In the year 1800 the United States was a fledgling nation. By the time the century ended we had expanded westward exponentially, stamped our imprint as the major power in the Western hemisphere, revolutionized our economy from agriculture to manufacturing, and suffered the schism of a civil war that nearly brought the nation as conceived by our forefathers to an end. To help students better understand the cataclysmic changes of this century, this unique resource offers detailed description and expert analysis of the most important 19th-century events in America: the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, the Monroe Doctrine, Jacksonian Democracy, Abolition, the war with Mexico, the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, the closing of the frontier, and the Spanish-American War.

Each of these events is dealt with in a separate chapter. A factual introductory essay provides clear, concise information in chronological order. The interpretive essay, written in a widely appealing style by a recognized authority, then places each event in a broader context and explores the short-term and far-reaching ramifications of the event. A selected bibliography that follows identifies the most important and recent scholarship about the event. A full-page photo or illustration of each event portrays a visual component to the narrative. The volume contains three useful appendices: a glossary of names, events, and terms; a timeline of important events in 19th-century American history; and a list of 19th-century U.S. presidents, vice presidents, and secretaries of state. This work is an ideal addition to the high school, community college, and undergraduate reference shelf, as well as excellent supplementary reading in social studies and American history courses.