American Foundational Myths

Author : Heike Paul
Publisher : transcript Verlag
Page : 451 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2014-08-31
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9783839414859

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The Myths That Made America by Heike Paul Pdf

This essential introduction to American studies examines the core foundational myths upon which the nation is based and which still determine discussions of US-American identities today. These myths include the myth of »discovery,« the Pocahontas myth, the myth of the Promised Land, the myth of the Founding Fathers, the melting pot myth, the myth of the West, and the myth of the self-made man. The chapters provide extended analyses of each of these myths, using examples from popular culture, literature, memorial culture, school books, and every-day life. Including visual material as well as study questions, this book will be of interest to any student of American studies and will foster an understanding of the United States of America as an imagined community by analyzing the foundational role of myths in the process of nation building.

Author : Ray Raphael
Publisher : ReadHowYouWant.com
Page : 546 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2010-10-08
Category : History
ISBN : 9781458781147

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Founding Myths by Ray Raphael Pdf

Widely praised following its initial publication, Founding Myths is a page-turner created out of the stuff of American history primers. Reexamining thirteen well-known tales from the American struggle for independence, the book documents the errors and inventions that permeate these cherished national myths - myths that are often still taught in American history classes - in what Baltimores City Paper calls a ''debunking that does not disappoint. ''Engaging and eye-opening (The Sacramento Bee), Ray Raphaels bold and provocative book reexamines the story of Paul Reveres midnight ride, which turns out to have involved far more than one rider; Patrick Henrys famous (and fictitious) ''Give Me Liberty speech; and the made-up character of Molly Pitcher, among many others. Raphael cleverly demonstrates how these stories evolved over time. And in each case, he offers an alternative version, one that is both more historically accurate and more in tune with our nations democratic ideals. For anyone who is curious about the true story of the nations founding, and for those searching for a genuine chronicle of democratic struggle, Founding Myths is American history at its truest and most vital.

Author : Richard T. Hughes
Publisher : University of Illinois Press
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2018-09-05
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780252050800

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Myths America Lives By by Richard T. Hughes Pdf

Six myths lie at the heart of the American experience. Taken as aspirational, four of those myths remind us of our noblest ideals, challenging us to realize our nation's promise while galvanizing the sense of hope and unity we need to reach our goals. Misused, these myths allow for illusions of innocence that fly in the face of white supremacy, the primal American myth that stands at the heart of all the others.

Author : Andrew L. Seidel
Publisher : Sterling
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2021-10-12
Category : History
ISBN : 1454943912

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The Founding Myth by Andrew L. Seidel Pdf

Was America founded on Judeo-Christian principles? Are the Ten Commandments the basis for American law? In the paperback edition of this critically acclaimed book, a constitutional attorney settles the debate about religion's role in America's founding. In today's contentious political climate, understanding religion's role in American government is more important than ever. Christian nationalists assert that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and advocate an agenda based on this popular historical claim. But is this belief true? The Founding Myth answers the question once and for all. Andrew L. Seidel builds his case by comparing the Ten Commandments to the Constitution and contrasting biblical doctrine with America's founding philosophy, showing that the Declaration of Independence contradicts the Bible. Thoroughly researched, this persuasively argued and fascinating book proves that America was not built on the Bible and that Christian nationalism is un-American. Includes a new epilogue reflecting on the role Christian nationalism played in fomenting the January 6, 2021, insurrection in DC and the warnings the nation missed.

Author : Martin Heusser,Gudrun Grabher
Publisher : Gunter Narr Verlag
Page : 238 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2002
Category : Constitutional history
ISBN : 382334689X

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American Foundational Myths by Martin Heusser,Gudrun Grabher Pdf

Author : Joseph J. Ellis
Publisher : Random House Large Print Publishing
Page : 514 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : History
ISBN : 9780739326183

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American Creation by Joseph J. Ellis Pdf

A masterful examination of the early years of the American Republic analyzes the eventful last quarter of the eighteenth century, the accomplishments of the American founders, and the triumphs and failures that shaped the early nation and the American character. (History -- United States)

Author : Barry Alan Shain
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 422 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 1996-08-25
Category : History
ISBN : 0691029121

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The Myth of American Individualism by Barry Alan Shain Pdf

Sharpening the debate over the values that formed America's founding political philosophy, Barry Alan Shain challenges us to reconsider what early Americans meant when they used such basic political concepts as the public good, liberty, and slavery. We have too readily assumed, he argues, that eighteenth-century Americans understood these and other terms in an individualistic manner. However, by exploring how these core elements of their political thought were employed in Revolutionary-era sermons, public documents, newspaper editorials, and political pamphlets, Shain reveals a very different understanding--one based on a reformed Protestant communalism. In this context, individual liberty was the freedom to order one's life in accord with the demanding ethical standards found in Scripture and confirmed by reason. This was in keeping with Americans' widespread acceptance of original sin and the related assumption that a well-lived life was only possible in a tightly knit, intrusive community made up of families, congregations, and local government bodies. Shain concludes that Revolutionary-era Americans defended a Protestant communal vision of human flourishing that stands in stark opposition to contemporary liberal individualism. This overlooked component of the American political inheritance, he further suggests, demands examination because it alters the historical ground upon which contemporary political alternatives often seek legitimation, and it facilitates our understanding of much of American history and of the foundational language still used in authoritative political documents.

Author : Ray Raphael
Publisher : The New Press
Page : 309 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2013-03-05
Category : History
ISBN : 9781595588388

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Constitutional Myths by Ray Raphael Pdf

Americans on both sides of the aisle love to reference the Constitution as the ultimate source of truth. But which truth? What did the framers really have in mind? In a book that author R.B. Bernstein calls “essential reading,” acclaimed historian Ray Raphael places the Constitution in its historical context, dispensing little-known facts and debunking popular preconceived notions. For each myth, Raphael first notes the kernel of truth it represents, since most myths have some basis in fact. Then he presents a big “BUT”—the larger context that reveals what the myth distorts. What did the framers see as the true role of government? What did they think of taxes? At the Constitutional Convention, how did they mix principles with politics? Did James Madison really father the Constitution? Did the framers promote a Bill of Rights? Do the so-called Federalist Papers reveal the Constitution's inner meaning? An authoritative and entertaining book, which “should appeal equally to armchair historians and professionals in the field” (Booklist), Constitutional Myths reveals what our founding document really says and how we should apply it today.

Author : Mary Miley Theobald
Publisher : Andrews Mcmeel+ORM
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2012-06-05
Category : History
ISBN : 9781449432737

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Death by Petticoat by Mary Miley Theobald Pdf

This myth-busting compendium sets the record straight on American history, from famous-but-false legends to weird-but-true stories. American history is full of oft-repeated errors and outright fabrications—as well as truths that are stranger than fiction. Collaborating with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Mary Miley Theobald has uncovered the real stories behind many well-known myth-understandings. Did pregnant women really seclude themselves indoors? Were uneven stairs made to trip up burglars? Did people only bathe once a year? Death by Petticoat reveals the truth about these and many other funny, surprising, and strange misapprehensions of history.

Author : Ray Raphael
Publisher : The New Press
Page : 327 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2010-03-16
Category : History
ISBN : 9781595587343

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The First American Revolution by Ray Raphael Pdf

The original rebels: “Brings into clear focus events and identities of ordinary people who should share the historic limelight with the Founding Fathers.” —Publishers Weekly According to the traditional telling, the American Revolution began with “the shot heard ’round the world.” But the people started taking action earlier than many think. The First American Revolution uses the wide-angle lens of a people’s historian to tell a surprising new story of America’s revolutionary struggle. In the years before the battle of Lexington and Concord, local people—men and women of common means but of uncommon courage—overturned British authority and declared themselves free from colonial oppression, with acts of rebellion that long predated the Boston Tea Party. In rural towns such as Worcester, Massachusetts, democracy set down roots well before the Boston patriots made their moves in the fight for independence. Richly documented, The First American Revolution recaptures in vivid detail the grassroots activism that drove events in the years leading up to the break from Britain.

Author : Paul Jentz
Publisher : Hackett Publishing
Page : 238 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2018-03-02
Category : History
ISBN : 9781624666803

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Seven Myths of Native American History by Paul Jentz Pdf

"Seven Myths of Native American History will provide undergraduates and general readers with a very useful introduction to Native America past and present. Jentz identifies the origins and remarkable staying power of these myths at the same time he exposes and dismantles them." —Colin G. Calloway, Dartmouth College

Author : Richard Shenkman
Publisher : Harper Collins
Page : 226 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2013-03-26
Category : History
ISBN : 9780062098870

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Legends, Lies & Cherished Myths of American History by Richard Shenkman Pdf

The truth and nothing but the truth—Richard Shenkman sheds light on America's most believed legends. The story of Columbus discovering the world was round was invented by Washington Irving. The pilgrims never lived in log cabins. In Concord, Massachusetts, a third of all babies born in the twenty years before the Revolution were conceived out of wedlock. Washington may have never told a lie, but he loved to drink and dance, and he fell in love with his best friend's wife. Independence wasn't declared on July 4th. There's no evidence that anyone died in a frontier shootout at high noon. After World War II, the U.S. government concluded that Japan would have surrendered within months, even if we had not bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Author : Mark David Hall
Publisher : HarperChristian + ORM
Page : 241 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2019-10-29
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781400211111

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Did America Have a Christian Founding? by Mark David Hall Pdf

A distinguished professor debunks the assertion that America's Founders were deists who desired the strict separation of church and state and instead shows that their political ideas were profoundly influenced by their Christian convictions. In 2010, David Mark Hall gave a lecture at the Heritage Foundation entitled "Did America Have a Christian Founding?" His balanced and thoughtful approach to this controversial question caused a sensation. C-SPAN televised his talk, and an essay based on it has been downloaded more than 300,000 times. In this book, Hall expands upon this essay, making the airtight case that America's Founders were not deists. He explains why and how the Founders' views are absolutely relevant today, showing that they did not create a "godless" Constitution; that even Jefferson and Madison did not want a high wall separating church and state; that most Founders believed the government should encourage Christianity; and that they embraced a robust understanding of religious liberty for biblical and theological reasons. This compelling and utterly persuasive book will convince skeptics and equip believers and conservatives to defend the idea that Christian thought was crucial to the nation's founding--and that this benefits all of us, whatever our faith (or lack of faith).

Author : Ray Raphael
Publisher : The New Press
Page : 433 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2014-07-04
Category : History
ISBN : 9781595589743

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Founding Myths by Ray Raphael Pdf

First published ten years ago, award-winning historian Ray Raphael's Founding Myths has since established itself as a landmark of historical myth-busting. With Raphael's trademark wit and flair, Founding Myths exposed the errors and inventions in America's most cherished tales, from Paul Revere's famous ride to Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech. For the thousands who have been captivated by Raphael's eye-opening accounts, history has never been the same. In this revised tenth-anniversary edition, Raphael revisits the original myths and further explores their evolution over time, uncovering new stories and peeling back new layers of misinformation. This new edition also examines the highly politicized debates over America's past, as well as how our approach to history in school reinforces rather than corrects historical mistakes. A book that "explores the truth behind the stories of the making of our nation" (National Public Radio), this revised edition of Founding Myths will be a welcome resource for anyone seeking to separate historical fact from fiction.

Author : Kevin Kruse,Julian E. Zelizer
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2023-12-05
Category : History
ISBN : 1541604660

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Myth America by Kevin Kruse,Julian E. Zelizer Pdf

In this "incisive" (Vanity Fair) and "authoritative" (New York Times) instant New York Times bestseller, America's top historians set the record straight on the most pernicious myths about our nation's past The United States is in the grip of a crisis of bad history. Distortions of the past promoted in the conservative media have led large numbers of Americans to believe in fictions over facts, making constructive dialogue impossible and imperiling our democracy. In Myth America, Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer have assembled an all-star team of fellow historians to push back against this misinformation. The contributors debunk narratives that portray the New Deal and Great Society as failures, immigrants as hostile invaders, and feminists as anti-family warriors--among numerous other partisan lies. Based on a firm foundation of historical scholarship, their findings revitalize our understanding of American history. Replacing myths with research and reality, Myth America is essential reading amid today's heated debates about our nation's past. With Essays By Akhil Reed Amar - Kathleen Belew - Carol Anderson - Kevin M. Kruse - Erika Lee - Daniel Immerwahr - Elizabeth Hinton - Naomi Oreskes - Erik M. Conway - Ari Kelman - Geraldo Cadava - David A. Bell - Joshua Zeitz - Sarah Churchwell - Michael Kazin - Karen L. Cox - Eric Rauchway - Glenda Gilmore - Natalia Mehlman Petrzela - Lawrence B. Glickman - Julian E. Zelizer