Readers of this book will meet some of the most interesting, important, and memorable characters in American history-men and women whose stories are expertly and beautifully recounted in these pages. But they will also see reflected and illuminated in these lives great forces and momentous issues, the passions and motives and movements that have shaped our country. The authors' approach humanizes what might have been lifeless abstractions, showing how the largest of matters can touch and change the lives of individuals and how individuals can give life and voice to things bigger than themselves.

David W. Levy, David Boyd Ross Professor Emeritus, University of Oklahoma

These well-researched, highly readable biographical narratives vividly evoke key issues and trends in American history from the early Colonial era through the Civil War and Reconstruction. The subjects are well chosen to illuminate central features of their era, and each chapter's introductory essay positions these men and women in their larger historical context. Lives and Times: Individuals and Issues in American History should find a broad audience of readers.

Paul Boyer, Institute for Research in the Humanities, University of Wisconsin-Madison