Traces the life and career of DeWitt Clinton, who served as mayor of New York City, governor of New York, and U.S. senator. Stresses that Clinton deeply impacted the state and nation as the founder of New York City's public schools, as an advocate of higher education for women, and as a major figure in building the Erie Canal. (NL)

Contends that the results of a survey of historians indicate a profession divided within itself. Maintains that cultural diversity was considered one of the "best" and "worst" attributes of contemporary U.S. society. Discusses the concept of progress and its current historical interpretations. (CFR)

Teachers can approach U.S. history since 1945 in two time periods. The first is "Postwar America" (1945-1973), the playing out of the economic, cultural, social, cultural/intellectual, and foreign policy thrusts and attitudes that grew out of the Great Depression and World War II. The second era, "Recent America"…

Addresses the media's role in changing the nature of heroes in the United States. Describes the changes in cultural values that resulted in statesmen and soldiers being replaced by athletes and film and television celebrities. Attributes change to the development of the consumer society, centralization of the entertainment industry, and advances…

Discusses U.S. studies at Russian universities. Includes the status of the field, difficulties in obtaining sources, communist interpretation of U.S. social problems resulting in methodological isolationism, and low quality of scholarship. Warns against a shift in attitude that idealizes the Western experience. Argues that changes in mentality…

Maintains that, as a historian, social critic, and moralist, Christopher Lasch was a powerful presence in U.S. intellectual life. Presents an interview with Lasch prior to his death in February 1994. Reports that Lasch believed that optimism is a kind of investment in the future whereas hope is the rejection of envy and resentment. (CFR)

Theory on the patterns of generational cycles is examined as a context for looking at Generation X, born 1961-1981. General cultural and historical background characteristics of this group's members, their sociocultural traits and attitudes, and their relationship with their predecessors, the Baby Boomers, are discussed. (MSE)

This guide presents strategies and worksheets for helping students in grades 4 through 12 learn about the important contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the achievement of civil rights. The guide is presented in two parallel parts, the first for the elementary and the second for the secondary grades, and both parts are divided into…

This is one of a four-volume series intended to improve students' (grade 6-adult) critical thinking through evaluation of conflicting viewpoints of United States history. Each lesson is a self-contained problem that can be integrated at any point in a corresponding history unit. The book represents both analytical and narrative history. Unit One…

Emma Goldman (1869-1940) is a major figure in the history of radicalism and feminism in the United States. In a period when the expression of controversial ideas was dangerous, Goldman insisted on her right to challenge convention. She was among the most prominent advocates of labor's right to organize, reproductive rights, sexual freedom, freedom…

Discusses the formation of the Women's Auxiliary Corps (WAC) and its contribution to the Allied war effort. Numerous quotes from veteran WACs illustrate various aspects of their service, including camaraderie, wartime conditions, and racial and sexual discrimination. Concludes with a brief look at the veterans' postwar experiences. (MJP)

Examines the Depression era Townsend Movement that pressed for old age pensions. Compares this movement with a model social movement to explore what facilitates the development of movements and what determines their success or failure. Concludes that the political mediation model explains successes as reinforced political action with strong member…

Maintains that, although slavery is a major topic in U.S. history, the geographical focus is primarily on the South. Discusses slavery and two slave revolts in colonial New York in the early 1700s. Includes descriptions of the slave revolts and two information tables. (CFR)

Discusses the changing legal status of women from the American Revolution to the present. Divides discussion into five major constitutional periods. Describes the "Broken Barometer" theory in which laws passed for the benefit of women are actually an indicator of their past needs rather than their present concerns. (RW)

Discusses the furor created when Walt Disney Studios announced plans to develop a "historic amusement park" near the Manassas (Virginia) National Battlefield Park. Maintains that the public debate over the popular understanding of history reflects an ongoing tension between academic historians and the purveyors of popular history. (CFR)