Americans: A Collision of Histories - Paperback

by Edward Countryman (Author)

In this social history, Edward Countryman shows how interactions among America's different ethnic groups have contributed to our sense of nationality. From the earliest settlements along the Atlantic seaboard to the battle over our nation's destiny in the aftermath of the Civil War, Countryman reveals Americans in all their diverse complexity and shows why the very identity of "American"--forged by the African, the Indian, and the European alike--is what matters.

Back Jacket

This book began with a chance encounter. On a summer evening late in the 1980s a young black man stopped me to ask for directions in the English town where I used to live. That was no surprise. Asian, African, Afro-Caribbean, black British, and white people all lived in the neighborhood. His speech, however was American, and I was delighted to hear it. I speak American too, despite my long time overseas, and he was just as glad to hear me.

Author Biography

Edward Countryman, professor of history at Southern Methodist University, is the author of A People in Revolution: The American Revolution and Political Society in New York, 1760-1790, winner of the Bancroft Prize, and The American Revolution. He lives in Dallas.