Dreams of a more perfect union
"In a Brilliantly conceived and elegantly written book, Rogan Kersh investigates the idea of national union in the United States. For much of the period between the colonial era and the late nineteenth century, he shows, "union" was the principal rhetorical means by which Americans expressed shared ideals and a common identity without invoking strong nationalism or centralized governance. Through his exploration of how Americans once succeeded in uniting a diverse and fragmented citizenry, Kersh revives a long-forgotten source of U.S. national identity."
History
xi, 358 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
9780801438127, 9780801489808, 0801438128, 0801489806
44802858
The rhetorical genesis of American political union
A theory of political union emerges, 1780s-1820s
National unity and nation-building, 1820s-1850s
Conceiving a more moral union, 1850s-1865
The terms of reunion
The ends of union, 1877-1898