Synopses & Reviews
“America’s story from 1898 to 1945 is nothing less than the triumph of American exceptionalism over liberal progressivism, despite a few temporary victories by the latter.” Conservative historian Larry Schweikart has won wide acclaim for his number one
New York Times bestseller,
A Patriot’s History of the United States. It proved that, contrary to the liberal biases in countless other history books, America had not really been founded on racism, sexism, greed, and oppression. Schweikart and coauthor Michael Allen restored the truly great achievements of America’s patriots, founders, and heroes to their rightful place of honor. Now Schweikart and coauthor Dave Dougherty are back with a new perspective on America’s half-century rise to the center of the world stage. This all-new volume corrects many of the biases that cloud the way people view the Treaty of Versailles, the Roaring Twenties, the Crash of 1929, the deployment of the atomic bomb, and other critical events in global history. Beginning with the Spanish-American War— which introduced the United States as a global military power that could no longer be ignored—and continuing through the end of World War II, this book shows how a free, capitalist nation could thrive when put face-to-face with tyrannical and socialist powers. Schweikart and Dougherty narrate the many times America proved its dominance by upholding the principles on which it was founded—and struggled on the rare occasions when it strayed from those principles. The authors make a convincing case that America has constantly been a force for good in the world, improving standards of living, introducing innovations, guaranteeing liberty, and offering opportunities to those who had none elsewhere. They also illustrate how the country ascended to superpower status at the same time it was figuring out its own identity. While American ideals were defeating tyrants abroad, a constant struggle against progressivism was being waged at home, leading to the stumbles of the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite this rocky entrance on the world stage, it was during this half century that the world came to embrace all things American, from its innovations and businesses to its political system and popular culture. The United States began to define what the rest of the world could emulate as the new global ideal.
A Patriot’s History of the Modern World provides a new perspective on our extraordinary past—and offers lessons we can apply to preserve American exceptionalism today and tomorrow.
Review
“As Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen proved in
A Patriot’s History of the United States, history is even more fascinating when authors have no ideological axe to grind. With this wonderful, provocative, challenging page-fanning ride through the modern world, Schweikart and co-author Dave Dougherty have done it again, informing us, entertaining us, and deliciously standing political correctness on its head—where it ought to be.”
—David Limbaugh
Review
“In A Patriots History of the United States, Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen remind us what a few good individuals can do in just a few short centuries… A fluid account of America from the discovery of the Continent up to the present day.”
—Brandon Miniter, The Wall Street Journal “No recent American history challenges the conventional wisdom of academics as aggressively as Larry Schweikart and Michael Allens A Patriots History of the United States.”
—Daniel J. Flynn, Front Page Magazine
“It should be required reading for all Americans.” —Glenn Beck “There are a thousand pleasant surprises and heartening reminders that underneath it all America remains a country of ideas, ideals, and optimism—and no amount of revisionism can take that legacy away.”
—John Coleman, Humane Studies Review “A welcome, refreshing, and solid contribution to relearning what we have forgotten and remembering why this nation is good, and worth defending.”
—Matthew Spalding, National Review “Were the Puritans puritanical? Did the robber barons really rob anyone? What made the Great Depression so great? Historian Larry Schweikart sets the record straight.”
—Marvin Olasky “Any reader of Schweikart and Allens book will see immediately that it is a serious and substantive volume, based on a full recognition of the important secondary sources written by our major historians.”
—Ronald Radosh, Front Page Magazine
Review
and#8220;David Leferand#8217;s narrative is readable, engrossing, and fair-minded, and it presents an aspect of Americaand#8217;s origins that enriches our understanding of the nationand#8217;s past and of its present.and#8221;
and#8212;JAMES FALLOWS
and#160;
and#8220;David Lefer has done a wonderful service by focusing attention on the conservatives among our founders, such as John Dickinson. In doing so, he shows that American conservatism has deep historical roots and that some of todayand#8217;s ideological disputes were being waged in the early days of our republic. The lessons he draws are relevant not just to conservatives but to all Americans.and#8221;
and#8212;WALTER ISAACSON, author of Steve Jobs and Benjamin Franklin
and#160;
and#8220;David Leferand#8217;s The Founding Conservatives is a tirelessly researched and superbly writand#173;ten account of how Americaand#8217;s first conservatives endowed our revolution with ballast and vision, often in surprising ways that resonate to this day. A timely reminder that extremism in the defense of liberty is no virtue, moderation in the pursuit of justice no vice.and#8221;
and#8212;KEVIN BAKER, author of America: The Story of Us
and#160;
and#8220;David Lefer has done a civic service in unearthing a largely forgotten group of revolutionary patriots who not only played key roles in achieving American indeand#173;pendence but, in advance of Burke and the French Revolution, laid the groundwork for a distinctively New World version of conservatism.and#8221;
and#8212;FRED SIEGEL, author of The Prince of the City; senior fellow, Manhattan Institute
and#160;
and#8220;This lively, erudite book frees the founders from currently popular anachronistic categorizations and in the process provides a fresh new perspective on American conservatism. That there is something in this book to annoy just about everyone is its great and inestimable virtue.and#8221;
and#8212;SUSAN JACOBY, author of Freethinkers
and#160;
and#8220;As a historian, David Lefer is a terrific storyteller. The Founding Conservatives takes us on a fun and unique ride through the birth of the United States while building a case for the real DNA of American conservatism.and#8221;
and#8212;KEVIN MANEY, author of The Maverick and His Machine
and#8220;A compelling argument for a new appreciation of Americaand#8217;s founding conservatives. Lefer shows how these men, far from obstructing change or opposing the Revolution, sought to channel and direct our nationand#8217;s developand#173;ment so it could succeed for centuries to come. This book reminds us that conservatives have never been the and#8216;party of noand#8217; but rather the voice of reason and an idealism tempered by the practical.and#8221;
and#8212;LARRY SCHWEIKART, coauthor of A Patriotand#8217;s History of the Modern World, vols. 1 and 2
Synopsis
From Christopher Columbus to the fall of Saddam Hussein, this book will go a long way in restoring perspective and clarity to readers' understanding of America's amazing story, and the noble, Christian principles on which the country was founded.
Synopsis
For at least thirty years, high school and college students have been taught to be embarrassed by American history. Required readings have become skewed toward a relentless focus on our country’s darkest moments, from slavery to McCarthyism. As a result, many history books devote more space to Harriet Tubman than to Abraham Lincoln; more to My Lai than to the American Revolution; more to the internment of
Japanese Americans than to the liberation of Europe in World War II.
Now, finally, there is an antidote to this biased approach to our history. Two veteran history professors have written a sweeping, well-researched book that puts the spotlight back on America’s role as a beacon of liberty to the rest of the world. Schweikart and Allen are careful to tell their story straight, from Columbus’s voyage to the capture of Saddam Hussein. They do not ignore America’s mistakes through the years, but they put them back in their proper perspective. And they conclude that America’s place as a world leader derived largely from the virtues of our own leaders—the men and women who cleared the wilderness, abolished slavery, and rid the world of fascism and communism.
The authors write in a clear and enjoyable style that makes history a pleasure, not just for students but also for adults who want to learn what their teachers skipped over.
Synopsis
For the past three decades, many history professors have allowed their biases to distort the way Americas past is taught. These intellectuals have searched for instances of racism, sexism, and bigotry in our history while downplaying the greatness of Americas patriots and the achievements of dead white men.
As a result, more emphasis is placed on Harriet Tubman than on George Washington; more about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II than about D-Day or Iwo Jima; more on the dangers we faced from Joseph McCarthy than those we faced from Josef Stalin.
A Patriots History of the United States corrects those doctrinaire biases. In this groundbreaking book, Americas discovery, founding, and development are reexamined with an appreciation for the elements of public virtue, personal liberty, and private property that make this nation uniquely successful. This book offers a long-overdue acknowledgment of Americas true and proud history.
Synopsis
The untold story of a small group of founders who prevented radicalism at the dawn of the republic A nation at war. A real estate crash and financial meltdown. Bitter partisan disputes over taxation, the distribution of wealth, and the role of banks and corporations in society. Welcome to the world of the founding fathers. According to most narratives of the American Revolution, the founders were united in their vision. But according to historian David Lefer, political disagreements split the new nation in two. Had it not been for a few individuals who exercised a pragmatic conservatism that valued capitalism, a strong military, and the preservation of tradition, our country would be vastly different today. Drawing on years of archival research, Lefer tells the untold story of how these men not only saved the Revolution but also helped define American conservatism and create the foundations for our economy. America’s first banks and corporations would not have been possible without the bold and idealistic efforts of the first conservatives. This is more than just a fascinating story; it is also a new perspective on the birth of a free and prosperous nation.
Synopsis
“America’s story from 1898 to 1945 is nothing less than the triumph of American exceptionalism over liberal progressivism, despite a few temporary victories by the latter.” Conservative historian Larry Schweikart has won wide acclaim for his number one
New York Times bestseller,
A Patriot’s History of the United States. It proved that, contrary to the liberal biases in countless other history books, America had not really been founded on racism, sexism, greed, and oppression. Schweikart and coauthor Michael Allen restored the truly great achievements of America’s patriots, founders, and heroes to their rightful place of honor. Now Schweikart and coauthor Dave Dougherty are back with a new perspective on America’s half-century rise to the center of the world stage. This all-new volume corrects many of the biases that cloud the way people view the Treaty of Versailles, the Roaring Twenties, the Crash of 1929, the deployment of the atomic bomb, and other critical events in global history. Beginning with the Spanish-American War— which introduced the United States as a global military power that could no longer be ignored—and continuing through the end of World War II, this book shows how a free, capitalist nation could thrive when put face-to-face with tyrannical and socialist powers. Schweikart and Dougherty narrate the many times America proved its dominance by upholding the principles on which it was founded—and struggled on the rare occasions when it strayed from those principles. The authors make a convincing case that America has constantly been a force for good in the world, improving standards of living, introducing innovations, guaranteeing liberty, and offering opportunities to those who had none elsewhere. They also illustrate how the country ascended to superpower status at the same time it was figuring out its own identity. While American ideals were defeating tyrants abroad, a constant struggle against progressivism was being waged at home, leading to the stumbles of the Great Depression, the New Deal, and the attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite this rocky entrance on the world stage, it was during this half century that the world came to embrace all things American, from its innovations and businesses to its political system and popular culture. The United States began to define what the rest of the world could emulate as the new global ideal.
A Patriot’s History of the Modern World provides a new perspective on our extraordinary past—and offers lessons we can apply to preserve American exceptionalism today and tomorrow.
Synopsis
The bestselling historians turn their focus to Americas role in the world since the end of World War II
Schweikart, author of the number one New York Times bestseller A Patriots History of the United States, and Dougherty take a critical look at America, from the postwar boom to her search for identity in the twenty-first century.
The second volume of A Patriots History of the Modern World picks up in 1945 with a world irrevocably altered by World War II and a powerful, victorious United States. But new foes and challenges soon arose: the growing sphere of Communist influence, hostile dictatorships and unreliable socialist allies, the emergence of China as an economic contender, and the threat of world Islamification.
The book reestablishes the argument of American exceptionalism and the interplay of our democratic pillarsJudeo-Christian religious beliefs, free market capitalism, land ownership, and common lawaround the world.
Schweikart and Dougherty offer a fascinating conservative history of the last six decades.
Synopsis
and#147;It is not only the cause, but our manner of conducting it, that will establish character.and#8221; and#151;John Dickinson, 1773
and#160;
A nation at war and widespread mistrust of the miland#173;itary. A financial crash and an endless economic crisis. A Congress so divided it barely functioned. Bitter partisan disputes over everything from taxaand#173;tion and the distribution of wealth to the role of banks and corporations in society. Welcome to the world of the Founding Fathers.
and#160;
According to most narratives of the American Revolution, the founders were united in their quest for independence and steadfast in their efforts to create a stable, effective government. But the birth of our republic was far more complicated than many realize. The Revolution was nearly derailed by extremists who wanted to do too much, too quickly and who refused to rest until they had remade American society. If not for a small circle of conservatives who kept radicalism in check and promoted capitalism, a strong military, and the preservation of tradition, our country would be vastly different today.
and#160;
In the first book to chronicle the critical role these men played in securing our freedom, David Lefer provides an insightful and gripping account of the birth of modern American conservatism and its impact on the earliest days of our nation.
and#160;
Among these founding conservatives were men like John Dickinson, who joined George Washingtonand#8217;s troops in a battle against the British on July 4, 1776, and that same week drafted the Articles of Confederation; James Wilson, a staunch free-market capitalist who defended his home against a mob of radicals demanding price controls and in the process averted a bloody American equivalent to Bastille Day; Silas Deane, who mixed patriotism with profit seeking while petitioning France to aid America; and Robert Morris, who financed the American Revolution and founded the first bank and the first modern multinational corporation in the United States.
and#160;
Drawing on years of archival research, Lefer shows how these and other determined founders chamand#173;pioned American freedom while staying faithful to their ideals. In the process, they not only helped defeat the British but also laid the groundwork for American capitalism to thrive.
and#160;
The Founding Conservatives is an intellectual advenand#173;ture story, full of gunfights and big ideas. It is also an extraordinary reminder of the punishing battles our predecessors fought to create and maintain the free and prosperous nation we know today.
Synopsis
The revised, 10th anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller
Over the past decade, A Patriots History of the United States has become the definitive conservative history of our country, correcting the biases of historians and other intellectuals who downplay the greatness of Americas patriots. Professors Schweikart and Allen have now revised, updated, and expanded their book, which covers Americas long history with an appreciation for the values that made this nation uniquely successful.
About the Author
LARRY SCHWEIKART is the coauthor of
A Patriot’s History of the United States, which became a number one
New York Times bestseller and won the acclaim of major conservative figures such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. He is also the author of
Seven Events That Made America America, 48 Liberal Lies About American History, and many other books about defense, business, and financial history. He is a professor of history at the University of Dayton.
DAVE DOUGHERTY is a self-employed businessman who has collaborated with prominent historians on their books, most recently on Schweikart and Michael Allen’s
The Patriot’s History Reader Visit www.patriotshistoryusa.com
Visit www.patriotshistoryusa.comVisit www.patriotshistoryusa.com
Table of Contents
A Patriot's History Of The United States Acknowledgments
Interview with Larry Schweikart as seen in The Limbaugh Letter
Introduction
Chapter One
The City on the Hill, 1492-1707
Chapter Two
Colonial Adolescence, 1707-63
Chapter Three
Colonies No More, 1763-83
Chapter Four
A Nation of Law, 1776-89
Chapter Five
Small Republic, Big Shoulders, 1789-1815
Chapter Six
The First Era of Big Central Government, 1815-36
Chapter Seven
Red Foxes and Bear Flags, 1836-48
Chapter Eight
The House Dividing, 1848-60
Chapter Nine
The Crisis of the Union, 1860-65
Chapter Ten
Ideals and Realities of Reconstruction, 1865-76
Chapter Eleven
Lighting Out for the Territories, 1861-90
Chapter Twelve
Sinews of Democracy, 1876-96
Chapter Thirteen
"Building Best, Building Greatly," 1896-1912
Chapter Fourteen
War, Wilson, and Internationalism, 1912-20
Chapter Fifteen
The Roaring Twenties and the Great Crash, 1920-32
Chapter Sixteen
Enlarging the Public Sector, 1932-40
The New Deal: Immediate Goals, Unintended Results
Chapter Seventeen
Democracy's Finest Hour, 1941-45
Chapter Eighteen
America's "Happy Days," 1946-59
Chapter Nineteen
The Age of Upheaval, 1960-74
Chapter Twenty
Retreat and Resurrection, 1974-88
Chapter Twenty-One
The Moral Crossroads, 1989-2000
Chapter Twenty-Two
America, World Leader, 2000 and Beyond
Conclusion
Notes
Selected Reading
Index