Highlights
Clear Synthesis
Give Me Liberty! offers a concise and straightforward survey of American history, a far cry from the encyclopedic texts of the past. Professor Foner excels at showing students the big picture—how events and developments fit together—in a clear synthesis, free of clutter and excessive details.
Unifying Theme: American Freedom
The narrative of Give Me Liberty! is unified by the central theme of American freedom—its changing meanings, its promise, its limits, and the continuing efforts of Americans to define and achieve it. This theme bridges the social, political, cultural, and economic discussions to produce a highly integrated text.
Professor Foner’s historical analysis of the changing boundaries of American freedom highlights the efforts of social and political groups—especially African Americans, women, ethnic minorities, and the working class—to broaden access to freedom in its many dimensions.
The theme of American freedom motivates students by showing them that freedom, a birthright for some Americans, has for others been only partially won after much effort and sacrifice. Give Me Liberty! demonstrates that the preservation of freedom demands vigilance and a firm knowledge of our history.
Distinguished Author
Professor Foner—one of the preeminent historians of his generation—has distilled his lifetime of teaching and scholarship into a clearly written introductory text that is both engaging and accessible. His previous books have won the most prestigious awards in the profession, and he has been president of both the Organization of American Historians and the American Historical Association. Give Me Liberty! displays all of his trademark strengths as a scholar, teacher, and writer.
Read more about Professor Foner
Student-Friendly Pedagogy
Each chapter in Give Me Liberty! provides student-friendly pedagogy to reinforce, review, and analyze discussions in the text.
- Chapter Outlines appear at the opening of each chapter.
- Focus Questions first appear in the chapter openings and are then repeated individually at the tops of relevant pages to keep students focused on the larger issues as they read.
- Chapter Review Pages include a chronology of major events, a series of review questions, and a review table of major events or developments discussed in the chapter.
- Voices of Freedom Boxes contain excerpts from primary sources that address the theme of American freedom. Fuller versions of these documents, along with additional primary sources, appear in the companion Voices of Freedom reader.
- Suggested Readings lists include sources for the chapter discussions and recommended readings for students.
- Appendix of Documents and Tables includes a small collection of primary documents ranging from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to Frederick Douglass’s speech "What, to the Slave, Is the Fourth of July?" the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, the Omaha Platform of the Populist Party, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, "I Have a Dream" speech. See the Contents page for a full listing of these documents.
Copyright © 2005, W. W. Norton & Company. All rights reserved.
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