This brief essay won't acquaint students with every important event in U. S. history, or even provide an outline of salient moments and figures. Rather, Wilfred McClay guides students toward a proper method of studying the history of the United States.
People often assume history is a boring list of facts with no bearing on individuals or nations. The truth, McClay affirms, is that history is a narrative that describes where we came from and how we got here, and that bears directly on the current state of things.
McClay defends history study, comments on the philosophy of history, and identifies the major themes of U. S. history, from capitalism and revolution to religion and self-making. This is a timeless essay which connects disparate periods into a seamless story.
Again, this isn't a survey; it's a starting place for those who want to study U. S. history teleologically, believing that history is on a trajectory and that we can learn about human nature and ourselves from conscientious reading and thinking about it.
Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews
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