A History of the American People, Volume 4

Woodrow Wilson, though one of the most purely progressive Presidents of the United States, was certainly not a progressive historian. His The History of the American People seldom even contains the slightest hint of disapproval with the institutional status quo of American society. This is the great paradox of progressivism in the early 20th century; although a profound engine for change, it was essentially a conservative movement.In this sense, The History remains valuable for its very unoriginality; its orthodoxy is to notions that the progressive, and later historians reacted against. Examined from today’s “global view” Wilson’s writing is at times unbalanced and unenlightened, but as an expression of the foundation for the modern era of American life, The History can hardly be more educational. That it is also thoughtful, imaginative, and beautifully written is a bonus not easily dismissed.Volume 4 begins with the role of Andrew Jackson and expansion westward, along with the continuing technological innovations that promote economic growth in the pre-Civil War nation. Wilson’s discussion of life in the South is limited to that of the whites, and he is silent on the treatment of slaves except for how it impacts the addition of territories and states.Wilson’s writing on the Civil War concentrates on the economic cost and human casualties. He does not offer any moral viewpoints, but rather relates the events in detail. He shows how at the end of the war the South is in a state of despair with starvation and misery abounding. The next step for the nation will be reconstruction.