What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 (Oxford History of the United States) | 
 enlarge | Author: Daniel Walker Howe
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
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Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 2159
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 928
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.7 x 2.3
ISBN: 0195078942
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.5
EAN: 9780195078947
ASIN: 0195078942
Publication Date: October 29, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: awe
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Product Description
The Oxford History of the United States is by far the most respected multi-volume history of our nation. The series includes three Pulitzer Prize winners, a New York Times bestseller, and winners of the Bancroft and Parkman Prizes. Now, in What Hath God Wrought, historian Daniel Walker Howe illuminates the period from the battle of New Orleans to the end of the Mexican-American War, an era when the United States expanded to the Pacific and won control over the richest part of the North American continent.
Howe's panoramic narrative portrays revolutionary improvements in transportation and communications that accelerated the extension of the American empire. Railroads, canals, newspapers, and the telegraph dramatically lowered travel times and spurred the spread of information. These innovations prompted the emergence of mass political parties and stimulated America's economic development from an overwhelmingly rural country to a diversified economy in which commerce and industry took their place alongside agriculture. In his story, the author weaves together political and military events with social, economic, and cultural history. He examines the rise of Andrew Jackson and his Democratic party, but contends that John Quincy Adams and other Whigs--advocates of public education and economic integration, defenders of the rights of Indians, women, and African-Americans--were the true prophets of America's future. He reveals the power of religion to shape many aspects of American life during this period, including slavery and antislavery, women's rights and other reform movements, politics, education, and literature. Howe's story of American expansion culminates in the bitterly controversial but brilliantly executed war waged against Mexico to gain California and Texas for the United States.
By 1848 America had been transformed. What Hath God Wrought provides a monumental narrative of this formative period in United States history.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
 Excellent entry in the Oxford series August 17, 2008
There seems to be a general consensus that "The Oxford History of the United States" has done much better by the early years of the American Republic than the post-World War II era. Howe maintains the tradition with this outstanding survey of American life between 1815 and 1848. Some have complained of "political correctness" in Howe's treatment of Indian Removal, slavery, and the women's rights movement, but, in my opinion, Howe really goes far afield only when discussing the last of these, when he terms the Seneca Falls convention of 1848 "[the most] encouraging" of America's "hopeful aspects" during this chaotic period. "More encouraging" than the rise of the movement to abolish slavery, which was a far more morally pressing matter at the time? Somehow, I doubt it. On the other side of the coin, Howe's championing of the leading lights and ideas of the Whig Party takes direct aim at the "PC" conventional wisdom that "Jacksonian Democracy" was the "heroic" political movement of this period. Howe does an excellent job of alternating discussions of "meat-and-potatoes" historical information (elections, political disputes, warfare, etc.) with surveys of various facets of American culture. He places particular emphases on the dramatic developments in transportation and communications that both facilitated economic development and made it possible for various popular movements to flourish. Howe's work is fully worthy to stand next to McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" and Middlekauff's "The Glorious Cause" as the best books in the Oxford series. (For others interested in antebellum America, I'd also recommend MacDougall's "Throes of Democracy" for a slightly different, somewhat more cynical take on the subject.)
 What Hath God Wrought August 17, 2008
I debated giving this book a five star rating but decided to go with four stars because author Howe is a bit over the top on occassion with his political digs. Was the Whig party truly as wonderful as he portrays it as it challenged the Democrats? If it was so great why did it die out or morph into the Republican party within 15 years? But politics aside, this book is great. Clearly this book sets a new standard for completeness in its scope. The period 1815-1848 was an incredibly active period with events going on not only in the geo-political spectrum, but also in social history, economics, church history, arts and literature, and philosophy. The author seems to have a good handle on each of these, maiking this book an excellent starting point for anyone intersted in how America emerged from the early constitutional period to that which more or less resembles our own society.
Political bickering between parties begins in this period, so does uniquely "American" industry and imperialism. Some have criticized Howe's approach to history by saying he is too politically correct. Well, tell that to hundreds of thousands of African slaves or tens of thousands of displaced Indians. The white dominated government was brutal. At one point in the book Howe says the historian's job is to understand, not condemn. Slavery in the land of the free is more than just a paradox, it's a disgrace. Imperial attitudes towards the conquored Indians and Mexicans shows how determined our imperialist policies were. President Polk went to war based on lies. His claim that the war started on American soil took advantage of the general ignorance of the American people. Other presidents have unfortunately followed this bad example.
But this book covers so much ground I can see it becoming a required text in college history courses. The author clearly has a solid grasp on his subject matter and his writing style, while polemical at times, it does get the message across.
Well-deserved praise August 6, 2008
This book is truly deserving of the Pulitzer Prize and inclusion in the Oxford History Of the United States series.I was a bit apprehensive when picking up this massive book and deciding whether to purchase. As I randomly thumbed through the pages, every page I read had an interesting passage.Upon purchase,the entire book was interesting, comprehensive and complete. As mentioned in other reader reviews, Howe's writing did slant toward modern politically-correct analysis(especially anti-Andrew Jackson and Polk).I did not feel this was a negative in that he fairly presented the facts and a comprehensive overview(economic,political,social and religous atmosphere) of the times to allow the reader his/her own thought provoking conclusions.One of the finest history books I've read ,and the best for the era it was written about.
Essential American History July 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a book every American lover of history should read and own. The detail of research is both exhaustive and often entertaining. Whether its military, religious, political or cultural, Daniel Howe covers it in telling detail. Enjoy this as a good, long read, or simply explore the chapters or areas of interest you are investigating. A wonderful reference for social studies teachers who seek the facts and issues that crafted American sentiment and history in the 19th century.
An enjoyable history, but viewed through a modern moral lense ... July 4, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I enjoyed this book. Like the others in the Oxford series, it's an "easy read", written in plain English devoid of technical or academic jargon.
And one learns a lot from it. In particular, two areas of coverage stand out. (1) Before reading the book, i had believed that the USA's victory over Mexico in the 1847 war was an easy one, a foregone conclusion. I had no idea what a tremendous achievement the conquest of Mexico was from a military-logistical point of view. (2) The coverage of the myriad religious waves and revivals that swept the country, and how they impacted critical issues like US territorial expansion and the slavery question, is outstanding.
But, there is one aspect of the book i found somewhat irksome: The author's insistence on applying contemporary moral standards to judge historical figures. Just about every dominant personality from the time period is appraised on whether, from our modern point of view, they were "correct" about race and gender issues.
Thus, great Presidents like Andrew Jackson and James Polk are repeatedly raked over the coals for being "white supremacists" who expanded slavery, and exterminated native-Americans, and started an unjust war with Mexico to deprive Latinos of their territory, as if these are the sum-total of their Presidential tenures. I have trouble with this, because would we, and i mean collectively everyone in modern-day USA and Mexico, really be better off if Texas and California were still a part of Mexico? If the USA was confined to the land east of the Mississippi plus the Louisiana Purchase? I don't think so. It would just mean those areas would be third-world territory, instead of thriving parts of the USA.
And, while the issues of slavery and conflict with native-Americans were surely dominant ones during the time period being analyzed, and thus deserve the significant amount of attention the author devotes to them, the issue of women's rights was not. Yet, gender issues are frequently raised and magnified out of all proportion to their importance to the people then living. In fact, the last chapter of the books is devoted to the women's rights conventions convened by Lucretia Mott, E.C. Stanton, and others, as if these were major, important events at the times they were held. Too much "looking backward" for me tastes.
That said, i still heartily recommend the book. These criticisms are of relatively minor import compared to the wealth of historical knowledge one will gain from reading it.
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