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Books > Humanities > History > American history > General
In September 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland and initiated
World War II, a strong strain of isolationism existed in Congress
and across the country. The U.S. Army stood at fewer than 200,000
men--unprepared to defend the country, much less carry the fight to
Europe and the Far East. And yet, less than a year after Pearl
Harbor, the American army led the Allied invasion of North Africa,
beginning the campaign that would defeat Germany, and the Navy and
Marines were fully engaged with Japan in the Pacific.The story of
America's astounding industrial mobilization during World War II
has been told. But what has never been chronicled before Paul
Dickson's The Rise of the G. I. Army, 1940-1941 is the
extraordinary transformation of America's military from a disparate
collection of camps with dilapidated equipment into a well-trained
and spirited army ten times its prior size in little more than
eighteen months. From Franklin Roosevelt's selection of George C.
Marshall to be Army Chief of Staff to the remarkable peace-time
draft of 1940 and the massive and unprecedented mock battles in
Tennessee, Louisiana, and the Carolinas by which the skill and
spirit of the Army were forged and out of which iconic leaders like
Eisenhower, Bradley, and Clark emerged; Dickson narrates America's
urgent mobilization against a backdrop of political and cultural
isolationist resistance and racial tension at home, and the
increasingly perceived threat of attack from both Germany and
Japan. An important addition to American history, The Rise of the
G. I. Army, 1940-1941 is essential to our understanding of
America's involvement in World War II.
Cotton farming was the only way of life that many Texans knew
from the days of Austin's Colony up until World War II. For those
who worked the land, it was a dawn-till-dark, "can see to can't,"
process that required not only a wide range of specialized skills
but also a willingness to gamble on forces often beyond a farmer's
control--weather, insects, plant diseases, and the cotton
market.
This unique book offers an insider's view of Texas cotton
farming in the late 1920s. Drawing on the memories of farmers and
their descendants, many of whom are quoted here, the authors trace
a year in the life of south central Texas cotton farms. From
breaking ground to planting, cultivating, and harvesting, they
describe the typical tasks of farm families--as well as their
houses, food, and clothing; the farm animals they depended on;
their communities; and the holidays, activities, and observances
that offered the farmers respite from hard work.
Although cotton farming still goes on in Texas, the lifeways
described here have nearly vanished as the state has become highly
urbanized. Thus, this book preserves a fascinating record of an
important part of Texas' rural heritage.
The once-thriving houseboat communities along Arkansas' White River
are long gone, and few remember the sensational murder story that
set local darling Helen Spence on a tragic path. In 1931, Spence
shocked Arkansas when she avenged her father's murder in a DeWitt
courtroom. The state soon discovered that no prison could hold her.
For the first time, prison records are unveiled to provide an
essential portrait. Join author Denise Parkinson for an intimate
look at a Depression-era tragedy. The legend of Helen Spence
refuses to be forgotten--despite her unmarked grave.
During the nineteenth century, the rights of American Indians were
frequently violated by the president and ignored or denied
enforcement by federal courts. However, at times Congress treated
the Indians with good faith and honoured due process, which
prohibits the government from robbing any person of life, liberty,
or property without a fair hearing before an impartial judge or
jury. These due process requirements protect all Americans and were
in effect when President Grant launched the Great Sioux War in
1876-without a formal declaration of war by Congress. Charles E.
Wright analyzes the legal backdrop to the Great Sioux War, asking
the hard questions of how treaties were to be honoured and how the
US government failed to abide by its sovereign word. Until now,
little attention has been focused on how the events leading up to
and during the Battle of Little Big Horn violated American law.
While other authors have analyzed George Armstrong Custer's tactics
and equipment, Wright is the first to investigate the legal and
constitutional issues surrounding the United States' campaign
against the American Indians. This is not just another Custer book.
Its contents will surprise even the most accomplished Little Big
Horn scholar.
The first comprehensive volume to teach about America's response to
the Holocaust through visual media, America and the Holocaust: A
Documentary History explores the complex subject through the lens
of one hundred important documents that help illuminate and amplify
key episodes and issues. Each chapter pivots on five key documents:
two in image form and three in text form. Individual introductions
that contextualize the documents are followed by explanatory text,
analysis of historical implications, and suggestions for further
reading. A concluding state-of-the-field essay documents how
scholars have arrived at the presented information. A complementary
teacher's guide with questions for discussion is available online.
The twenty chapters address a broad range of subjects and events,
among them America's response to Hitler's rise, U.S. public opinion
about Jews, immigration policy, the Wagner-Rogers bill to save
children, American rescuers, news coverage of atrocities, American
Jewish and Christian responses to the Holocaust, the campaign for
U.S. rescue action, the question of bombing Auschwitz, and
liberation. Viewing real documents as a means to understanding core
issues will deepen reader involvement with this material. High
school and college students as well as general readers of all
levels of knowledge will be engaged in understanding this crucial
chapter in American history and weighing questions regarding mass
atrocities in our own era.
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