American History and the Story of Liberty
American History, the Story of Liberty! America's Heritage through the Reagan Revolution is our complete American history text, intended for high school students and adults. It is part of John De Gree's Story of Liberty! history series. Other books in this series are Early American History, the Story of Liberty! America's Heritage through Reconstruction, and Modern American History, the Story of Liberty! Reconstruction through the Reagan Revolution.
Classical Historian is devoted to telling the story of liberty. This story is as old as the human race, but for most people in the past as well as today, liberty has remained out of reach. This is a great tragedy, for people cannot reach their full potential unless they are free.
The American Founding Fathers hoped to preserve liberty by limiting government. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that the purpose of government is to protect inalienable rights including “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” In the Constitution, the Founders bound the government with laws that would uphold the rights of citizens. The American experience has been exceptional largely because the American government has been bound by law.
Many Americans do not know the history of their own country, so they cannot understand the significance of the founding of the United States. Many American classrooms do not have a single civics textbook, so students have no chance to appreciate the history of liberty. Classical Historian is committed to changing that.
Classical Historian is devoted to telling the story of liberty. This story is as old as the human race, but for most people in the past as well as today, liberty has remained out of reach. This is a great tragedy, for people cannot reach their full potential unless they are free.
The American Founding Fathers hoped to preserve liberty by limiting government. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that the purpose of government is to protect inalienable rights including “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” In the Constitution, the Founders bound the government with laws that would uphold the rights of citizens. The American experience has been exceptional largely because the American government has been bound by law.
Many Americans do not know the history of their own country, so they cannot understand the significance of the founding of the United States. Many American classrooms do not have a single civics textbook, so students have no chance to appreciate the history of liberty. Classical Historian is committed to changing that.
The Ancient Roots of Liberty
The story of liberty is the story of Western Civilization. It begins with early man, develops over the centuries, and in many ways, it comes to fruition with the birth of America. In ancient times, most people believed in many gods, leaders imposed unfair laws on their subjects, and life was short and miserable for those without power. Unfortunately, this remains the case in some places today. However, about 4,000 years ago, the Hebrews believed in one God, in justice, and in morality, regardless of the circumstance of one’s birth.
Then, around 2,500 years ago, the ancient Athenians created democracy, the idea that citizens had the right to vote for their leaders and laws, instead of being subject to a king. At about the same time, the Romans established a republic. Citizens had rights the government had to respect. As the Roman Republic expanded, the liberties of its citizens shrank. In 27 B.C., the Roman Empire arose and the rights people had under the Roman Republic greatly diminished.
However, within the Roman Empire, Jesus Christ established a new religious belief where God loved everyone equally. For the first time in history, a religion offered salvation to all people, not just people of a certain nationality or tribe. This religious understanding of equality under God was transformed over time into the idea that all people should be treated the same by the law. And thus, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “all men are created equal.”
Then, around 2,500 years ago, the ancient Athenians created democracy, the idea that citizens had the right to vote for their leaders and laws, instead of being subject to a king. At about the same time, the Romans established a republic. Citizens had rights the government had to respect. As the Roman Republic expanded, the liberties of its citizens shrank. In 27 B.C., the Roman Empire arose and the rights people had under the Roman Republic greatly diminished.
However, within the Roman Empire, Jesus Christ established a new religious belief where God loved everyone equally. For the first time in history, a religion offered salvation to all people, not just people of a certain nationality or tribe. This religious understanding of equality under God was transformed over time into the idea that all people should be treated the same by the law. And thus, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “all men are created equal.”
Liberty in America
The story of liberty in America has not been a perfect one. From 1776 to 1865, slavery was legal in half of the country. How could a person have liberty if he were owned by another person? In addition, women were not allowed to vote and did not have the same property rights as men.
From 1861–1865, Americans fought their greatest war, the Civil War, which resolved the contradiction between liberty and slavery. Though it took 89 years, the rights Jefferson wrote about in the Declaration of Independence finally did spread to all men, black and white. In addition, throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, the political rights of women expanded to be equal with men. However, liberty in America is still not perfect. It remains an ideal that Americans strive for.
This history book for high school and adults tells the story of liberty as it relates to American history. It traces the influence of ancient and medieval civilizations on the establishment and development of the United States of America through the Reagan Revolution. It is written with the hope that young Americans will appreciate the unique role that America has played in the drama of human liberty. It is these young people who are called to further the cause of liberty within our country and throughout the world.
From 1861–1865, Americans fought their greatest war, the Civil War, which resolved the contradiction between liberty and slavery. Though it took 89 years, the rights Jefferson wrote about in the Declaration of Independence finally did spread to all men, black and white. In addition, throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, the political rights of women expanded to be equal with men. However, liberty in America is still not perfect. It remains an ideal that Americans strive for.
This history book for high school and adults tells the story of liberty as it relates to American history. It traces the influence of ancient and medieval civilizations on the establishment and development of the United States of America through the Reagan Revolution. It is written with the hope that young Americans will appreciate the unique role that America has played in the drama of human liberty. It is these young people who are called to further the cause of liberty within our country and throughout the world.
Publication Info
Title: American History
The Story of Liberty!
America's Heritage through the Reagan Revolution
Author: John De Gree
Edited by: Adam De Gree
History Editor: Michael Allen, PhD.
Publisher: The Classical Historian
Pages: 582
Paperback
ISBN 9798290839325
Item #412
The Story of Liberty!
America's Heritage through the Reagan Revolution
Author: John De Gree
Edited by: Adam De Gree
History Editor: Michael Allen, PhD.
Publisher: The Classical Historian
Pages: 582
Paperback
ISBN 9798290839325
Item #412
Samples
| fort_sumter_and_war_strategies.pdf |
| american_exceptionalism.pdf |
| beginning_of_big_government_1825.pdf |
| george_washington_father_of_the_country.pdf |
| principles_of_the_constitution_part_1.pdf |
| womens_movement_1800s_america.pdf |
Table of Contents
Foreword, by Michael Allen, Ph.D., University of Washington, Tacoma (Read the Preface below)
Introduction
Unit One America’s Ancient Heritage
Introduction
1. The Fertile Crescent
2. The Greeks
3. The Roman Republic
4. Western Civilization
Unit Two America’s Medieval Heritage
Introduction
5. The Age of Barbarians
6. Civilizing Europe
7. Foundation of European Kingdoms
8. Development of Liberty in Medieval England
9. The Crusades
10. The Age of Exploration and Christopher Columbus
11. The Reformation and the Enlightenment
Unit 3 European Colonization of America
Introduction
12. Native Americans
13. Spanish and French Colonies in America
14. Founding of American Exceptionalism: Jamestown and Plymouth Plantation
15. American Exceptionalism Takes Hold in the English Colonies
16. Life in the English Colonies
17. Southern Colonies
18. New England Colonies
19. The Middle Colonies
20. Early Indian Wars
Unit IV Founding of the U.S.A.
Introduction
21. Early Causes of the American Revolution
22. Land Regulation, Taxes, and Conflict
23. Moving Toward War
24. The Beginning of the American Revolution
25. The Declaration of Independence
26. Defeat, Surprise, and Survival
27. The Articles of Confederation, 1777-1789
Unit V The Constitution
Introduction
28. The Making of the American Constitution
29. Principles of the Constitution
30. Individual Rights
Unit VI Era of the Founding Fathers, 1787-1825
Introduction
31. Ratification of the Constitution
32. The American People
33. Father of the Country
34. Presidency of John Adams (1797-1801)
35. The Supreme Court, Judicial Review, and Capitalism
36. Presidency of Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
37. Presidency of James Madison (1809-1817)
38. The Era of Good Feelings
39. American Spirit and Industry in the Free North
40. Railroads, the Post Office, and the Politicization of News
41. The Missouri Compromise
Unit VII The Beginning of Big Government, 1825-1836
Introduction
42. The Election of 1824 and the Presidency of John Quincy Adams
43. The Age of Jackson (1828-1835)
Unit VIII Empire of Liberty or Manifest Destiny, 1836-1848
Introduction
44. Change in America: Industrialization, Religion, and Social Change
45. Education in Early America through the Civil War
46. The Southwest and the War for Texas Independence (1835-1836)
47. Presidencies of Martin Van Buren (1837-1841), William Harrison (1841), and John Tyler (1841-1845)
48. Presidency of James K. Polk (1845-1849) and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
49. The California Gold Rush and the Oregon Trail
Unit IX Sectionalism
Introduction
50. The South
51. The North
52. Life in the West
53. Immigration
Unit X The Slavery Crisis Becomes Violent, 1848-1860
Introduction
54. Political Instability and the End of Westward Expansion
55. The Decade Preceding the Civil War
56. Abraham Lincoln
Unit XI The Civil War
Introduction
57. The Election of 1860
58. Secession and the Confederate States of America
59. Fort Sumter and the War on Paper
60. Bull Run and the Beginning of the War
61. Growth of Government
62. The Emancipation Proclamation
63. Hard War
64. Unconditional Surrender Grant and Lincoln’s Reelection
65. The End of the War and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
66. Winners, Losers and Lasting Changes
XII. Reconstruction, 1865-1877
Introduction
67. Presidential Reconstruction
68. Congressional Reconstruction
69. Redeemer Phase
70. Analysis of Reconstruction
Conclusion
XII. Going West! 1860-1893
Introduction
71. Travelling West
72. Rich in Natural Resources
73. The Era of the Cowboy
74. End of the Trail
Conclusion
XIV. The Free Market and American Prosperity,1865-1912
Introduction
75. The Industrial Revolution and The Myth of the Robber Barons
76. Elements Necessary for the IndustrialRevolution
77. A Laissez-Faire Economy, Almost
78. The Titans of Industry, Inventions, and Production
79. Labor
Conclusion
XV. Cities, Immigration, and Culture, 1865-1912
Introduction
80. New Mega Cities
81. Immigration, 1865-1912
82. American Culture, 1865-1912
Conclusion
XVI. Reform, Imperialism, and Progressivism 1865-1912
Introduction
83. Reform
84. Populism to Progressivism
85. Progressivism and Imperialism
86. Theodore Roosevelt
87. Progressive America and Race Relations
Conclusion
XVII. Progressive America and World War I,1912-1920
Introduction
88. Woodrow Wilson, Transforming America,1912-1916
89. World War I, the War to End All Wars
90. Progressivism and American Society
Conclusion
XVIII. The Roaring Twenties, 1920-1928
Introduction
91. President Warren G. Harding, 1921-1923
92. President Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929
93. Culture and Society
Conclusion
XIX. The Great Depression and the Birth of TheModern Welfare State, 1929-1939
Introduction
94. The Great Depression Begins
95. Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression
96. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and theGreat Depression
97. The Great Depression and American Society
Conclusion
XX. World War II
Introduction
98. America and the West Before World War II,1941-1945
99. The Rise of Totalitarianism and Militarism
100. Appeasement
101 World War II in Europe Begins
102. The United States Stays Out of World War II
103. America Enters the War
104. A Free People at War: The Home Front
105. War at Sea and in Africa and Europe
106. War in the Pacific
107. The End of the War in Europe
108. Victory Over Japan (V-J) Day
109. The Cold War Begins
Conclusion
XXI. The Fabulous Fifties and the Cold War,1945-1960
Introduction
110. American Economic Dominance, 1945-1960
111. The Cold War, 1945-1960
112. The Cold War, 1952-1960
113. The Cold War at Home, 1945-1960
114. The Fabulous Fifties
115. Race Relations and the CivilRights Movement
Conclusion
XXII. The Limits of Big Government and theDecline of America, 1960s
Introduction
Chapter116. Myth, Reality, and the Election of 1960
117. Presidency of John F. Kennedy, 1961-1963
118. Kennedy Tax Cuts and Civil Rights Legislation under President Lyndon Baynes Johnson,1963-1964
119. The Great Society
120. The Vietnam War, 1954-1968
121. Protests, Counterculture, Violence, and Race Riots
Conclusion
XXIII. Doubling Down on the Failures of the 60s,1968-1980
Introduction
122. Election of 1968
123. The Nixon Presidency, 1969-1972
124. Nixon’s Second Term and Watergate,1972-1974
125. The New Left Begins to Conquer America’s Institutions
126. America in Crisis, 1974-1977
127. The Crisis of Confidence President, Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981
Conclusion
XXIV. The Reagan Revolution, 1981-1989
Introduction
128. The Education of Ronald Reagan
129. 1980 Election and Reagan’s Domestic Policy
130. Reagan Foreign Policy
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Unit One America’s Ancient Heritage
Introduction
1. The Fertile Crescent
2. The Greeks
3. The Roman Republic
4. Western Civilization
Unit Two America’s Medieval Heritage
Introduction
5. The Age of Barbarians
6. Civilizing Europe
7. Foundation of European Kingdoms
8. Development of Liberty in Medieval England
9. The Crusades
10. The Age of Exploration and Christopher Columbus
11. The Reformation and the Enlightenment
Unit 3 European Colonization of America
Introduction
12. Native Americans
13. Spanish and French Colonies in America
14. Founding of American Exceptionalism: Jamestown and Plymouth Plantation
15. American Exceptionalism Takes Hold in the English Colonies
16. Life in the English Colonies
17. Southern Colonies
18. New England Colonies
19. The Middle Colonies
20. Early Indian Wars
Unit IV Founding of the U.S.A.
Introduction
21. Early Causes of the American Revolution
22. Land Regulation, Taxes, and Conflict
23. Moving Toward War
24. The Beginning of the American Revolution
25. The Declaration of Independence
26. Defeat, Surprise, and Survival
27. The Articles of Confederation, 1777-1789
Unit V The Constitution
Introduction
28. The Making of the American Constitution
29. Principles of the Constitution
30. Individual Rights
Unit VI Era of the Founding Fathers, 1787-1825
Introduction
31. Ratification of the Constitution
32. The American People
33. Father of the Country
34. Presidency of John Adams (1797-1801)
35. The Supreme Court, Judicial Review, and Capitalism
36. Presidency of Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
37. Presidency of James Madison (1809-1817)
38. The Era of Good Feelings
39. American Spirit and Industry in the Free North
40. Railroads, the Post Office, and the Politicization of News
41. The Missouri Compromise
Unit VII The Beginning of Big Government, 1825-1836
Introduction
42. The Election of 1824 and the Presidency of John Quincy Adams
43. The Age of Jackson (1828-1835)
Unit VIII Empire of Liberty or Manifest Destiny, 1836-1848
Introduction
44. Change in America: Industrialization, Religion, and Social Change
45. Education in Early America through the Civil War
46. The Southwest and the War for Texas Independence (1835-1836)
47. Presidencies of Martin Van Buren (1837-1841), William Harrison (1841), and John Tyler (1841-1845)
48. Presidency of James K. Polk (1845-1849) and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
49. The California Gold Rush and the Oregon Trail
Unit IX Sectionalism
Introduction
50. The South
51. The North
52. Life in the West
53. Immigration
Unit X The Slavery Crisis Becomes Violent, 1848-1860
Introduction
54. Political Instability and the End of Westward Expansion
55. The Decade Preceding the Civil War
56. Abraham Lincoln
Unit XI The Civil War
Introduction
57. The Election of 1860
58. Secession and the Confederate States of America
59. Fort Sumter and the War on Paper
60. Bull Run and the Beginning of the War
61. Growth of Government
62. The Emancipation Proclamation
63. Hard War
64. Unconditional Surrender Grant and Lincoln’s Reelection
65. The End of the War and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
66. Winners, Losers and Lasting Changes
XII. Reconstruction, 1865-1877
Introduction
67. Presidential Reconstruction
68. Congressional Reconstruction
69. Redeemer Phase
70. Analysis of Reconstruction
Conclusion
XII. Going West! 1860-1893
Introduction
71. Travelling West
72. Rich in Natural Resources
73. The Era of the Cowboy
74. End of the Trail
Conclusion
XIV. The Free Market and American Prosperity,1865-1912
Introduction
75. The Industrial Revolution and The Myth of the Robber Barons
76. Elements Necessary for the IndustrialRevolution
77. A Laissez-Faire Economy, Almost
78. The Titans of Industry, Inventions, and Production
79. Labor
Conclusion
XV. Cities, Immigration, and Culture, 1865-1912
Introduction
80. New Mega Cities
81. Immigration, 1865-1912
82. American Culture, 1865-1912
Conclusion
XVI. Reform, Imperialism, and Progressivism 1865-1912
Introduction
83. Reform
84. Populism to Progressivism
85. Progressivism and Imperialism
86. Theodore Roosevelt
87. Progressive America and Race Relations
Conclusion
XVII. Progressive America and World War I,1912-1920
Introduction
88. Woodrow Wilson, Transforming America,1912-1916
89. World War I, the War to End All Wars
90. Progressivism and American Society
Conclusion
XVIII. The Roaring Twenties, 1920-1928
Introduction
91. President Warren G. Harding, 1921-1923
92. President Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929
93. Culture and Society
Conclusion
XIX. The Great Depression and the Birth of TheModern Welfare State, 1929-1939
Introduction
94. The Great Depression Begins
95. Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression
96. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and theGreat Depression
97. The Great Depression and American Society
Conclusion
XX. World War II
Introduction
98. America and the West Before World War II,1941-1945
99. The Rise of Totalitarianism and Militarism
100. Appeasement
101 World War II in Europe Begins
102. The United States Stays Out of World War II
103. America Enters the War
104. A Free People at War: The Home Front
105. War at Sea and in Africa and Europe
106. War in the Pacific
107. The End of the War in Europe
108. Victory Over Japan (V-J) Day
109. The Cold War Begins
Conclusion
XXI. The Fabulous Fifties and the Cold War,1945-1960
Introduction
110. American Economic Dominance, 1945-1960
111. The Cold War, 1945-1960
112. The Cold War, 1952-1960
113. The Cold War at Home, 1945-1960
114. The Fabulous Fifties
115. Race Relations and the CivilRights Movement
Conclusion
XXII. The Limits of Big Government and theDecline of America, 1960s
Introduction
Chapter116. Myth, Reality, and the Election of 1960
117. Presidency of John F. Kennedy, 1961-1963
118. Kennedy Tax Cuts and Civil Rights Legislation under President Lyndon Baynes Johnson,1963-1964
119. The Great Society
120. The Vietnam War, 1954-1968
121. Protests, Counterculture, Violence, and Race Riots
Conclusion
XXIII. Doubling Down on the Failures of the 60s,1968-1980
Introduction
122. Election of 1968
123. The Nixon Presidency, 1969-1972
124. Nixon’s Second Term and Watergate,1972-1974
125. The New Left Begins to Conquer America’s Institutions
126. America in Crisis, 1974-1977
127. The Crisis of Confidence President, Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981
Conclusion
XXIV. The Reagan Revolution, 1981-1989
Introduction
128. The Education of Ronald Reagan
129. 1980 Election and Reagan’s Domestic Policy
130. Reagan Foreign Policy
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Foreword
American History: The Story of Liberty! America’s Heritage through the Reagan Revolution combines John De Gree’s two-volume book series onto one book that provides a sweeping view of American history. The books are also published in separate volumes as Early American History: The Story of Liberty! America’s Heritage through Reconstruction and Modern American History: The Story of Liberty! Reconstruction through the Reagan Revolution. Teachers and students can choose the most appropriate and affordable option for their study of the origins, birth, growth, and maturation of the American Republic.
Young American history students and their teachers long yearned for a book like the one you now hold in your hands. America’s Heritage through the Reagan Revolution is a well-researched, ably written, and sensible telling of all of American history. What do I mean by “sensible”? Simply this: John De Gree relates the truth about the American past by telling about our many good qualities and accomplishments as well as the failures and setbacks our nation has endured during its long history. Few books as good as this one have been published for young readers. At last we have a new, up-to-date book covering all of America’s history and suitable for middle school and high school history students.
When Larry Schweikart and I first published our #1 New York Times best-selling book, A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’ Great Discovery to the Age of Entitlement, we succeeded in filling a similar void existing in college-level American history books. Larry and I have often said that American history is not the story of, to use an old folk-saying, a “half-empty cup.” Indeed, we argued that the American cup was nearly full. Americans have made mistakes, but they have also done much that is good. American patriots in 1776 created a democratic republic governed by ordinary citizens at a time in history when absolutist monarchs ruled most of Europe; all-powerful Czars, Emperors, and Shoguns tyrannized Russia and the Far East; and some Middle Eastern and North African monarchs claimed divine authority and direct links to God. Today, one need only read the news headlines to be reminded that much of the world--from Cuba to Venezuela to Africa to North Korea and China--is still ruled by authoritarian dictators and military juntas.
While it is true that Americans allowed the shameful enslavement of African-American people, they ultimately fought a bloody civil war that ended American slavery forever. It is also true that, in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, freed slaves were denied the vote and subject to segregation, but those wrongs led to the birth of a black freedom movement and white reformers who allied to triumph in the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and civil rights laws of the 1960s. While American soldiers killed native Indians and pushed them westward onto reservations, American diplomats simultaneously signed legally binding treaties those Indians’ descendants use today to protect their fishing and mineral rights and invest in tribal corporations and colleges that have raised their standard of living. While, during the industrial revolution, a generation of American factory workers earned low wages in sometimes unsafe conditions, they nevertheless made life better for their children and grandchildren, whose health, education, and earnings increased exponentially.
It is also true that Franklin D. Roosevelt wielded unprecedented presidential powers and interned over 100,000 Japanese Americans in camps during World War II, but Roosevelt also rallied Americans to defeat Nazi Germans who had put 6,000,000 Jews into concentration camps and murdered them. True, there has been, and still is, poverty and suffering in America, but compared to what? To this day, America’s standard of living and economic structure, like our political system, is the envy of much of the world. It is no accident that for over 400 years, millions of foreigners have yearned and sought to become Americans.
John De Gree narrates and analyzes this and much more in America’s Heritage through the Reagan Revolution. He traces our nation’s past from the Pilgrims, Colonial era, and the American Revolution. He explains Jeffersonian and Jacksonian politics and the critical events leading to the Civil War, and he narrates the military and political history of that pivotal conflict. He continues on through the decades immediately following the Civil War, describing Reconstruction, the Industrial Revolution, American westward expansion, the Populist and Progressive movements, global expansion, the “Roaring Twenties,” and the Great Depression. John De Gree thoroughly traces and analyzes the events of World War II, the Cold War and post-war decades, and he concludes with the “Reagan Revolution.”
John De Gree has a unique way of telling the story of the United States of America, placing special emphasis on America’s place in the history of advancing Western Civilization. In the very beginning of the book, readers learn of our nation’s classical roots and ties to Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Western European institutions. Just as importantly, throughout this book John accurately weaves the story of Christianity and Christian values into the American story. No truthful history of the United States of America can ignore this vital religious element.
I first met John De Gree well over a decade ago when we collaborated on curriculum, including video lectures, for the growing number of homeschool, charter, private, and public school students who use his Classical Historian methods. I remain impressed with his intellect and work ethic, and the range of exciting, effective tools he offers American history students and their teachers. I am confident America's Heritage through the Reagan Revolution will join’s John’s other books and educational materials in continuing to educate future generations of American patriots.
Michael Allen, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of History
University of Washington, Tacoma, 2025
Young American history students and their teachers long yearned for a book like the one you now hold in your hands. America’s Heritage through the Reagan Revolution is a well-researched, ably written, and sensible telling of all of American history. What do I mean by “sensible”? Simply this: John De Gree relates the truth about the American past by telling about our many good qualities and accomplishments as well as the failures and setbacks our nation has endured during its long history. Few books as good as this one have been published for young readers. At last we have a new, up-to-date book covering all of America’s history and suitable for middle school and high school history students.
When Larry Schweikart and I first published our #1 New York Times best-selling book, A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’ Great Discovery to the Age of Entitlement, we succeeded in filling a similar void existing in college-level American history books. Larry and I have often said that American history is not the story of, to use an old folk-saying, a “half-empty cup.” Indeed, we argued that the American cup was nearly full. Americans have made mistakes, but they have also done much that is good. American patriots in 1776 created a democratic republic governed by ordinary citizens at a time in history when absolutist monarchs ruled most of Europe; all-powerful Czars, Emperors, and Shoguns tyrannized Russia and the Far East; and some Middle Eastern and North African monarchs claimed divine authority and direct links to God. Today, one need only read the news headlines to be reminded that much of the world--from Cuba to Venezuela to Africa to North Korea and China--is still ruled by authoritarian dictators and military juntas.
While it is true that Americans allowed the shameful enslavement of African-American people, they ultimately fought a bloody civil war that ended American slavery forever. It is also true that, in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, freed slaves were denied the vote and subject to segregation, but those wrongs led to the birth of a black freedom movement and white reformers who allied to triumph in the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and civil rights laws of the 1960s. While American soldiers killed native Indians and pushed them westward onto reservations, American diplomats simultaneously signed legally binding treaties those Indians’ descendants use today to protect their fishing and mineral rights and invest in tribal corporations and colleges that have raised their standard of living. While, during the industrial revolution, a generation of American factory workers earned low wages in sometimes unsafe conditions, they nevertheless made life better for their children and grandchildren, whose health, education, and earnings increased exponentially.
It is also true that Franklin D. Roosevelt wielded unprecedented presidential powers and interned over 100,000 Japanese Americans in camps during World War II, but Roosevelt also rallied Americans to defeat Nazi Germans who had put 6,000,000 Jews into concentration camps and murdered them. True, there has been, and still is, poverty and suffering in America, but compared to what? To this day, America’s standard of living and economic structure, like our political system, is the envy of much of the world. It is no accident that for over 400 years, millions of foreigners have yearned and sought to become Americans.
John De Gree narrates and analyzes this and much more in America’s Heritage through the Reagan Revolution. He traces our nation’s past from the Pilgrims, Colonial era, and the American Revolution. He explains Jeffersonian and Jacksonian politics and the critical events leading to the Civil War, and he narrates the military and political history of that pivotal conflict. He continues on through the decades immediately following the Civil War, describing Reconstruction, the Industrial Revolution, American westward expansion, the Populist and Progressive movements, global expansion, the “Roaring Twenties,” and the Great Depression. John De Gree thoroughly traces and analyzes the events of World War II, the Cold War and post-war decades, and he concludes with the “Reagan Revolution.”
John De Gree has a unique way of telling the story of the United States of America, placing special emphasis on America’s place in the history of advancing Western Civilization. In the very beginning of the book, readers learn of our nation’s classical roots and ties to Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Western European institutions. Just as importantly, throughout this book John accurately weaves the story of Christianity and Christian values into the American story. No truthful history of the United States of America can ignore this vital religious element.
I first met John De Gree well over a decade ago when we collaborated on curriculum, including video lectures, for the growing number of homeschool, charter, private, and public school students who use his Classical Historian methods. I remain impressed with his intellect and work ethic, and the range of exciting, effective tools he offers American history students and their teachers. I am confident America's Heritage through the Reagan Revolution will join’s John’s other books and educational materials in continuing to educate future generations of American patriots.
Michael Allen, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of History
University of Washington, Tacoma, 2025
Young American history students and their teachers long yearned for a book like the one you now hold in your hands. America’s Heritage through the Reagan Revolution is a well-researched, ably written, and sensible telling of all of American history. What do I mean by “sensible”? Simply this: John De Gree relates the truth about the American past by telling about our many good qualities and accomplishments as well as the failures and setbacks our nation has endured during its long history. Few books as good as this one have been published for young readers. At last we have a new, up-to-date book covering all of America’s history and suitable for middle school and high school history students.
Michael Allen, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of History
University of Washington, Tacoma, 2025
Co-Author of A Patriot's History of the United States, #1 NY Times and #1 Amazon Best Seller
Michael Allen, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of History
University of Washington, Tacoma, 2025
Co-Author of A Patriot's History of the United States, #1 NY Times and #1 Amazon Best Seller
