The formative period of the United States, running roughly from 1789 to 1829, has become remote and perhaps overly idealized. While the administrations of George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, James Monroe and John Quincy Adams set the country on the path to modernity by resolving some nagging problems left over from the Revolution, they failed to resolve many crucial issues, such as slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, and the consequences of industrial development. Despite many common goals, the gentry's leadership was riven by sectional friction, personal competition, and partisan bickering that almost tore the nation apart during the War of 1812. This dictionary recounts the achievements and the failures, the progress and the backsliding, and the high and low points of our forefathers.
Historical Dictionary of the Early American Republic
Description
Table of Contents
Part 1 Editor's Foreword Part 2 Acknowledgments Part 3 Maps Chapter 4 A British View of the United States as Constituted by the Peace of 1783 Chapter 5 The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 Part 6 Chronology Part 7 Introduction Part 8 THE DICTIONARY Part 9 Appendix: Presidential Administrations of the Early Republic Part 10 Bibliography Part 11 About the Author
Author Description
Review Text
"Buel's dictionary is the only one that specifically addresses this period...Recommended. CHOICE This useful compilation will provide readers with a reliable guide to the formative period of the USA. Reference Reviews, Vol. 21, No. 4 (2007) Not everyone was ready to shoulder his musket at the end of the American Revolution and go quietly home. Although common wisdom says the period immediately following the American victory was relatively peaceful, in fact political parties and factions turned on each other upon the retreat of the British, and some of the controversies raised in that day continue to this. Buel (history emeritus, Wesleyan U.) sets the people, factions and events of these formative years in context with a hearty chronology, very helpful maps, and a comprehensive introduction to the Calvinists, Whigs, presidents, generals, senators, pamphleteers, meeting houses, street battles, burnings and passions of the so-called "Era of Good Feelings." Although intended for secondary school students and undergraduates, more advanced readers may find this a handy reference, especially for contents of litigation and the biographical material. Reference and Research Book News"