without sacrificing clarity. I plan to incorporate portions of this text in my Spring 2020 classes. I would have a fit if the book contained grammar errors. Some of the chapters are considerably shorter than others, but I doubt students mind. If going over a passage in class, it will take too long for everybody to find it. That being said, the text is far more broad than it is deep. Additional questions will need to be developed respectively for those points deemed more important for understanding chapter topics. Subsequent sections on the Stonewall uprising, the Gay Rights Movement, AIDS and ACT UP, and the Defense of Marriage Act are far more detailed, but they seem to come out of nowhere for students if the actions and contributions of LGBTQ people are not mentioned in earlier chapters. Reviewed by Gwen Tarbox, Professor, Department of English, Western Michigan University on 12/11/18, US History is certainly comprehensive: the task of tracing the development of the United States from pre-colonial times to the second term of President Barack Obama is a daunting one. Given my emphasis on causation and action in student writing, this is a problem for me. Simply click on the link below, and you will be able to view a pdf file of your textbook. It covers all of US History, beginning with the status of Africa, the Americas, and Europe pre-Columbus. It is grammatically correct, but largely written in passive voice. Very consistent. It might need more chapters added throughout the years, or some edits based on new information about the past, but it appears to have made a strong effort to describe history from other viewpoints and not just the western European viewpoint. How this will play out over the next couple of years will, at least, be interesting. 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