American History and the Story of Liberty
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 modern Americans do not know the history of their own country, so they cannot understand the significance of the founding of the United States. Many modern Americans classrooms don’t have a single civics textbook, so students have no chance to appreciate the history of liberty. Classical Historian is committed to changing that.
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 modern Americans do not know the history of their own country, so they cannot understand the significance of the founding of the United States. Many modern Americans classrooms don’t 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 spoke 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 middle school 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 Civil War. 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 spoke 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 middle school 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 Civil War. 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: Modern 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: 392
Paperback
ISBN 9798289932938
Item #411
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: 392
Paperback
ISBN 9798289932938
Item #411
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
Introduction
I. Reconstruction, 1865-1877
Introduction
67. Presidential Reconstruction
68. Congressional Reconstruction
69. Redeemer Phase
70. Analysis of Reconstruction
Conclusion
II. 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
III. 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
IV. Cities, Immigration, and Culture, 1865-1912
Introduction
80. New Mega Cities
81. Immigration, 1865-1912
82. American Culture, 1865-1912
Conclusion
V. 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
VI. 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
VII. The Roaring Twenties, 1920-1928
Introduction
91. President Warren G. Harding, 1921-1923
92. President Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929
93. Culture and Society
Conclusion
VIII. 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
IX. 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
X. 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
XI. 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
XII. 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
XIII. 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
I. Reconstruction, 1865-1877
Introduction
67. Presidential Reconstruction
68. Congressional Reconstruction
69. Redeemer Phase
70. Analysis of Reconstruction
Conclusion
II. 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
III. 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
IV. Cities, Immigration, and Culture, 1865-1912
Introduction
80. New Mega Cities
81. Immigration, 1865-1912
82. American Culture, 1865-1912
Conclusion
V. 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
VI. 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
VII. The Roaring Twenties, 1920-1928
Introduction
91. President Warren G. Harding, 1921-1923
92. President Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929
93. Culture and Society
Conclusion
VIII. 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
IX. 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
X. 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
XI. 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
XII. 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
XIII. 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
Young American history students and their teachers have long yearned for a book like the one you now hold in your hands. John De Gree’s Modern American History, Reconstruction through the Reagan Revolution, is a well-researched, ably-written, and sensible depiction of American history from Reconstruction through the Reagan Revolution. What do I mean by “sensible”? Simply this: John relates the truth about the American past by telling about our many good qualities and accomplishments as well as the 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 suitable for American 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, 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 great 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. While it is true that Americans allowed the enslavement of African-American people, they ultimately fought a bloody war that ended slavery forever. While American soldiers killed native Indians and pushed them westward onto reservations, American diplomats signed legally binding treaties that those Indians’ descendants use to their great benefit in courts today. And while there has been poverty and suffering in our country’s history, it pales in comparison to that of the rest of the world. It is no accident that, for over 400 years, millions of foreigners have yearned and sought to become Americans.
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.
I first met John De Gree nearly a decade ago when we collaborated on curriculum for the growing number of homeschool, charter, private, and public school students who utilize his Classical Historian method. I remain impressed with his intellect and work ethic, and the range of exciting, effective tools he offers modern students of American history and their teachers. I am confident Modern American History, The Story of Liberty, From America’s Heritage through the Civil War, will become a very successful textbook in educating a future generation of American patriots.
Michael Allen, Ph.D.
University of Washington, Tacoma, 2017
Co-Author of A Patriots History of the United States, #1 NY Times and #1 Amazon Best Seller
When Larry Schweikart and I first published our #1 New York Times best-selling book, A Patriot’s History of the United States, 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 great 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. While it is true that Americans allowed the enslavement of African-American people, they ultimately fought a bloody war that ended slavery forever. While American soldiers killed native Indians and pushed them westward onto reservations, American diplomats signed legally binding treaties that those Indians’ descendants use to their great benefit in courts today. And while there has been poverty and suffering in our country’s history, it pales in comparison to that of the rest of the world. It is no accident that, for over 400 years, millions of foreigners have yearned and sought to become Americans.
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.
I first met John De Gree nearly a decade ago when we collaborated on curriculum for the growing number of homeschool, charter, private, and public school students who utilize his Classical Historian method. I remain impressed with his intellect and work ethic, and the range of exciting, effective tools he offers modern students of American history and their teachers. I am confident Modern American History, The Story of Liberty, From America’s Heritage through the Civil War, will become a very successful textbook in educating a future generation of American patriots.
Michael Allen, Ph.D.
University of Washington, Tacoma, 2017
Co-Author of A Patriots History of the United States, #1 NY Times and #1 Amazon Best Seller
Reviews by the authors of A Patriot's History of the United States
From Larry Shweikart, Ph.D., co-author of #1 NY Times bestseller, A Patriot’s History of the United States of America and numerous top-selling history books, as well as a film producer of history documentaries:
In John De Gree's The Story of Liberty, written for ages 11 to young adults, America's foundations are traced from the Hebrews and the Judeo-Christian religious traditions to the Greco-Roman political traditions to the establishment of government in the English colonies in America. The Story of Liberty highlights---often with primary source documents such as the "Mayflower Compact," the first Thanksgiving Declaration, a section from the account of Paul Revere's ride---fleshes out the narration with easily-readable charts on such things as the differences between Republicans and Federalists or the size of early American cities.
The book ends with Lincoln's assassination, and a second volume from 1865 to the present is planned. Loosely based on A Patriot's History of the United States by myself and Michael Allen (who did the foreword), The Story of Liberty strongly integrates the timeless principles of the sanctity of life, freedom of choice, government by representatives, trial by jury, division of power in government, and more. Strongly recommended.
From Michael Allen, Ph.D., co-author of the #1 New York Times best-selling book, A Patriot’s History of the United States, Professor at the University of Washington, Tacoma, and Editor of The Story of Liberty, America's Heritage Through the Civil War:
John De Gree has a unique way of telling the story of the United States. He places special emphasis on America’s place in the history of advancing Western Civilization. He begins with our classical roots and ties to ancient Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Western European institutions. Just as importantly, he accurately weaves the story of Christianity and Christian values into the American story… John relates the truth about the American past by telling about our many good qualities and accomplishments as well as the setbacks our nation has endured during its long history…Young American history students and their teachers have long yearned for a book like the one you now hold in your hands.
In John De Gree's The Story of Liberty, written for ages 11 to young adults, America's foundations are traced from the Hebrews and the Judeo-Christian religious traditions to the Greco-Roman political traditions to the establishment of government in the English colonies in America. The Story of Liberty highlights---often with primary source documents such as the "Mayflower Compact," the first Thanksgiving Declaration, a section from the account of Paul Revere's ride---fleshes out the narration with easily-readable charts on such things as the differences between Republicans and Federalists or the size of early American cities.
The book ends with Lincoln's assassination, and a second volume from 1865 to the present is planned. Loosely based on A Patriot's History of the United States by myself and Michael Allen (who did the foreword), The Story of Liberty strongly integrates the timeless principles of the sanctity of life, freedom of choice, government by representatives, trial by jury, division of power in government, and more. Strongly recommended.
From Michael Allen, Ph.D., co-author of the #1 New York Times best-selling book, A Patriot’s History of the United States, Professor at the University of Washington, Tacoma, and Editor of The Story of Liberty, America's Heritage Through the Civil War:
John De Gree has a unique way of telling the story of the United States. He places special emphasis on America’s place in the history of advancing Western Civilization. He begins with our classical roots and ties to ancient Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Western European institutions. Just as importantly, he accurately weaves the story of Christianity and Christian values into the American story… John relates the truth about the American past by telling about our many good qualities and accomplishments as well as the setbacks our nation has endured during its long history…Young American history students and their teachers have long yearned for a book like the one you now hold in your hands.
Cathy Duffy's Review
Read Cathy Duffy's review in full at this link.
