U.S. History For Dummies

Steve Wiegand is an award-winning political journalist and history writer. Over a 35-year career, he worked as a reporter and columnist at the San Diego Evening Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Bee. He is the author or coauthor of seven books dealing with various aspects of U.S. and world history.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Conventions Used in This Book 2What Not to Read 3Foolish Assumptions 3Beyond the Book 3Icons Used in This Book 4Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Getting Started With U.S History 5Chapter 1: America: A Short Biography 7They Came, They Saw, They Stayed 8Putting America on the Map 9Struggling with Greatness 13A Cold War and a Brave New World 15America in the 21st Century 18Chapter 2: Native Americans and Explorers: 14,000 BC (?)–1607 21Coming to America 21Exploring Early Civilizations 22Many Tribes, Not Many People 24De-stereotyping the Native Americans 26Visiting by the Vikings 27Spicing Up Life — and Other Reasons for Exploring 28Dropping Names of Others Who Dropped By 31The Sword, the Cross, and the Measles 33Arriving Late for the Party 35Chapter 3: Pilgrims’ Progress: The English Colonies, 1607–1700 39Seeing Potential in the New World 39Settling in Jamestown 40Instituting Slavery 42Colonizing: Pilgrims and Puritans 43Bringing Religious Freedom: Dissidents, Catholics, and Quakers 47Dealings of the Dutch 49Coping with Native American Troubles 50Chapter 4: You Say You Want a Revolution: 1700–1775 53Looking at America in 1700 53Colonizing New France 54Fighting the First True World Wars 55Awakening to Greater Religious Freedom 57The French and Indian War 58Growing like a Weed 60Heading Toward Divorce with Britain 62Congressing for the First Time 67Mr Revere, Your Horse Is Ready 68Chapter 5: Yankee Doodlin’: 1775–1783 71In This Corner, the Brits 71In This Corner, the Yanks 72Mr Washington Goes to War 74Declaring Independence 75Cozying Up to the French 77Undergoing Life Changes: The Loyalists and the Slaves 78Winning a War 79Chapter 6: Blueprints and Birth Pains: 1783–1800 85Making the Rules 85Dishing Up Politics, American Style 89Raising the Dough 91Earning Respect 92Finding Foreign Friction 95Part 2: Growing Pains 97Chapter 7: “Long Tom” and One Weird War: 1800–1815 99Jefferson Gets a Job 99Disorder in the Court 101Growing by Leaps and Bounds 103Fighting Pirates, and a “Dambargo” 107“Little Jemmy” Takes the Helm 109Why Not Invade Canada This Year? 111Three Strikes and the Brits Are Out 113Calling It Even 115Chapter 8: Pulling Together to Keep from Falling Apart: 1815–1844 117Embracing Nationalism Sort Of 118The Slavery Cancer Grows 121Mud-Wrestling to the White House 125Nullify This 128Inventing a Better Life 131Staking Out New Land 133Chapter 9: War, Gold, and a Gathering Storm: 1845–1860 139Wrenching Land from Mexico 139Rushing for Gold 142Coming Over and Spreading Out 145The Beginning of the End 148Squaring Off for a Showdown: The Lincoln–Douglas Debate 152Chapter 10: A Most Uncivil War: 1861–1865 155Introducing Abraham Lincoln 155North versus South: Comparing Advantages and Action Plans 159Freeing the Slaves 161Reviewing the Troops, the Generals, and the Major Battles 163Two More Reasons Why the North Won 167Losing a Leader 169Chapter 11: Putting the Country Back Together: 1865–1876 171A Southern-Fried Mess: Life in the South after the Civil War 171Piecing the Union Back Together 174The Tailor-Made President: Andrew Johnson 177Growing Corruption in Politics 180Part 3: Coming of Age 185Chapter 12: Growing Up: 1876–1898 187Heading West in a Quest for Wealth 187Ousting “Undesirables” 190Cramming into Cities 194Inventing Big Business 196Electing a String of Forgettable Presidents 201The Rise of Populism 202“A Splendid Little War” 202Chapter 13: Growing into the 20th Century: 1899–1918 205Here Today, Guam Tomorrow: Colonizing Spain’s Lands 206Making a Lot of Noise and Carrying a Big Stick: Roosevelt Takes Office 208Progressing toward Political and Social Reform 210Contracting Labor Pains 212Transporting America 214Suffering for Suffrage 215Leaving the South: African Americans Migrate to Northern Cities 217The War to End All Chapters 218Chapter 14: Gin, Jazz, and Lucky Lindy: 1919–1929 221Wilson Goes Out of His League for Peace 222Restricting Immigration and Challenging the Natives 223Darwin versus God 225Warren, Cal, and Herbert: Republicans in the White House 226Good Times (or Were They?) 228Ain’t We Got Fun? 231Drying Out America: Prohibition Begins 234Changing Morals 235An Age of Heroes 236Chapter 15: Uncle Sam’s Depressed: 1930–1940 239The Great Depression: Causes and Consequences 239FDR: Making Alphabet Soup 243Shoving Aside Racial Minorities 248Keeping Women at Home — or Work 249Developing Organized Labor 250Critics, Crooks, and Crime Fighters 251Chapter 16: The World at War: 1941–1945 255Trying to Avoid War — Again 255Gearing Up for War 259Dealing with the War in Europe 264Dealing with the War in the Pacific 268Dropping the Bomb 270Part 4: America in Adulthood 273Chapter 17: TV, Elvis, and Reds under the Bed: 1946–1960 275A Cold War and a Hot “Police Action” 275Finding Commies under the Bed 280Having It All 283Moving, Slowly, to the Front of the Bus 288Chapter 18: Camelot to Watergate: 1961–1974 291Electing an Icon 291Sending Troops to Vietnam 294Increasing Pressure in ’Nam and Escalating Fears at Home 296Continuing the Fight for Civil Rights 298Entering a Generation in Revolt 302Weirdness in the White House 304Chapter 19: Hold the Malaise, or, Ayatollah So: 1975–1992 307Wearing Nixon’s Shoes 307Good Intentions, Bad Results 309There’s a First Time for Everything 312Warming Up after the Cold War 317Chapter 20: No Sex, Please, I’m the President: 1993–1999 323Bill, Newt, and Monica 323Homegrown Terrorism 327Making Ourselves Sick 330A World of Change 332Part 5: Facing the New Millennium 335Chapter 21: Terror Comes Home; America Goes to War(s) 337Whew! A Squeaker: Bush and Gore, 2000 337A Nation Stunned 340That Damn Saddam 344Meanwhile, in the Rest of the World 347Winds and Losses 348Chapter 22: Recessions Can Be Really Depressing 351Ouch! The Economy Stubs Its Toe 352Brother, Can You Spare a Job? 355“We’re from the Government; We’re Here to Help ” 357Unspreading the Wealth 361Chapter 23: Reforming Healthcare Is No Tea Party 365The Great Presidential Race of 2008 365Going to a Tea Party 368Lurching Toward Healthcare 371Reelecting Obama in 2012 375Meanwhile, Back at the Budget 377Chapter 24: America Disagrees with Itself 379Trumped 379With Friends Like These 383Guns, Drugs, and #MeToo 387Weathering the Weather 390Chapter 25: This New America 393The Techno Revolution 393Surfing the “Silver Tsunami” 401Stirring the Melting Pot 402Redefining the American Family 405Part 6: The Part of Tens 407Chapter 26: Ten Innovations That Made It Easier to Be Lazy 409The Escalator (1896) 409Sliced Bread (1928) 410Pizza Delivery (~1945) 410Drive-Through Restaurants (1948) 411TV Remote Controls (1950) 411Pop-Top Cans (1963) 411Microwave Ovens (1967) 412Microwave Popcorn (1983) 412Global Positioning System (1989) 413Amazon (1995) 413Chapter 27: Ten U.S Presidents Who Were, Well, Average 415Bill Clinton 415William McKinley 416Grover Cleveland 416John Quincy Adams 416George H W Bush 417William Howard Taft 417Martin Van Buren 417Rutherford B Hayes 418Gerald Ford 418Jimmy Carter 419Part 7: The Appendixes 421Appendix A: The Bill of Rights: Amendments 1–10 of the Constitution 423Appendix B: The Declaration of Independence 425Index 429