Published to commemorate the Constitution's bicentennial year and remind Americans that books and the life of the mind are vital national traditions, this volume contains both an essay, "Well Acquainted with Books: The Founding Framers of 1787," by Robert A. Rutland, and James Madison's List of Books for Congress, 1783. The essay…

When historians of the U.S. antebellum free black community examine attitudes toward emigration, they invariably focus on hostility to the American Colonization Society (ACS). However, while many free people were deeply disturbed by the efforts of the ACS to send them to Liberia, they were ready to consider settling on Haiti. In 1818, Prince…

Beginning in 1936, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote an unprecedented newspaper column that provided readers with a detailed recital of her daily activities. Titled "My Day," the column gave behind-the-scenes glimpses of White House life and served as a platform from which the First Lady could state her personal views. The column was a…

Notes that the primary arbiters of acceptable behavior in informal social conversation are authors of works on etiquette, and that their rules and taboos reflect and shape conversation in the social era in which they appear. Describes behavior books for adults and children in the first half of the eighteenth century in the United States. (SKC)

This article traces the development of the concept and roles of literacy in Western civilization. Current concern about declining literacy in American students is discussed historically in terms of (1) rising literacy standards; (2) applying the standards and tastes of traditional elites to the larger population; and (3) the perennial…

Concludes that Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the pattern of press-government relations with his organized publicity system. (FL)

This article offers a collection of commentary on work and play, including sources spanning some three centuries of American history. It is noted that the work ethic, in its various forms and shades, has perceptibly provided the leitmotif for the American experience in work and play. (JMK)

Reviews "Ethnic America" by Thomas Sowell, summarizing and analyzing Sowell's general approach and then critiquing the application of his approach to Puerto Ricans. Critizes "Sowell's lack of 'verstehen'--or even minimal familiarity--with the community" and his "pretence sic" to accurate documentation and…

Argues that editor William Allen White was striving to set a social and political agenda that would advance business values and bring prosperity to his home state, Kansas. (FL)

Reviews a number of books describing the American working class and political and social conditions in the work place. Considers the overall effect of the trends identified, as well as the role of vocational education, in a slow or no-growth economy. (SK)

Reexamines "An American Dilemma," by Gunnar Myrdal, et al., with the object of clarifying the background which shaped the polemical portion of the book examining the pathological and derivative aspects of the Black community. Indicates that ways of conceptualizing culture have greatly changed since 1944, the year the book was published.…

Discusses similarities in the contemporary crafts from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Sea Island region of the United States as evidence of African cultural survivals. (GC)

Proposes reasons for the precipitous drop in the number of Black farmers since the 1950s. Today, most Black farmers have very small operations and are at an advanced age. A healthy rural nonfarm economy is essential to supplement farmers incomes. The Agriculture Credit Act of 1987 offers low-interest loans to Black farmers. (KS)

Suggests that United States history contains many incidents of violence directed against news media and their personnel. Provides historical examples of four patterns of violent activity against the media: (1) personal assaults; (2) majoritarian; (3) antigroup; and (4) inclusionary violence. Notes a contemporary view of the media as mainstream and…

Suggests that research on Congressional history is problematic due to the complexity of the institution. Provides a literature review broken down by the era covered in the works, beginning with the colonial roots of Congress and continuing until the present in 50-year spans. Notes sources for historical materials on Congress. (DSK)