The 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland, which was located between New England in the north and Maryland and Virginia in the south, has received little attention from most historians of colonial America. The New Netherland Project was formed in 1974 under the sponsorship of the New York State Library and the Holland Society of New York…

Provides a wide-ranging survey of relations between war, science, and technology from the days of the American colonies to the Vietnam War, indicating that the overall impact of science and technology on war has been overstated by historians in many fields. Includes military histories that science/technology historians have not used. (JN)

In 1921, during the course of a news conference, President Warren G. Harding misinterpreted the provisions of one of the treaties then under consideration by delegates to the Washington Disarmament Conference. His error was corrected in a few hours, but this incident was blown out of proportion by those who were convinced that Harding was an inept…

Recounts the life and writings of noted U. S. historian, Carl Becker. Provides an analysis of his influence on the academic study of European history in the United States. (JDH)

Carl Becker's contribution to the philosophy of historical relativism is presented. Three ideas central to historical relativism are: 1) the subjectivity of historical facts, 2) history as a product of the historian's imagination, and 3) the influence of the contemporary "climate of opinion" in shaping the historian's view of the past.…

This book focuses on the history of the Statue of Liberty National Monument from 1952 through 1982. It describes how the monument has come to symbolize an expanding set of ideals, how the symbolism has produced responses in various groups of people ranging from celebrations to physical attacks upon the Statue, and the manner in which the monument…

Discusses Patrick Henry's and James Madison's opinions on how the U.S. Constitution should be constructed. Describes how Henry introduced a set of substantive objections which were shared by Antifederalists throughout the country and persuaded many Revolutionaries that the Constitution was essentially at odds with the principles of 1776. (BSR)

Discusses the historiography of the Cold War, identifying five points central to orthodox interpretation, another five made by revisionist historians, and four by postrevisionists on the topic. Reexamines these interpretations, probing into their implications and identifying major points of conflict. (AEM)

Comparing the biographies of individuals is a technique that can be used to illuminate the larger history of a society. As an illustration, comparative biographies of two dissident leaders, Huey Long and Father Charles Coughlin, are discussed to show how they reflect the social and political history of the 1930s. (RM)

Using baseball as its focus, this article demonstrates the importance of sport in helping students understand certain central themes of United States history. Provides a brief history of baseball and reviews scholarly works on its influence in United States culture. (JDH)

Within the context of American studies, this article explores how material artifacts, in this case early American structures and dwellings representative of different sections of the United States, can illuminate the history of a community. (JDH)

Defines the methodology and scope of interest of historical demography and sketches the main contours of American demographic history, showing how it relates to social history. Specifically treats native American populations, frontier settlement, and the baby boom of the 1940s and 50s. (JDH)

Examines the nature of 19th century U.S. nationalism. Contends that a by-product of it was the emergence of a political atmosphere which was not conducive to critical questioning of government policies which violated Indian rights, propelled the country into an unjust war with Mexico, and allowed the mistreatment of millions of blacks. (BSR)

Examines the rhetorical role of several twentieth century historians who were opinion leaders on behalf of the American way of achieving success: by emulating the earlier qualities of our frontier and founding fathers. Discusses the role of Frederick Turner Jackson, Charles A. Beard, Carl Becker, Allan Nevins, and others. (PD)

Reviews the work of American urban historians, noting that historians lagged far behind other disciplines in discovering the significance of industrialization and suburbanization on the American character. Contains an extensive bibliography of the literature in this field. (JDH)