As the site of the first permanent English settlement in North
America, the birthplace of a presidential dynasty, and the gateway
to western growth in the nation's early years, Virginia can
rightfully be called the "cradle of America." Peter Wallenstein
traces major themes across four centuries in a brisk narrative that
recalls the people and events that have shaped the Old Dominion.
The second edition is updated with new material throughout,
including a new chapter on Virginia and world affairs from the
Korean War through 9/11 and beyond, and, an expanded bibliography.
Historical accounts of Virginia have often emphasized harmony
and tradition, but Wallenstein focuses on the impact of conflict
and change. From the beginning, Virginians have debated and
challenged each other's visions of Virginia, and Wallenstein shows
how these differences have influenced its sometimes turbulent
development. Casting an eye on blacks as well as whites, and on
people from both east and west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he
traces such key themes as political power, racial identity, and
education.
Bringing to bear his long experience teaching Virginia history,
Wallenstein takes readers back, even before Jamestown, to the
Elizabethan settlers at Roanoke Island and the inhabitants they
encountered, as well as to Virginia's leaders of the American
Revolution. He chronicles the state's dramatic journey through the
Civil War era, a time that revealed how the nation's evolution
sometimes took shape in opposition to the vision of many leading
Virginians. He also examines the impact of the civil rights
movement and considers controversies that accompany Virginia into
its fifth century.
The text is copiously illustrated to depict not only such iconic
figures as Pocahontas, George Washington, and Robert E. Lee, but
also such other prominent native Virginians as Edgar Allan Poe,
Carter G. Woodson, and Patsy Cline. Sidebars throughout the book
offer further insight, while maps and appendixes of reference data
make the volume a complete resource on Virginia's history.
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