The United Ideologies of America
A wise and readable narrative history of the United States is a reminder of how tenaciously previous generations have clung to the view that the country is the ‘last, best hope of earth’.
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America: the Last Empire
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 16 empires of varying size and reach. At the end of the century, there was just one: the United States. How did this happen and what role did Britain play in smoothing America’s path to global hegemony?
Manifest Destiny
James K. Polk’s first State of the Union Address, on 2 December 1845, promoted the concept that the US should encompass all of North America.
California: The Not-So Golden State
Blessed with beauty and wealth, California fails to come to terms with its past.
New Orleans: The Bubble and the Big Easy
The unusual circumstances of the founding of New Orleans have had lasting impact on its culture.
Justice in an Unjust World
The untold story of African-Americans’ civil cases in the segregated South.
On the Streets of New York City
The pushcarts of the Lower East Side epitomised New York’s bustling immigrant community. The drive to Americanise brought about their demise and changed the streets forever.
Practical Philosophy and Benjamin Franklin
Long before he helped to draft the Declaration of Independence, Franklin was a printer, an inventor and a philosopher.
The Savagery and Civility of the Thanksgiving Feast
A celebrated image of the first Thanksgiving presents an idealised view of a troubled relationship.
Let Them Eat Meat
Faced with an extortionate rise in the price of kosher meat, Jewish women in New York’s Lower East Side employed protest tactics borrowed from the radical political movements that prospered in their neighbourhood.