William Tecumseh Sherman is known primarily for having cut a swath of destruction through Georgia and the Carolinas during the Civil War. From the fame of these years, however, he moved into an eighteen-year phase of "insuring the tranquility" of the vast region of the American West. As commander of the Division of the Missouri from 1865 to 1869 and General of the Army of the United States under President Grant from 1869 to 1883, Sherman facilitated expansion and settlement in the West while suppressing the raids of the Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Kiowa, Comanche, and Crow Indians. Robert G. Athearn explores Sherman's and his army's roles in the settling of the West, especially within the broad framework of railroad construction, Indian policy, political infighting, and popular opinion.

Throughout volume 20 of the Presidential Series, George Washington looked forward to retirement from public life, preparing a farewell address to announce his intention and leave behind guiding principles for the nation. Relations with Great Britain and France dominated foreign policy, as the House of Representatives agreed to implement the provisions of the Jay Treaty and as the president responded to a looming diplomatic crisis by recalling James Monroe, U.S. minister to France. Washington also remained involved with his private affairs, taking pains to retrieve Martha Washington's runaway slave Ona (Oney) Judge, actions that did not square easily with aspirations expressed in his farewell address regarding "the happiness of the people of these States, under the auspices of liberty.

First published in 1959, The Autobiography of James Monroe collects the compelling fragments of Monroe's unfinished autobiography, written after his retirement from the presidency. The memoirs trace his boyhood, education, and experiences during his long service as a public servant before becoming president. Monroe vividly recalls his military experience in the Revolution, his law studies at the College of William and Mary, and his service as aide to GovernorThomas Jefferson of Virginia. From the early days of his political career, Monroe writes with passion about his opposition to slavery and his support for the Westernfarmer. He discusses his controversial first mission to France as a young and inexperienced minister to a country in the throes of a revolution, as well as subsequent missions in which he served as the key negotiator with France for the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. Originally edited by Stuart Gerry Brown, this new edition includes an introduction by historian and documentary editor William Ferraro. Ferraro considers the lasting influence of Brown's edition on Monroe scholarship and surveys themost recent research, detailing the ways this founding father's legacy continues to unfold.