1898: The Birth of the American Century
by David Traxel
The 20th century may have begun in the year 1901, but the "American Century" actually began three years earlier, according to historian David Traxel, who pinpoints 1898 as the pivotal year for America's new found presence on the world stage. In his book 1898: The Birth of the American Century, Traxel combines scholarly knowledge with eloquent storytelling to chronicle the events of this crucial year that set in train the transformation of the United States from a 19th-century isolated agrarian society, into a leading world power both economically and politically. Traxel views the Spanish-American War as the epicenter of events in 1898--a war which the States won in a matter of months, though the Europeans never quite managed to defeat Spain even after several centuries of warfare. With this victory, the U.S. was now firmly established as a major military player. Economically the United States was also getting richer due to increased trade with foreign markets and because of a new generation of innovative industrialists like Ford and Westinghouse. The word "marketing" also entered the American business vocabulary, and 1898 saw the first million-dollar advertising campaign--to launch a well-known biscuit! Traxel goes on to detail how America's workforce was changing--unions fought for the rights of workers, and women pursued jobs and the right to vote. Although the United States didn't suddenly metamorphose overnight, 1898 was certainly a crucial year in its development, and Traxel recounts these events in meticulous detail. --Naomi Gesinger
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1898: The Birth of the American Century
by David Traxel
The 20th century may have begun in the year 1901, but the "American Century" actually began three years earlier, according to historian David Traxel, who pinpoints 1898 as the pivotal year for America's new found presence on the world stage. In his book 1898: The Birth of the American Century, Traxel combines scholarly knowledge with eloquent storytelling to chronicle the events of this crucial year that set in train the transformation of the United States from a 19th-century isolated agrarian society, into a leading world power both economically and politically. Traxel views the Spanish-American War as the epicenter of events in 1898--a war which the States won in a matter of months, though the Europeans never quite managed to defeat Spain even after several centuries of warfare. With this victory, the U.S. was now firmly established as a major military player. Economically the United States was also getting richer due to increased trade with foreign markets and because of a new generation of innovative industrialists like Ford and Westinghouse. The word "marketing" also entered the American business vocabulary, and 1898 saw the first million-dollar advertising campaign--to launch a well-known biscuit! Traxel goes on to detail how America's workforce was changing--unions fought for the rights of workers, and women pursued jobs and the right to vote. Although the United States didn't suddenly metamorphose overnight, 1898 was certainly a crucial year in its development, and Traxel recounts these events in meticulous detail. --Naomi Gesinger
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Crusader Nation: The United States in Peace and the Great War: 1898-1920
by David Traxel
In this absorbing history of the first two decades of the twentieth century, David Traxel paints a vivid picture of a transformative period in the United States, when many remarkable individuals fought to decide which path the country would follow. Victorian restraint was being cast aside by men and women testing social conventions and sexual mores, dancing to dangerous “jazz” music, and expressing themselves through revolutionary forms of art.Traxel traces how these modern ideas were also related to a powerful progressive reform movement that hoped to end the social evils that had accompanied unrestrained industrialization, and he examines the impact of huge waves of European immigration on both the American economy and its social fabric. The struggles to end child labor, win votes for women, rid cities of corrupt political machines, improve public health and education, and prohibit alcohol brought forth a passionate response from millions of Americans who desired both a more efficient and a more compassionate society. Greenwich Village bohemians including Jack Reed, Eugene O’Neill, and Louise Bryant; politicians such as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson; social reformers Margaret Sanger and “Mother” Jones; journalists William Allen White and Lincoln Steffens; and industrialist Henry Ford come alive in these pages. They were Democrats and Republicans, progressives and Socialists, as well as radicals such as the Industrial Workers of the World and anarchists such as Emma Goldman.Combining lively anecdote with historical scholarship, Traxel shows how American crusading continued through World War I, though now focused on “making the world safe for democracy.” But by the time the doughboys returned the public was tired of what had come to seem empty rhetoric and unattainable goals. By 1920 the Progressive Era was over, though its laws and effects have lived on. This portrait of early twentieth-century America reveals important qualities of our national character that endure to this day.From the Hardcover edition.
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Crusader Nation: The United States in Peace and the Great War, 1898-1920
by David Traxel
In this absorbing history of the first two decades of the twentieth century, David Traxel paints a vivid picture of a transformative period in the United States, when many remarkable individuals fought to decide which path the country would follow. Victorian restraint was being cast aside by men and women testing social conventions and sexual mores, dancing to dangerous “jazz” music, and expressing themselves through revolutionary forms of art.Traxel traces how these modern ideas were also related to a powerful progressive reform movement that hoped to end the social evils that had accompanied unrestrained industrialization, and he examines the impact of huge waves of European immigration on both the American economy and its social fabric. The struggles to end child labor, win votes for women, rid cities of corrupt political machines, improve public health and education, and prohibit alcohol brought forth a passionate response from millions of Americans who desired both a more efficient and a more compassionate society. Greenwich Village bohemians including Jack Reed, Eugene O’Neill, and Louise Bryant; politicians such as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson; social reformers Margaret Sanger and “Mother” Jones; journalists William Allen White and Lincoln Steffens; and industrialist Henry Ford come alive in these pages. They were Democrats and Republicans, progressives and Socialists, as well as radicals such as the Industrial Workers of the World and anarchists such as Emma Goldman.Combining lively anecdote with historical scholarship, Traxel shows how American crusading continued through World War I, though now focused on “making the world safe for democracy.” But by the time the doughboys returned the public was tired of what had come to seem empty rhetoric and unattainable goals. By 1920 the Progressive Era was over, though its laws and effects have lived on. This portrait of early twentieth-century America reveals important qualities of our national character that endure to this day.
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Crusader Nation: The United States in Peace and the Great War: 1898-1920
by David Traxel
In this absorbing history of progressive-era America, acclaimed historian David Traxel paints a vivid picture of a tumultuous time of change that was the foundation for the twentieth century.. With WWI on the horizon, the struggles to end child labor, improve public health, advance education, win votes for women, and rid cities of corrupt political machines brought forth passionate responses from millions of Americans. There was a demand for reform and a desire for a more efficient and compassionate society. From wide-eyed dreamers to hard-line politicians, seasoned reporters to diary keeping soldiers, these crusaders–Jack Reed, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Margaret Sanger, and “Mother” Jones to name a few–come alive in these pages.
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1898
by David Traxel
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