An Outline of American History
Delving further into the American collection held
in the Official Publications
I thought that I should start at the beginning of the collection and I found
this lovely book.
It was published in 1953 and distributed by the United
States Information Service. In the
introduction it states “This booklet is an attempt to supply some of the answers in
a concise and convenient form and to trace some of the major currents of
thought and development in the nation’s growth.”
It has 7 chapters: the Colonial period, the winning of
independence, the formation of a National Government, Westward expansion and
regional differences, sectional conflict, the era of expansion and reform and
ending with America in the modern world.
The chapters are easy to read and have many interesting
points. In the chapter titled "Westward expansion and regional differences", there is a small section about women’s suffrage. Interestingly the unmarried women in most respects apparently
enjoyed the same legal rights as men, apart from voting, but as soon as she married (and the custom
was to marry early) then it changed. It
states that “the awakening of women began with a visit to America of Frances
Wright, a Scotswoman of advanced views.
Her appearance before audiences to deliver lectures on theology and
women’s rights shocked the public.”
The biggest chapter is on the Sectional Conflict
“A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure
permanently half slave and half free” Abraham Lincoln.
There is a picture in black and white showing the
Confederates firing upon Fort Sumter which began the Civil war on the 12th
April 1861. There also is a small map of the battle area of the Civil War.
