This classic survey of one of the most dramatic eras in American history is most notable, perhaps, for the insight it offers into the mindset of the era itself. First published from 1893 through 1906, in the immediate aftermath of the events it covers, it was criticized even then for the author's clear bias-Rhodes believed it was a mistake to have given black men the right to vote after the Civil War. Today, it remains a fascinating look at the times through a prism that is itself of historical interest. This eight-volume set is a replica of the 1920 "new" edition. Volume VII covers: [ Boss Tweed's New York [ the Credit Mobilier [ the Union Pacific Railroad [ financial panics [ fire in Chicago in 1871 and Boston in 1872 [ civil rights in the South [ the Negro in politics [ Hayes or Tilden: the disputed presidency [ and much more. After earning a fortune in iron, coal, and steel, American author JAMES FORD RHODES (1848-1927) retired to write about history, for which he won the Loubat Prize from the Berlin Academy of Sciences (1901) and the gold medal from the National Institute of Arts and Letters (1910). He is also the author of the single-volume History of the Civil War, 1861-1865 (1918), available from Cosimo.

Bibliographical footnotes. v. 1. 1850-1854.--v. 2. 1854-1860.--v. 3. 1860-1862.--v. 4. 1862-1864.--v. 5. 1864-l865.--v. 6. 1866-1872.--v. 7. 1872-l877.--v. 8. 1877-1896.

American Historical Review is the oldest scholarly journal of history in the United States and the largest in the world. Published by the American Historical Association, it covers all areas of historical research.

The "progressive" reading of history focuses on two major antecedents for the origins of the United States' 1898 war with Spain: the 1896 presidential election and the Hearst-Pulitzer press war that, reportedly, generated an irresistible clamor from an "aroused public." Underlying those narratives are two very different theoretical frameworks: a class-dominance view and that of the mass society. Volume 1 of President McKinley, War and Empire assesses the adequacy of those readings.In the 1896 election the Republicans, led by William McKinley, were challenged by William Jennings Bryan, a radical and an inflationist, who had defeated the conservative leaders of the Democratic Party. The Bryanites portrayed the 1896 election as a struggle between "Wall Street" and "the people." McKinley was portrayed as a docile, pliable figure whose campaign was directed by an adept Ohio business magnate, Mark Hanna. The McKinley victory meant that "big business" was now "in control."The Cuban insurgency, begun in 1895, gained attention and support from the American newspapers. This began with a circulation war in New York City, with Hearst and Pulitzer publishing "sensational" reports about the struggle in Cuba. The resulting public clamor, it is said, overwhelmed the members of the legislative and executive branches. McKinley and his advisors fended off those demands as best they could but, following the sinking of the Maine, he conceded and asked Congress to authorize intervention.This work provides an original assessment of those long-standing claims, the basic elements of the progressive history. It reviews McKinley's biography, principally the events leading up to his election victory, including discussion of Hanna's role. It then examines the events leading up to the war. Studies of press content are reviewed and new material is introduced. The work also argues that two other factors were decisive: the efforts of an adept Cuban pressure group and partisa