Summary
When George Washington took the reins of the presidency in 1789, the United States was little more than a youthful republic largely populated by farmers who could not imagine their country extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But within three generations, the nation stretched across the continent, reliant on steam power and machines to connect its people. The idea of democracy had been redefined, and cities had sprung up across the landscape, planted in the wake of tens of thousands of Americans moving west. The United States experienced two large-scale wars and a scattering of Indian conflicts; the country had witnessed the births and deaths of several political parties but had emerged stronger and more nationalistic than ever. Reformers had retooled the nation's spiritual energies, and those who followed the lure of rich land in Oregon or golden riches in California had carried the American flag all the way to the western ocean.
Early National America: 1790–1850, Updated Edition explains how the first formative years of the country's existence shaped the nation we know today. This informative eBook serves as a time capsule of the era, bringing to life the people and events that have shaped the nation through a clear and entertaining narrative and lively full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Students will find this eBook valuable for reports, a prime supplement to textbooks, or simply engaging reading.
About the Author(s)
Tim McNeese is an associate professor of history at York College in York, Nebraska, where he has been teaching for more than 15 years. McNeese earned an associate's degree from York College, a B.A. in history and political science from Harding University, and an M.A. in history from Missouri State University. He has published more than 100 books and educational materials over the past 20 years on everything from Picasso to landmark Supreme Court decisions. His writing has earned him a citation in the library reference work Contemporary Authors. In 2006, McNeese appeared on the History Channel program Risk Takers/History Makers: John Wesley Powell and the Grand Canyon.
Richard Jensen is a research professor at Montana State University, Billings. He has published 11 books on a wide range of topics in American political, social, military, and economic history, as well as computer science. He earned his Ph.D. from Yale and has taught at numerous colleges and universities, including Michigan, Harvard, Illinois–Chicago, and West Point.