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Americans in Dissent is designed as a collection of biographical
essays written for general readers and undergraduates that focuses
on the topic of American dissent during the period from 1830 to
1890. Centered on influential nineteenth-century social critics,
this volume shifts the focus of American reform away from
"romantic" attempts at reforming the individual to more pragmatic
efforts aimed at confronting social, economic, and political
problems. Coexisting with what seemed to be a preponderance of
romantic idealism during much of the period was an undercurrent of
genuine realism. Instead of looking through the prism of a
pre-modern society, many of these dissenters focused on how society
was becoming increasingly acquisitive and entrepreneurial. They
were among the first to question laissez-faire individualism and
unrestrained industrial capitalism and anticipated the critiques of
later Progressive Era reformers. Representing a wide range of
interests, each of the selections features a fascinating and
provocative man or woman who offered a fundamental critique of
American society and made a significant contribution to the
development of the reform ethos that characterized the period.
During the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century a growing
number of ordinary citizens had the feeling that all was not as it
should be. Men who were making money made prodigious amounts, but
this new wealth somehow passed over the heads of the common people.
As this new breed of journalists began to examine their subjects
with scrutiny, they soon discovered that those individuals were
essentially "simple men of extraordinary boldness." And it was easy
to understand how they were able to accomplish their sinister
purposes: "at first abruptly and bluntly, by asking and giving no
quarter, and later with the same old determination and ruthlessness
but with educated satellites who were glad to explain and idealize
their behavior."[i] "Nothing is lost save honor," said one infamous
buccaneer, and that was an attitude that governed the amoral
principles and extralegal actions of many audacious scoundrels.
Relying on secondary sources, magazine and newspaper articles, and
personal accounts from those involved, this volume captures some of
the sensational true stories that took place in the western United
States during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. The
theme that runs through each of the stories is the general contempt
for the law that seemed to pervade the culture at the time and the
consuming desire to acquire wealth at any cost-what Geoffrey C.
Ward has called "the disposition to be rich."
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Notes Introduction [i]Louis Filler, Crusaders for American
Liberalism (Yellow Springs, OH: Antioch Press, 1964), 14.
Americans in Dissent is designed as a collection of biographical
essays written for general readers and undergraduates that focuses
on the topic of American dissent during the period from 1830 to
1890. Centered on influential nineteenth-century social critics,
this volume shifts the focus of American reform away from
"romantic" attempts at reforming the individual to more pragmatic
efforts aimed at confronting social, economic, and political
problems. Coexisting with what seemed to be a preponderance of
romantic idealism during much of the period was an undercurrent of
genuine realism. Instead of looking through the prism of a
pre-modern society, many of these dissenters focused on how society
was becoming increasingly acquisitive and entrepreneurial. They
were among the first to question laissez-faire individualism and
unrestrained industrial capitalism and anticipated the critiques of
later Progressive Era reformers. Representing a wide range of
interests, each of the selections features a fascinating and
provocative man or woman who offered a fundamental critique of
American society and made a significant contribution to the
development of the reform ethos that characterized the period.
In this new engaging work, historian Steven L. Piott explores the
fascinating and provocative lives of twelve influential American
reformers of the Gilded Age, Populist, and Progressive eras. From
Ida B. Wells to Louis Brandeis, Jane Addams to Charles Macune,
Piott examines the diversity of ideas and approaches that
characterized this dynamic period. He links these men and women
together in the greater context of the reform era and explores the
social ideologies that united the reform spirit in America
following Reconstruction. Designed with students in mind, American
Reformers provides a thought-provoking introduction to some of the
most influential and forward-thinking minds of the reform era.
In this new engaging work, historian Steven L. Piott explores the
fascinating and provocative lives of twelve influential American
reformers of the Gilded Age, Populist, and Progressive eras. From
Ida B. Wells to Louis Brandeis, Jane Addams to Charles Macune,
Piott examines the diversity of ideas and approaches that
characterized this dynamic period. He links these men and women
together in the greater context of the reform era and explores the
social ideologies that united the reform spirit in America
following Reconstruction. Designed with students in mind, American
Reformers provides a thought-provoking introduction to some of the
most influential and forward-thinking minds of the reform era.
This book provides a historical examination of everyday life to
reveal how and why Americans during the Progressive Era structured
their world and made their lives meaningful. The Progressive Era
represented a tumultuous time for Americans as they attempted to
come to terms with a rapidly emerging modern, urban, and industrial
society, and ultimately the dislocations caused by World War I.
Steven L. Piott's Daily Life in the Progressive Era tells the story
of how all Americans-black and white, women and men, rural
inhabitants and urban residents, workers and employers, consumers
and producers-contended with new cultural attitudes, persistent
racial and class tensions, and the power struggles of evolving
classes. This book provides a broad examination of American society
between 1900 and 1920. Organized thematically, it covers rural and
urban America, the changing nature of work, race relations, popular
culture, citizen activism, and society during wartime. Appropriate
for general readers as well as students of history, Daily Life in
the Progressive Era provides an informed and compelling narrative
history and analysis of daily life within the context of broad
historical patterns. Includes a chronology of major events between
1890 and 1920 Presents numerous photographs and images that
illustrate important points throughout the narrative Provides a
detailed bibliography of sources Includes both a detailed index and
a brief glossary of key terms
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