The American Nation - by Bruce Frohnen

Book Synopsis

The American Nation: Primary Sources resumes the narrative begun in its companion volume, The American Republic, which covered the first eight decades of U.S. history, ending at the onset of the Civil War. The American Nation continues the story through America's entrance into World War II.

The American Nation makes available, in one volume, many of the most crucial documents necessary for understanding the variety of policies and viewpoints driving American public life during an important, substantive part of American history. The primary sources in The American Nation are relevant to the Civil War, Reconstruction, the rise of a national capitalist system and culture, the waves of reform-minded thought and policy that moved the nation toward formation of the national administrative and welfare states, and America's emergence as a major power on the world stage. This period was a watershed in the history of the nation--the time of establishing and consolidating national power and laying the foundations of a national government committed to promoting the material well-being of Americans. It was an era that witnessed the development of the nation-state and the establishment of the New Deal regime, which set the stage for the radical social movements of the 1960s and beyond.

Some of the primary documents include the Emancipation Proclamation, the Freedmen's Bureau Bill, the Sherman Antitrust Act, and the Monroe Doctrine. The authors featured include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Jefferson Davis, Robert LaFollette, Eugene Debs, Jane Addams, William Graham Sumner, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Booker T. Washington, among many others.

Bruce Frohnen is Associate Professor of Law at Ohio Northern University College of Law.

Review Quotes

This is the second volume of transcribed US documents compiled by Frohnen. This collection begins where The American Republic: Primary Sources (2002) concluded, starting with the Crittenden Compromise of 1860 and the succession declarations from various southern states prior to the Civil War and continuing through Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speech after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Although this organization is a departure from the traditional method of teaching American history in two distinct time frames, i.e., Colonial times through reconstruction and reconstruction to the present, the organization of this collection results in an excellent grouping of documents within seven logical categories. Each section, and some of the less obvious documents as well, is preceded by a brief synopsis of the time period or document's creator that gives readers historical background on the documents and the major questions that defined the specific time period.

In the introduction Frohnen explains that in order for students to gain the proper historical perspective for a given time period, they need to consult the primary documents of the time. Since digitization efforts have not yet yielded digital copies of the original versions of all of these documents, this collection offers students the opportunity to review the text of these important documents in a well-constructed volume. Some overlap exists with the recently released Milestone Documents of American Leaders (CH, Nov'09, 47-1213). Some historians might argue that more documents should be included, such as more debates on the 21st Amendment or Congressional debate on the League of Nations. Nevertheless this collection does an excellent job of collecting documents that should be required reading for students of the important time periods covered in this volume. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and general readers.

G. Johnson, Governors State University
Choice
December 2009


This collection of public documents that have influenced American history from the Civil War to early days of World War II is presented to students and scholars who want to discuss and research popular, legal and ideological movements through this period of history. Editor Frohnen (law, Ohio Northern U. College of Law) has designed this volume as a follow-up to The American Republic: Primary Sources, covering the laws, addresses, legal cases, amendments and other documents from The Civil War, Reconstruction and the Progressive Era. Noteworthy documents in this volume include the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Gettysburg Address, the Pendleton Act and the eight constitutional amendments passed during this era.

Reference & Research Book News
August 2009


When compared with other nation-states, America today may seem at first glance to be an icon of stability. But it is not an accurate reflection of America today - or at any given point in its political history. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Bruce P. Frohnen (Visiting Associate Professor of Law, Ohio Northern University College of Law), The American Nation: Primary Sources is a compilation of seminal documents providing insight and context for the diversity of policies and perspectives that shaped and engaged American public life and conflicts from the American Civil War to America's entrance into World War II. This was a period of time that saw the rise of mass-market corporatism, American engagement as a world power, and the establishment of those political and economic conditions that would give rise to the most successful middle-class the world had ever seen. Of special note is Professor Frohnen's in-depth study of these public documents and their effects on the public acts and governmental pronouncements that influenced the daily lives of the American public and the course of the country itself. The American Nation is a very highly recommended addition to personal, school, and community library American History and Political Science reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Midwest Book Review
July 2009


America is always changing, and has been since its inception over two hundred years ago.The American Nation: Primary Sources covers the march of American history through original documents from the post-colonial era, to military documents during the civil war, to World War II documents, and much more. A reference packed cover to cover with letters between politicians, military leaders, and others, The American Nation offers a unique view of American history that is uniquely unbiased as it is the documents and little else. A must for any enthusiast of American history, The American Nation is a top pick.

The Midwest Book Review
June 2009