I admit I have yet to read this book, but I have listened to and talked with the author and am excited to read it! You wouldn't think that an older professor with a droning-like voice could have a bit of a sense of humor that would usually make a semi-boring topic like this one interesting, but Howe does just that. He was able to make a group of 50+ college students pay attention, listen intently, and enjoy his lecture. If the author, while speaking about this book can do that, I am willing to sit down and read my signed copy of this book...all 800+ pages of it.

I will update my review for this book after I have finished it.

There seems to be a general consensus that "The Oxford History of the United States" has done much better by the early years of the American Republic than the post-World War II era. Howe maintains the tradition with this outstanding survey of American life between 1815 and 1848. Some have complained of "political correctness" in Howe's treatment of Indian Removal, slavery, and the women's rights movement, but, in my opinion, Howe really goes far afield only when discussing the last of these, when he terms the Seneca Falls convention of 1848 "[the most] encouraging" of America's "hopeful aspects" during this chaotic period. "More encouraging" than the rise of the movement to abolish slavery, which was a far more morally pressing matter at the time? Somehow, I doubt it. On the other side of the coin, Howe's championing of the leading lights and ideas of the Whig Party takes direct aim at the "PC" conventional wisdom that "Jacksonian Democracy" was the "heroic" political movement of this period. Howe does an excellent job of alternating discussions of "meat-and-potatoes" historical information (elections, political disputes, warfare, etc.) with surveys of various facets of American culture. He places particular emphases on the dramatic developments in transportation and communications that both facilitated economic development and made it possible for various popular movements to flourish. Howe's work is fully worthy to stand next to McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" and Middlekauff's "The Glorious Cause" as the best books in the Oxford series. (For others interested in antebellum America, I'd also recommend MacDougall's "Throes of Democracy" for a slightly different, somewhat more cynical take on the subject.)

I debated giving this book a five star rating but decided to go with four stars because author Howe is a bit over the top on occassion with his political digs. Was the Whig party truly as wonderful as he portrays it as it challenged the Democrats? If it was so great why did it die out or morph into the Republican party within 15 years? But politics aside, this book is great. Clearly this book sets a new standard for completeness in its scope. The period 1815-1848 was an incredibly active period with events going on not only in the geo-political spectrum, but also in social history, economics, church history, arts and literature, and philosophy. The author seems to have a good handle on each of these, maiking this book an excellent starting point for anyone intersted in how America emerged from the early constitutional period to that which more or less resembles our own society.

Political bickering between parties begins in this period, so does uniquely "American" industry and imperialism. Some have criticized Howe's approach to history by saying he is too politically correct. Well, tell that to hundreds of thousands of African slaves or tens of thousands of displaced Indians. The white dominated government was brutal. At one point in the book Howe says the historian's job is to understand, not condemn. Slavery in the land of the free is more than just a paradox, it's a disgrace. Imperial attitudes towards the conquored Indians and Mexicans shows how determined our imperialist policies were. President Polk went to war based on lies. His claim that the war started on American soil took advantage of the general ignorance of the American people. Other presidents have unfortunately followed this bad example.

But this book covers so much ground I can see it becoming a required text in college history courses. The author clearly has a solid grasp on his subject matter and his writing style, while polemical at times, it does get the message across.

This book is truly deserving of the Pulitzer Prize and inclusion in the Oxford History Of the United States series.I was a bit apprehensive when picking up this massive book and deciding whether to purchase. As I randomly thumbed through the pages, every page I read had an interesting passage.Upon purchase,the entire book was interesting, comprehensive and complete. As mentioned in other reader reviews, Howe's writing did slant toward modern politically-correct analysis(especially anti-Andrew Jackson and Polk).I did not feel this was a negative in that he fairly presented the facts and a comprehensive overview(economic,political,social and religous atmosphere) of the times to allow the reader his/her own thought provoking conclusions.One of the finest history books I've read ,and the best for the era it was written about.

It is best to compare this book to "Market Revolution" by Charles Sellers. Both cover the same period of American history although Sellers' book was published 16 years prior, in 1991. Even in structure, both are similar yet the most surprising resemblance is in academic attitude while following academic fashion. They cover much the same information.

"Market Revolution" is affected with lingering Marxism, a fashion just about on its way out in 1990. Howe's 2007 book is, thankfully, largely free of Marxism analytics, but substitutes a more evolved political correctness and even delves into Bush Derangement Syndrome.

Of the two, Howe is easier and more enjoyable to read, partially because the author takes a more human interest approach. Like Sellers, too many pages are devoted to obscure social and political pioneers decades before they made a general impact on society. Much like public school textbooks, they highlight the politically correct minorities at the expense of the real forces moving society. Both look backward from contemporary liberalism's political correctness and too often judge men and their times not with an appreciation (or understanding) of people dealing with the world as they found it but judge them against what the current academics WISH the world would someday aspire.

One completely gratuitous passage of BDS arises in the telling of Scott's invasion of Mexico City. In one battle, Scott hears intelligence that a certain foundry is melting down church bells to make cannon. The general sends a detachment to take the foundry and it turns into one of the bloodiest engagements of the campaign only for the Americans to discover that the cannon casting is not taking place. The author then makes a cute remark about Scott not finding weapons of mass destruction.

Still, I read the book through without too much pain and found myself learning much, in spite of the avoidable detours when the author wasted paper and my time to little effect. I don't know of a better introduction to the period although I hope there is one. Still, it leaves one wondering what happened to American academia, especially in California - Sellers was professor at UC Berkeley, Howe at UCLA.

Thanks again to my daughter-in-law Larisa for a well-chosen Christmas gift.

This has to be one of the best histories published in a decade. The Oxford Series is through, well written, and very readable. Certainly they have made the period from 1813 to 1848 come alive in a tale that flows like a good novel. Somewhere between the War for Independence and the Civil War lies a significant period, this one, of which few students are well informed. This volume belongs on the shelf of every student of American History and every citizen who would be informed of the growth and development of the United States.

This is a history of the United States from the end of the War of 1812 to the end of the Mexican War. It is very long; it over 900 pages. It is thus not for the casual reader or those with short attention spans.

For those with the patience to appreciate it and savor it, however, this is a magnificent book. To begin, Howe's scholarship is beyond reproach. He knows his stuff, backwards and forwards, and it shows on every page. His peculiar slant is to have no peculiar slant. He covers political, social, economic, religious, intellectual, technological and military history. He really tries to cover everything, and does a magnificent job. I would say he has a bit of an anti-Jackson, pro-Whig bias, but it is slight; he really is an objective scholar.

I thought, at first, that the book was going to stink, because it has many clear signs of being written in the 21st century, by an academic, and thus being subject to all of the fads of political correctness and so forth. I found, however, that this helped the book, rather than hurt it. Academic history for the last generation has focused on the non-mainstream stories, the women, the poor, the common person, rather than the rich and the powerful Howe takes all of this new learning and incorporates it into the overall story. I was particularly impressed by his close and respectful attention to the history of American religion. Frankly, I expect a professor to be anti-religion and to sneer at the bohunks who believe in such things. Howe does not take that tone at all. Rather, his approach is to view 19th century American religion, like an anthropologist coming to a foreign nation. Which is to say, he does not assume that you know anything about it, and he explains in great detail where the different Protestant movements came from, what issues they disagreed, the contributions they made to different aspects of American life and so forth. Very informative, and not biased one way or the other.

As befits an early 21st century academic, Howe has ambivalent feelings about his subject. This shows up in the title. He is quoting Samuel Morse, who quoted the Bible in his first telegraph message. At first, I thought that Howe was mocking the quotation, and making fun of the idea that America had been produced by God. But, as I went on, I realized that Howe is not that heavy handed in his bias, and that the story he is telling is far more subtle. If there is one thing about early American that really bothers Howe, it is not so much slavery, which bothers him, of course, but is not central to his story. Rather, what bothers him is the self-assertive violence of Jackson, the conquest of the Old Southwest by Jackson and then the conquest of the north of Mexico by Polk. These actions, of course, are the ultimate violation of poltical correctness; political leaders who believe so much in America that they are willing to conquer and subjucate anyone standing in their way.

Howe tells the story well, including those who opposed Jackson and Polk at the time. Oddly, though, he seems to have some glimmerings, if not of sympathy, of at least understanding for Jackson and Polk. He actually ends up suggesting that, while this conquests were evil, perhaps they served God's purposes by making America ultimately a larger, stronger nation better able to fight the totalitiarian horrors of the 20th century. In short, when he looks at American history, he sees events that are great, terrible, inspiring and baffling, all at the same time. In the end, his title actually seems to have some reverence in it, not of the full-bodied patriotic sort, but more one of awe at the power and incomprehensibility of God and his creation. Not at all a sentiment I would expect a tenured professor to have. Bravo. A marvelous job.

And they say that knowledge is an easy burden... Beautifully written, educational, but not quite bedside literature.

This addition to the Oxford History of the United States is truly a masterpiece covering the era of the new republic. The book begins in the aftermath of the War of 1812 and tracks the political, social, economic and cultural development of the United States through the Seneca Falls Convention and beginning of the Gold Rush. The book explores the rise of evangelicalism in the United States through the great awakening and looks at the rise of the city which organized many natavist movements. The role of slavery and the treatment of Indians is also explored in a responsible way. Although some reviewers have complained that it is revisionist there is quite a bit of truth to Howe's writing. The organizers at the time wrote about "the extermination of the Indians" and we cannot change out countries past. We can only study it and interpret what it means for our future. The United States came into its own during this time laying the seeds to become an economic powerhouse. The rise of the telegraph, railroads, canals and industry across the country shaped the United States for its rise in the 1880's.
The book is divided up amongst the major events during the time period and covers them thoroughly. The two major focus points of the book are the Jacksonian era and the age of expansion under Polk. Jackson is painted in a darker light than in many books have written about him. The author justifies his points well and his criticisms of Jackson are on target. The destruction of the bank and the spread of populism and patronage changed the United States. The Age of Expansion was another defining moment as the United State added Texas, Oregon and the southwest to its borders. Although Polk wanted to go even further he was sabotaged by his own representatives into drawing a reasonable peace with Mexico. Overall a well done book and truly a great addition to this already wonderful series.

I'm sorry to say I never received the book, and to date have received no reply to my request to Amazon to cancel the order and return my money.

Can you imagine a U.S. president who forces the country into an unpopular war, and when some members of Congress express doubt, he calls them unpatriotic? Hard to believe, right? Okay, maybe not.
How about a president who never doubts he is right and never apologizes when he is wrong? Who ignores the Constitution and the Supreme Court? Impossible, right? Okay, okay, so it isn't.
I'm not referring to our current president, but to two who served long ago. They are James K. Polk and Andrew Jackson, and the two are central figures in Daniel Walker Howe's WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT. It is a magnificent book--magnificent in its detailed research, magnificent in its lively prose, and magnificent in its wide scope. It covers the period from the Battle of New Orleans in January of 1815 to the presidential election of 1848, and everything in between. Jackson, Polk, and Martin Van Buren are the villains of the book. As Howe convincingly shows, their primary agenda was to spread slavery and white supremacy across the continent.
Jackson ignored the Supreme Court's decision which said that the Cherokee had title to their land. He ignored the Constitution, which said that a president could not remove funds from the National Bank. He owned slaves and supported the spread of slavery west. He showed himself to be a stubborn, narrow-minded man. Why is he considered a great president? Why does his image remain on the twenty dollar bill? Howe points out the irony of this, as Jackson was against the use of paper money, and he personally destroyed the Second U.S. Bank, which sent the country into a lengthy depression.
Polk forced a war on Mexico, then tried to blame it on them. The war was fought solely to gain land, and many Americans were embarrassed at our imperialism and our racism. Many still are.
There are those who come off very well in the book-- Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, and Brigham Young among them. John Quincy Adams seems especially worthy of the greatness stamp. He fought for women's rights and for the rights of Native Americans to keep their traditional lands. He was a ferocious opponent of slavery, and opposed the Mexican War. Adams, it seems, was way ahead of his time. It would be much more just if he were on the twenty dollar bill, rather than Jackson.
But for true justice, we should replace Jackson with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That would show we've come full circle. I think Quincy Adams would approve.

I enjoyed this book immensely, reading it cover-to-cover like a novel. For those who tend to think that America went from Revolution to Civil War without much happening in between, it's a real eye-opener. I already shared Howe's respect for Henry Clay and John Q. Adams, and his seeming dislike of Andrew Jackson, based on the little I knew of them. After reading "WHGW", I respect my instincts, and understand them much better.

Being retired and with a particular interest in this period of US history (for reasons disclosed below), I possessed both adequate time and motivation to undertake the reading of this voluminous work, hoping that it wouldn't bog down into a pedantic recitation by page 200. Far beyond my most optimistic expectations, it turned out to be a real "page turner", not like one of those Grisham novels, but rather a work that kept opening my eyes to what the reality of this country was back then, and how that past still bears witness to what we are experiencing today. It is nothing less than astonishing for the author to attempt and succeed in combining so many disciplines of knowledge into such a lucid, comprehensive portrayal of what our forefathers did, recorded, and left as a legacy for us today.

As a lay reader with great interest in, but only a relatively superficial understanding of what went on during the 1815-1848 period, the book offeres innumerous facts and subsequent interpretations by the author, as footnoted and sourced from hundreds of secondary, scholarly works. This academic format, however, never slowed down my understanding of and appreciation for what was going on. If one has some interest in our Presidents of that period (i.e. Madison, Monroe, Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler and Polk) the narrative covers most of them in detail and offers many startling (at least to this lay person) revelations which, in hindsight, has me scratching my head as to why certain of these gentlemen have such a high positive profile today. Mr. Howe definitely has his biases in appreciation of these men, but supports his interpretations with scholarly attention to factual details about their personalities, politics, and policies.

Andrew Jackson, the well-coiffured fellow we see on the face of the $20 bill at every ATM visit, and who we know as the military hero of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, comes off as a protector of the union, but otherwise a rather bullying, temper prone imperialist, and with few exceptions, having little concern or care for the well being of any but the caucasian male race. As Mr. Howe points out, the supreme irony of his continued appearance on the $20 dollar bill, despite being both against an independent national bank (i.e. akin to today's federal reserve bank) and the use of paper money, is something one can only sit back and be befuddled by (the reasoning for this decision made by our government back in 1928 is not available for public scrutiny).

The view towards John Quincy Adams - the curmudgeonly old man portrayed so well by Anthony Hopkins in Steven Spielberg's Amistad movie - is much more positive and forgiving, as Howe details his rather enlightened approach (for that day) to social classes other than the white male, economic development using federal funds, and foreign policy. Finally, the portrayal of James K. Polk as the scheming, secretive President who plotted and waged an aggressive war on Mexico during 1846-48 while all the time keeping Congress off stride with his manipulations, surely brings to mind both the thinking behind and execution of today's war in Iraq by Messrs. Bush and Cheney. Substitute "soil" for "oil" and you pretty much understand what was going on then and now.

Knowing that the inspiration for the book's title and its central figure representative of the themed importance of communications and transportation in the progress of our nation at that time was Samuel F.B. Morse (also a noted historical artist and leader of the arts community of that period), I was hoping that the contribution of visual arts to this period would be recognized, at least in some ancillary way. However, despite including a well chosen series of reproduced portraits and genre paintings, prints and sculpture representative of personalities and events of this period, the text itself completely ignores the topic. While some attention is paid to music, the theatre, and literature of the time, in particular in relation to ties to slavery and its themes, apparently the visual arts represented too "highbrow" of a topic for inclusion.

As I see it though, there could have been - especially as part of the chapters on the "New Economy" and/or "American Renaissance" - an effort to tie in the seemingly disparate, but actually connected topics of the deity/millenialism, nature, transcendentalism, urbanism, book and serial illustrations, the first original american school of landscape painting (later dubbed the Hudson River School), and the beginnings of travel and tourism by the emerging middle class of the period. As there were many strong ties between writers and artists during this time, this would not have been a difficult thing to do, and because of its absence, I can only give a four star rating to the book. Notwithstanding, if you have a few weeks of leisure time to devote to understanding in detail how we evolved into what we have become as a nation, I can't think of a more productive use of ones time. Thanks Dr. Howe for your wonderful contribution.

Being retired and with a particular interest in this period of US history (for reasons disclosed below), I possessed both adequate time and motivation to undertake the reading of this voluminous work, hoping that it wouldn't bog down into a pedantic recitation by page 200. Far beyond my most optimistic expectations, it turned out to be a real "page turner", not like one of those Grisham novels, but rather a work that kept opening my eyes to what the reality of this country was back then, and how that past still bears witness to what we are experiencing today. It is nothing less than astonishing for the author to attempt and succeed in combining so many disciplines of knowledge into such a lucid, comprehensive portrayal of what our forefathers did, recorded, and left as a legacy for us today.

As a lay reader with great interest in, but only a relatively superficial understanding of what went on during the 1815-1848 period, the book offeres innumerous facts and subsequent interpretations by the author, as footnoted and sourced from hundreds of secondary, scholarly works. This academic format, however, never slowed down my understanding of and appreciation for what was going on. If one has some interest in our Presidents of that period (i.e. Madison, Monroe, Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler and Polk) the narrative covers most of them in detail and offers many startling (at least to this lay person) revelations which, in hindsight, has me scratching my head as to why certain of these gentlemen have such a high positive profile today. Mr. Howe definitely has his biases in appreciation of these men, but supports his interpretations with scholarly attention to factual details about their personalities, politics, and policies.

Andrew Jackson, the well-coiffured fellow we see on the face of the $20 bill at every ATM visit, and who we know as the military hero of the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, comes off as a protector of the union, but otherwise a rather bullying, temper prone imperialist, and with few exceptions, having little concern or care for the well being of any but the caucasian male race. As Mr. Howe points out, the supreme irony of his continued appearance on the $20 dollar bill, despite being both against an independent national bank (i.e. akin to today's federal reserve bank) and the use of paper money, is something one can only sit back and be befuddled by (the reasoning for this decision made by our government back in 1928 is not available for public scrutiny).

The view towards John Quincy Adams - the curmudgeonly old man portrayed so well by Anthony Hopkins in Steven Spielberg's Amistad movie - is much more positive and forgiving, as Howe details his rather enlightened approach (for that day) to social classes other than the white male, economic development using federal funds, and foreign policy. Finally, the portrayal of James K. Polk as the scheming, secretive President who plotted and waged an aggressive war on Mexico during 1846-48 while all the time keeping Congress off stride with his manipulations, surely brings to mind both the thinking behind and execution of today's war in Iraq by Messrs. Bush and Cheney. Substitute "soil" for "oil" and you pretty much understand what was going on then and now.

Knowing that the inspiration for the book's title and its central figure representative of the themed importance of communications and transportation in the progress of our nation at that time was Samuel F.B. Morse (also a noted historical artist and leader of the arts community of that period and later), I was hoping that the contribution of visual arts to this period would be recognized, at least in some ancillary way. However, despite including a well chosen series of reproduced portraits and genre paintings, prints and sculpture representative of personalities and events of this period, the text itself completely ignores the topic. While some attention is paid to music, the theatre, and literature of the time, in particular in relation to ties to slavery and its themes, apparently the visual arts represented too "highbrow" of a topic for inclusion.

As I see it though, there could have been - especially as part of the chapters on the "New Economy" and/or "American Renaissance" - an effort to tie in the seemingly disparate, but actually connected topics of the deity/millenialism, nature, transcendentalism, urbanism, book and serial illustrations, the first wholly original american school of landscape painting (later dubbed the Hudson River School), and the beginnings of travel and tourism by the emerging middle class of the period. As there were many strong ties between writers and artists during this time, this would not have been a difficult thing to do, and because of its absence, I can only give a four star rating to the book. Notwithstanding, if you have a few weeks of leisure time to devote to understanding in detail how we evolved into what we have become as a nation, I can't think of a more productive use of ones time. Thanks Dr. Howe for your wonderful contribution.

The latest volume of the Oxford History of the United States is What Hath God Wrought which covers 1815-1848. The series is overall outstanding, McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom is one of the volumes and likely the most well known. Each are great general histories which not only use primary sources but comment on the changes in the given era's interpretation by historians. The bibliographies are worth the price of book. If I were to teach U.S. history I'd use these in lieu of a traditional text book (which are generally poor).

However, this latest volume is striking in the amount of editorializing going on. Granted I'm an Andrew Jackson fan so am sensitive to criticism but here's an example:
In attempting to show that AJ's 1828 presidential victory was sectional and southern he recounts that Jackson won 178 to 83 in the Electoral college but the election would have gone to Adams had electoral votes been apportioned without use of the 3/5 rule for slaves. Fine, that is likely true. But what he fails to explain is how Jackson won the popular vote 647,286 (56%) to 508,064 (44%). 3/5 effects representation and electoral votes, not popular votes. Think about that- in essentially condemning the 3/5 rule the author has made the case for it- had it not existed Adams would have been elected despite an overwhelming popular vote against him. Does the author then take the old Federalist perspective that the people cannot be trusted and thus the EC's job to correct them? The author further fails to point out in this section (but does so later in a single sentence) that Jackson tired to abolish the EC in favor of a straight popular election for president. It would seem to me this is quite fitting for an era where differing view of nationalism had completely buried all Federalist opposition.
Also note that in 1824 AJ won the popular vote (41%) and had the most EC votes (99) but since there was no majority winner the election went to the house and to Adams. In 1832 AJ again won the popular vote w/ 56%.

Also, Howe seems to use the (to me) charged statement "white supremacy" with great frequency in regards to Indian removal. The implication of this phrase to my mind is that the motivation was based on race. In my readings I feel that this is a simple, modern and unrealistic interpretation. I believe that Jackson would have been adamant (and was) about removal of ANY threat to U.S. expansion, be it Indian, Spanish, English, free blacks or martians. The drive to expand more than racism was the primary motivation for removal. Jackson hated any who stood in the way of U.S. expansion- his earlier actions in Florida against the Spanish and English are proof of this.

Howe claims Jackosn was an Anglophoe and thus a hypocrite when he later treats with them. Again, Jackson was much more a Nationalist and would do anything to further U.S. interest as he saw it, even compromising other of his beliefs which were not as high a priority.

It seems like the author is not a fan of Jackson personally and thus is overly critical of him to the point of bias as noted by the above examples. I am surprised this made it past the series editor. In fact I found the volumes which cover the most recent U.S. eras- Grand Expectations (1945-1974) Restless Giant (1974-2000) to be very even handed in their analysis. Which actually surprised me in that more recent history tends to be more divisive to me as a reader since I lived through some of it and therefore have an ingrained point of view, have not had enough time to see its effects and thus am more skeptical and likely to disagree with any analysis.

This volume's other sections are on par with the rest of the series but Howe seems to have a personal affinity for Adams (as did George Dangerfield and historians before him), a person I suspect Howe sees as a kindred spirit and fellow intellectual. Howe seems to nurse a deep dislike for Jackson, the "man's man" as Howe puts it. Almost as if the historian sees Jackson as one of his own childhood tormentors- a tough guy with no philosophical basis for his actions. I had high hopes for this volume after reading that Howe rejected the conclusions of both Charles Sellers's The Market Revolution (which argued that market capitalism was forced on the people from the top down) and The Jacksonian Era by Schlesinger (which was a very far left leaning interpretation).

Despite that, however, Howe's main thesis of a communication & transportation revolution which facilitated ideas of nationalism was intriguing. Would be nice to see this idea explored in a smaller more focused work.

The books in Oxford History of the United States, as a family, have identifying traits. All are detailed, informative and very readable. In addition, they stay within the modern sensibilities and views on history, for some this is a good thing and for others a problem. I have never found that this approach distracts from the good solid political and social history the series presents.
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 is an excellent addition to this series and contains all the family traits we expect. This is a big book with over 800 pages of text. The book covers the politics of the two party system, how they came into being, their appeal and platforms. The questions on what a weak Federal Government could do and what was needed are well developed. The author is able to cover these issues in a logical manner while making clear the parties platforms and the questions involved. Government policy created a chaotic economic system of boom and bust that plays on politics. Once again, the author keeps us clearly in the picture showing real skill in making the issues understandable.
The best part of the book is the social history. This was a rich and complex time or immigration, religious revival, expansion to the Mississippi River and the growth of cities. This complex society is the heart of the book. The author's straightforward reporting allows the reader to understand life as it was not as we wish to see it. The California Gold Rush, Irish and German immigration, Texas and the war with Mexico sit on a firm foundation established in early chapters. This allows us to understand how these events built the America that went into the Civil War. Every person interested in the Civil War should read this book! It greatly increased my understanding of how the war started and was fought.
I recommend all the books in this series. This is one of the best and is very close to a must read for anyone with an interest in American History.

I've not read a better American history book since The Metaphysical Club. It's the best synthesis of this difficult period in American history I've ever read. Far less politically driven than Schlesinger's The Age of Jackson, Howe carries us through these 33 years as if he lived them. The quality of his scholarship is nothing short of world class, exhaustive and analytical, subtle and insightful. This is one of the very few books I've ever read that brings history into the realm of art. It's a masterpiece, right up there with Robert Hughes' The Fatal Shore and Wood's The Radicalism of the American Revolution.

Now, some details. This book is largely a political, economic and military history, but Howe is far too skilled a scholar to ignore the cultural developments of the young country. While not an intellectual history in the spirit of Menand, Howe interweaves important cultural products and events into their political, religious and economic contexts. His separate treatments of the development of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and (ironically) gender equality are particularly sensitive and enlightening. There's so much good stuff here that it reminds one of shopping at the local whole foods market: There are tasty discoveries around every corner.

Howe's primary thesis is that the Whigs, in response to Jeffersonian (and Jacksonian) democracy run amok, did more to create the modern United States than previous historians have given them credit. Howe illuminates topics that, at first, seem to offer little hope for exciting history - internal improvements, the development of higher education, transportation and communication - but he does it with such narrative skill as to emphasize their importance. Of course, the author then goes on to give us penetrating and exciting narrative studies of important political and military events that have been told before, but rarely with such skill and insight.

This is a long book, but you'll not notice. I'm raving about this one because I'm just so excited to see that there are people out there willing to write (and read) good, scholarly, narrative histories of the United States. An essential read for anyone, anywhere in the world, with a keen interest in American history.

I've not read a better American history book since The Metaphysical Club. It's the best synthesis of this difficult period in American history I've ever read. Far less politically driven than Schlesinger's The Age of Jackson, Howe carries us through these 33 years as if he lived them. The quality of his scholarship is nothing short of world class, exhaustive and analytical, subtle and insightful. This is one of the very few books I've ever read that brings history into the realm of art. It's a masterpiece, right up there with Robert Hughes' The Fatal Shore and Wood's The Radicalism of the American Revolution.

Now, some details. This book is largely a political, economic and military history, but Howe is far too skilled a scholar to ignore the cultural developments of the young country. While not an intellectual history in the spirit of Menand, Howe interweaves important cultural products and events into their political, religious and economic contexts. His separate treatments of the development of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and (ironically) gender equality are particularly sensitive and enlightening. There's so much good stuff here that it reminds one of shopping at the local whole foods market: There are tasty discoveries around every corner.

Howe's primary thesis is about how the legacy of the Federalists, the Whigs, in response to Jeffersonian (and Jacksonian) democracy run amok, did more to create the modern United States than historians have previously understood. Howe illuminates topics that, at first, seem to offer little hope for exciting history - internal improvements, the development of higher education, transportation and communication, religious revivial - but he does it with such narrative skill as to emphasize their importance. Of course, the author then goes on to give us penetrating narrative studies of important political and military events that have been told before, but rarely with such keen insight or from this particular perspective.

This is a long book, but you'll not notice. I'm raving about this one because I'm just so excited to see that there are people out there willing to write (and read) good, scholarly, narrative histories of the United States. An essential read for anyone, anywhere in the world, with a keen interest in American history. This book further enhanced my understanding of what it means to be American.

I gave this book to my brother who is one of those people who reads EVERYTHING and for whom it's hard to find a new book. He really enjoyed reading this volume, and learned so much he didn't know about the US between the War of 1812 and the Civil War. If you are or have someone in your life who could be a Jeopardy Champion and loves history in particular, this is a great book to get.

In "What Hath God Wrought" historian Daniel Walker Howe offers a learned and judicious overview of the political and cultural history of the United States between 1815 -- 1848 which he aptly describes as "The Transformation of America". The book covers the history of the United States beginning with Andrew Jackson's triumph at the Battle of New Orleans and concludes with the War with Mexico. I came to this book after reading a similarly through study of this period of American history by Sean Wilenz, "The Rise of American Democracy" (2005) Howe and Wilenz offer different perspectives on this tranformative period of American history, and it is fascinating to compare the two.

Wilenz's book focuses on Andrew Jackson and on what is commonly called "Jacksonian America". Wilenz sees the transformative aspects of the 1815 -- 1848 period as rooted in the extension of sovereignty at both the national and state levels. For Wilenz, the Jacksonian era, for all its excesses and inconsistencies, marked a transformation from a United States based upon elitism, property and privilege to one based on Jeffersonian democracy to include all white males. Democracy is at the heart of Wilenz's narrative, and he shows how it was unable to keep the United States from falling into sectionalism and Civil War.

Howe takes a different approach to the nature of American transformation than does Wilenz. Howe rejects the term "Jacksonian America" or "Jacksonian Democracy" as covering this period. (p. 4) America was not "Jacksonian" in that Jackson's program was always controversial. Furthermore, the age was not "democratic" as witnessed by the policy of Indian removal, the expansion of slavery, and "the exclusion of women and most nonwhites from the suffrage and equality before the law." (p. 4) The expansion of the suffrage, for Howe, was limited to white males,and, in any event had began well before Jacksonian times. Thus, Howe has a major difference in perspective, in this way among others, from Wilenz. Late in his book, Howe summarizes the factors leading to the transformation of America as: 1. the growth of the market economy, facilitated by improvements in transportation; 2. the increasing vigor of Protestant churches and other voluntary associations; 3. the emergency of mass political parties offering options to the electorate. The communications revolution multiplied the effects of these factors. (p. 849)

Howe's political heroes are opponents of Jackson and the Jacksonian democrats, especially John Quincy Adams, to whose memory the book is dedicated, and, as it seems to me, Henry Clay.

Howe emphasizes the revolution in communication and transportation as leading to a strong, expansive United States and as changing radically the character of the nation. His key figure in epitomizing the new era is Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph. The title of this book is taken from Morse's first message on the telegraph sent from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore on May 24, 1844. The Biblical phrase "What Hath God Wrought" shows, for Howe, a certain ambiguity. Taken as concluding with an explanation mark (!) it reads as a celebration of American expansion. But with a question mark at the end (?), as Morse subsequently recounted his initial message, it "unintentionally turned the phrase from an affirmation of the Chosen People's destiny to a questioning of it." (p.7) Howes's book shows an admirable mixture of celebration and questioning.

Howe frequently describes the contrast between Jacksonians and their opponents as involving a difference between quantitative and qualitative expansion. The Jacksonians expanded the franchise and individualism while they pushed the boundaries of the United States by removing the Indians, acquiring the Oregon territory from Britain, and making war with Mexico. For Howe, the Whigs and other cultural opponents of Jackson stressed a qualitative transformation of America. Their political-cultural program included internal improvements, (Clay's American system), educational and scientific advancement, moral and religious growth, and an attempt to capture American unity as opposed to the strife of party. Howe argues that America owes a great deal to the opponents of Jackson -- including the figure of Abraham Lincoln.

There is a great deal in Howe's book about religion as transforming America in what is known as the "Second Great Awakening." Howe emphasizes the role religion played in the abolitionist movement, in opposing the mistreatment of the Indians, in crusades for temperance, and in the development of the movement for women's rights. (In the concluding section of his book, Howe spends a great deal of space praising the 1848 convention for Women's Rights in Seneca Falls, New York.)

Howe's book shows an extraordinary amount of thought and learning, with extensive footnotes on every page and a detailed bibliographical essay at the conclusion. Of the many subjects he addresses, I thought his treatment of the War with Mexico particularly insightful. Howe is deeply critical of the expansionist, aggressive character of this war and of the president, James. K. Polk, who fomented it. Yet he recognizes that in "the long run of history" in some respects the seizure of California from Mexico worked for "the general interests of mankind." For Howe, "God moves in mysterious ways, and He is certainly capable of bringing good out of evil." (p. 811)

Howe's book, especially taken with Wilenz's impressive study, offers much for learning and for thought about the United States, its past, and its future. As Howe concludes: " Like the people of 1848, we look with both awe and uncertainty at what God hath wrought in the United States of America." (p. 855)

Robin Friedman

About halfway through the book I began to wonder if this was a history book or a political statement. The latter won out. The book's main thrust was the evil done by white men to the American Indians, the African Americans and the Mexicans and by inference the evil of Bush's war on Iraq.

I cannot understand how the editors of The Oxford History of the United States permitted the book to be published under their umbrella, a little more than "political correctness" gone wild.

I am aware that this is a statement rather than a review and I did read the book through.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the book is necessarily heavy on political history, though this book is not the tale of the rise and fall of political parties or politicians. Instead, Howe has chosen to evaluate American society largely through a political lens - in fact, he has chosen six major actors to play leading roles in his story: Andrew Jackson, J.Q. Adams, Henry Clay, James K. Polk, John Calhoun, & Daniel Webster.

Although he focuses largely on the achievements (or, in some cases the failures) of these men, he does not ignore society as a whole, nor does he ignore military endeavors, such as the Mexican War and the participants in that conflict.

All told, this is an excellent synthesis of the period. Professor Howe has demonstrated an extraordinary command of the secondary literature of the period, while incorporating many works of recent scholarship (especially the last 10 years). I was very impressed as I read the book with Howe's skillful weaving of a narrative loosely coupled by the theme of a communications revolution, which is much different than many other works pertaining to this period, which focus almost exclusively on the economic transformation that took place in this period.

I was equally impressed with Howe's command of the entire nation; unlike many books about this period, he did not sectionalize the book; by not focusing on just the Southern US, or just the Eastern seaboard, he allows the reader to understand the whole picture.

This is a worthy addition to any library of one who is intrigued by US History, even if that reader is not a 19th century specialist. I would even encourage professors to consider assigning this as a basic text (despite the fact that it is a rather lenghty tome at 860+ pages) for an upper level survey of Jacksonian America. It is a much appreciated addition to the Oxford History of the United States series.

The highest praise that I can give this book is that it is on par with the already published volumes of the Oxford History of the United States. What Hath God Wrought is a superb survey and analysis of the period from the end of the War of 1812 to the end of the Mexican-American War. Walker Howe provides excellent narrative of the political history of this period accompanied by thoughtful descriptions and analyses of the many remarkable changes occurring in American society. Walker Howe covers the emergence of the second American party system, the Second Great Awakening and other religious developments, the beginning of industrialization, the enormous increase in cotton cultivation and American involvement in the international market, the changes brought by new transportation and communications technologies, the American Renaissance, the great westward movements, Indian removal, and a number of other topics in many well written and integrated sections. All of these topics are extremely well integrated into the basic political, diplomatic, and military narrative. The quality of writing is excellent thoughout with Walker Howe drawing on a wide array of primary and impressive secondary sources.

Running throughout this volume are a couple of recurrent themes. One is the increasing complexity and speed of daily brought about the great revolutions of communications and transport technology. Andrew Jackson, for example, came to Washington in a horse drawn carriage and returned to Tennessee via railroad. An even more prominent theme is the recurrent conflict between 2 visions of American society and American government. One of these, associated largely with the Democratic party, was a vision of a predominantly agrarian America with a weak Federal government and dominated by white men. The alternative vision, associated with the Whigs, was one of a more mixed industrial and agrarian economy whose development was facilitated by a vigorous (by 19th century standards) central government subsidizing infrastructure on a national scale. This particular vision was associated also with reformist Protestant movements stressing self- and social improvement and sympathetic to the claims of Indians, slaves, and women (though not necessarily to the claims of Catholic religious minorities). Walker Howe does particularly well in using this theme to show the relationships between major cultural and social trends and many important political and diplomatic events.

Walker Howe, who has written previously on the Whigs, evinces considerable sympathy for the Whig vision, even to the extent of making counterfactual suggestions that greater Whig political success would have had a beneficial outcome on the subsequent course of American history. His case is very strong.

As is the case with all books in this series, there is a very good bibliographic essay for readers wishing to delve deeper into the literature.

Like several of its predecessors in the Oxford series, this book is destined to win one or more major prizes and will be the standard survey for years to come.

One of the most fascinating, well written,and detailed history books I have ever read. It reads like a mystery novel, hard to put down despite its weighty 800 plus pages, Frank Brull

What Hath God Wrought were the first words spoken over the telegraph. They were uttered by the inventor of that device Samuel F.B. Morse on May 24, 1844 as the line from Washington D.C. to Baltimore became operable. The words were taken from Numbers 23;23 in the Bible.
So begins this magisterial history of America from the War of 1812's ending at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 to the conclusion of the Mexican War. With brilliance, insight and expertise on a broad array of topics the author Daniel Walker Howe has crafted a wonderful panoramic view of our land in this era of social, political, transportational and communicational change.
Three major changes occurred in this time which would transform rural America into the beginnings of the industrial giant she is today:
1. The growth of the market economy aided by internal improvements such as canals, railroads and mass communication innovations such as a cheap press to meet growing the needs of a growing literacy in the populace;
the demise of the National Bank and the growth of paper money circulation and more international trade being developed.
2. The growth of churches as voluntary and no longer state controlled. Howe devotes a good deal of space to the rise of the Transcendental movement in New England; the rise of the homegrown American Mormons; the
rise of abolitionism, femininistic movements and the influence religion had in political and cultural life.
3. The rise of the national political parties and the beginning of modern
campaigns for office. We see the clash between the Democrats under the leadership of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren dueling with Henry Clay and the Whigs during much of this period. When the era ended in 1848 the stage was set for the bitter national debate over the role of slavery in American life culminating in the bloodbath of the Civil War and the freeing of the slaves.
Howe defines the differences between the Jacksonian Democrats and the Whigs by saying of the former:
The Democrats favored the removal of Native Americans to west of the Mississippi River; they favored low tarrifs and chattel slavery, were inimcal to internal improvements and were imperialistic in their manifest destiny quest to master the continent. Democrat James K. Polk the eleventh president launched the war against Mexico in 1846 and dueled with the British over the Oregon territory. He won California, New Mexico, Oregan and Texas for the United States.
The Whigs (named for the British party which opposed monarchy: slam at Andrew Jackson's hegemony over national politics as seen in the nullification crisis with South Carolina in 1832 . Southern Rights Senator and Vice-President John C. Calhoun was a bitter enemy of Jackson.)
The Whigs favored internal improvements; tariffs; the Bank of the United States under the directorship of Nicholas Biddle and a strong Federal government. Their leaders were men like Henry Clay and one of the heroes of the book-John Quincy Adams. Adams supported good causes and was a friend of African-Americans and Indians. Like Congressman Abraham Lincoln he opposed the expansionistic Mexican War. Arguments over the validity of the invasion of Mexico remind this reviewer of the battles over our involvement in Iraq by an aggressive administration eager to display military clout around the world.
This massive text of 900 pages is not for the timid! It is a detailed account of the era which is little remembered by most Americans. It was
a pivotal time when the old America of the Revolution was transformed into the modern age. Such giants strode the earth in those days! In the Senate there was Clay, Calhoun, Webster and Benton. In the White House were such men as Old Hickory Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren; in the military realm strode Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor and the young Robert E; Lee. American authors came into their own as our national literature saw the publication of classics by Nathaniel Hawthorne, James Fenimore Cooper, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Margaret Fuller.
Howe is pro-Whig and has harsh things to say about Andrew Jackson who was a white supremist. The Whig Party dissolved over slavery with many of them becoming members of the new Republican Party led to victory in the presidential contest of 1860 by Abraham Lincoln of Illinois.
America in the 1815-1848 timespan was rowdy, rough and xenephobic. It was a white man's land though women and black voices were being raised. The American Indians were persecuted and immigrants such as the newly arrived Irish fresh from the 1845 potato famine had to fight hard for their place in a new society. It was also a time of unbounded optimism when men and women rose to the top through hard work, growing educational opportunities and an expansion of the vocational market. The American experiment of democracy was then and is now a bright beacon of hope to a suffering humanity. Dr. Howe has done a brilliant job in this wonderful book!

This nearly 900 page tome is an amazing work of history. It covers in amazing detail one of the most critical periods of American history, from the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 through the discovery of gold in California and then ensuing gold rush. The work is both exhaustive and covers every aspect from political, to economic to social developments.

Make no bones about it, this is not a work you want to read unless you are willing to devote a) two weeks to the materials b) enjoy reading a complete history of the era and c) have a passion for the series. The author does a very good job at highlighting both the compelling major figures of the era with some of the more unique people who later on became more influential.

Either way this is another feather in the cap of the Oxford History of the United States!

The decades following the War of 1812 witnessed some of the most dramatic changes in our nation's history. In that time, the United States underwent political, economic, and social transformations that dramatically reshaped the country, taking it from its post-colonial emergence and setting it on the road towards its dynamic emergence in the world. Daniel Walker Howe's book is a narrative of these years and the changes that took place, as well as what those changes meant to the future of the country.

Though Howe examines nearly every aspect of the period, politics dominate his coverage, which is understandable given his background as a political historian. The figure of Andrew Jackson looms large in these pages, yet Howe rejects any characterization of the era as "Jacksonian", arguing that the phrase glosses over his controversial and divisive nature. This controversy is reflected well within his account, as Howe is highly critical of Jackson (something that is somewhat predictable from the start given that his book is dedicated to the memory of John Quincy Adams), asserting that the seventh president demonstrated an authoritarian bent throughout his career. His arguments on this, as with so many other parts of the books, are convincing, and supported by an impressive command of the scholarship on the period. Nor is the author shy on asserting his own viewpoint in these debates, arguing that a "communications revolution" was more demonstrable than the "market revolution" seen by Charles Sellers and others, that the emergence of the market economy was not the negative development Sellers made it out to be, and that Jackson's campaigns were hardly the democracy-expanding force asserted by historians such as Sean Wilentz. These historiographical assertions do not slow down his work, however; if anything, he could have engaged them a bit more within the text to explain why such interpretations are contestable.

This is a minor quibble with a major achievement. Broad in scope and encompassing an impressive amount of material, Howe provides a readable and perceptive survey of a dynamic young nation, one that experienced a breathtaking number of changes during these years. His book is among the best entries of the "Oxford History of the United States" series, and surely will be a standard text on the era for many decades to come.

The decades following the War of 1812 witnessed some of the most dramatic changes in our nation's history. In that time, the United States underwent political, economic, and social transformations that dramatically reshaped the country, taking it from its post-colonial emergence and setting it on the road towards its dynamic emergence in the world. Daniel Walker Howe's book is a narrative of these years and the changes that took place, as well as what those changes meant to the future of the country.

Though Howe examines nearly every aspect of the period, politics dominate his coverage, which is understandable given his background as a political historian. The figure of Andrew Jackson looms large in these pages, yet Howe rejects any characterization of the era as "Jacksonian", arguing that the phrase glosses over his controversial nature. This controversy is reflected well within his account, as Howe is highly critical of Jackson (something that is somewhat predictable from the start given that his book is dedicated to the memory of John Quincy Adams), asserting that the seventh president demonstrated an authoritarian bent throughout his career. His arguments on this, as with so many other parts of the books, are convincing, and supported by an impressive command of the scholarship on the period. Nor is the author shy on asserting his own viewpoint in these debates, arguing that a "communications revolution" was more demonstrable than the "market revolution" seen by Charles Sellers and others, and that Jackson's campaigns were hardly the democracy-expanding force asserted by historians such as Sean Wilentz. These historiographical assertions do not slow down his work, however; if anything, he could have engaged them a bit more to explain why such interpretations are contestable.

This is a minor quibble with a major achievement. Overall, Howe provides a readable and perceptive survey of a dynamic young nation, one that experienced a breathtaking number of changes during these years. His book is an excellent entry of the "Oxford History of the United States" series, and surely will be a standard text on the era for many decades to come.

What Hath God Wrought, the latest entry into the marvelous series, The Oxford History of the United States, by Daniel Walker Howe, is another major score for readers and historians alike. It is well a thought out, broad in scope, interesting in concept and a very readable narrative of the United States from the end of the War of 1812 (1815) to the end of the Mexican American War (1848). Howe's subtitle, "The Transformation of America" is proven in an interdisciplinary way throughout its pages. Perhaps the editor, David M. Kennedy, puts it best, "Like Tocqueville's (Democracy in America), his deepest subject in not simply politics - though the pages that follow do full justice to the tumultuous and consequential politics of the era - but the entire array of economic, technological, social, cultural, and even psychological developments that were beginning to shape a distinctively American national identity. Howe brings to bear an impressive command of modern scholarship to explicate topics as varied as the Mexican War; the crafting of the Monroe Doctrine and the clash with Britain over the Oregon country; the emergence of the Whig, Free Soil, and Republican Parties; the Lone Star revolution in Texas and the gold rush in California; the sectional differentiation of the American economy; the accelerating pace of both mechanical and cultural innovations, not least as they affected the organization of the household and the lives of women; and the emergence of a characteristic American literature in the works of writers like Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, James Fenimore Cooper, Margaret Fuller, Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman." Howe himself lives up to his words - "Along with the traditional subject matter of history - political, diplomatic, and military events - the story includes the social, economic, and cultural developments that have extensively concerned historians in recent years. This reflects my own conviction that both kinds of history are essential to a full understanding of the past." This is a fabulous historical narrative of a period in history that is generally, and wrongly, simply viewed through the "Jacksonian Democracy" lens. A fine read and clearly worthy of this terrific and scholarly series by the Oxford University Press.


On a somewhat different note, it appears as if readers are in for a treat over the next 12- 24 months with the "missing" volumes at least having manuscripts into David Kennedy (Freedom from Fear) and the series' new editor with the passing of C. Vann Woodward.

Volumes 1 and 2, covering the Colonial Period (1672-1763) have been assigned, in some order, yet to be made public (that I am aware of) to Fred Anderson (University of Colorado) and Andrew Cayton (Miami University of Ohio).

Volume 3 - The Glorious Cause 1763-89, Robert Middlekauf PUBLISHED
Volume 4 - The U.S. from 1789-1815, Gordon Wood (Brown University)
Volume 5- What Hath God Wrought 1815-48, Daniel Walker Howe (UCLA) PUBLISHED and reviewed above
Volume 6- Battle Cry of Freedom, 1848-65, James McPherson PUBLISHED
Volume 7- Leviathan: America Comes of Age, 1865-1900, H.W. Brands (Texas) - scratched from series but due out in October/November of this year (2007)
Volume 8- Reawakened Nation, 1896-1929, Bruce Schulman (Boston University)
Volume 9- Freedom from Fear, 1929-1945, David M. Kennedy PUBLISHED
Volume 10- Grand Expectations, 1945-74, James T. Patterson PUBLISHED
Volume 11- Restless Giant, 1974-2000, James T. Patterson PUBLISHED
Volume 12 - a volume on US Foreign Policy, not period specific, George C. Herring (University of Kentucky) due out 2008

What Hath God Wrought, the latest entry into the marvelous series, The Oxford History of the United States, by Daniel Walker Howe, is another major score for readers and historians alike. It is well a thought out, broad in scope, interesting in concept and a very readable narrative of the United States from the end of the War of 1812 (1815) to the end of the Spanish American War (1848). Howe's subtitle, "The Transformation of America" is proven in an interdisciplinary way throughout its pages. Perhaps the editor, David M. Kennedy, puts it best, "Like Tocqueville's (Democracy in America), his deepest subject in not simply politics - thought the pages that follow do full justice to the tumultuous and consequential politics of the era - but the entire array of economic, technological, social, cultural, and even psychological developments that were beginning to shape a distinctively American national identity. Howe brings to bear an impressive command of modern scholarship to explicate topics as varied as the Mexican War; the crafting of the Monroe Doctrine and the clash with Britain over the Oregon country; the emergence of the Whig, Free Soil, and Republican Parties; the Lone Star revolution in Texas and the gold rush in California; the sectional differentiation of the American economy; the accelerating pace of both mechanical and cultural innovations, not least as they affected the organization of the household and the lives of women; and the emergence of a characteristic American literature in the works of writers like Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, James Fenimore Cooper, Margaret Fuller, Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman." Howe himself lives up to his words - "Along with the traditional subject matter of history - political, diplomatic, and military events - the story includes the social, economic, and cultural developments that have extensively concerned historians in recent years. This reflects my own conviction that both kinds of history are essential to a full understanding of the past." This is a fabulous historical narrative of a period in history that is generally simply, and wrongly, simply viewed through the "Jacksonian Democracy" lens. A fine read and clearly worthy of this terrific and scholarly series by the Oxford University Press.


On a somewhat different note, it appears as if readers are in for a treat over the next 12- 24 months with the "missing" volumes at least having manuscripts into David Kennedy (Freedom from Fear) and the series' new editor with the passing of C. Vann Woodward.

Volumes 1 and 2, covering the Colonial Period (1672-1763) have been assigned, in some order, yet to be made public (that I am aware of) to Fred Anderson (University of Colorado) and Andrew Cayton (Miami University of Ohio).

Volume 3 - The Glorious Cause 1763-89, Robert Middlekauf PUBLISHED
Volume 4 - The U.S. from 1789-1815, Gordon Wood (Brown University)
Volume 5- What Hath God Wrought 1815-48, Daniel Walker Howe (UCLA) PUBLISHED and reviewed above
Volume 6- Battle Cry of Freedom, 1848-65, James McPherson PUBLISHED
Volume 7- Leviathan: America Comes of Age, 1865-1900, H.W. Brands (Texas) - scratched from series but due out in October/November of this year (2007)
Volume 8- Reawakened Nation, 1896-1929, Bruce Schulman (Boston University)
Volume 9- Freedom from Fear, 1929-1945, David M. Kennedy PUBLISHED
Volume 10- Grand Expectations, 1945-74, James T. Patterson PUBLISHED
Volume 11- Restless Giant, 1974-2000, James T. Patterson PUBLISHED