Eyewitness to America: 500 Years of America in the Words of Those Who Saw It Happen

This was really a remarkable read: collecting first-person accounts from pre-colonial times to the 1990 in America. This compiles journalism, correspondence, treatises, memoirs, and other primary sources. Some things that stood out for me were the disappointing first suffragette congress (they decided to have a panel of men run it) to Sojourner Truth's fiery speech to the same body a decade later, The rise of Texas and its loss by Mexico, the predatory hell of Andersonville prison, the methodical invention of basketball for non-athletes, Gutzon Borglum's desire to see a carved Indian head gazing at the (not yet) completed Mt. Rushmore figures, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team composed almost entirely of American soldiers of Japanese show more ancestry out of the internment camps and the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of American warfare, locked in with barricaded cops at Stonewall where a lot of specie was thrown (in mockery of the notorious system of payoffs – earlier dubbed “gayola” – in which police chiefs leeched huge sums from establishments used by gay people), and the final 1994 entry about email exchanges with Bill Gates - a medium that already seems quaint. show less

[Review written by my younger self]
Edited by David Colbert, Eyewitness to America is a comprehensive compilation of crucial moments and personalities in 500 years of American history, as told by the people who had first-hand experiences. The various primary sources used here range from John Smith's account of Jamestown and Pocahontas, to President Truman's perspective on his firing of MacArthur. There is also a great coverage of popular history, including first-hand encounters with Elvis, Tom Wolfe's coverage of the Beatles, Ritchie Havens on Woodstock, and John Houseman on The War of the Worlds mix-up. Each account, which averages about 2-6 pages, is an interesting and brief read into historical events from the people that knew them show more best. With a thorough index, comprehensive notes on primary sources, and an overall appealing format, Eyewitness to America is perfect for American history enthusiasts as well as anyone who is even mildly interested in history in general. It is an engaging, entertaining, and highly inviting book to flip through that leaves little out and is a great presentation of the diversity in American history. show less

David Colbert had a disarmingly simple idea: take all the major events of American history, find someone who was there for each one, and publish their descriptions. Taking passages from diaries, private letters, and memoirs, Colbert has assembled the words of men and women who witnessed some of the most decisive and memorable moments in the history of the United States. The book is arranged chronologically from the earliest encounters of Columbus with the Native Peoples of the Americas, to one of the first email exhanges with Bill Gates in the early nineties. All told through the unfiltered lens of the people who lived it, with only the slightest of edits for clarity and short introduction of each excerpt to give a larger picture of how show more each event shaped America's history and culture. There are dozens of illuminating moments in these first hand accounts that really get at the human side of the stories we have come to know.

There are few if any omissions to the overall timeline of history, which is pretty incrediable feat in itself; but I would have added the Gettysburg address, or Washingtons last speech as president, or the establishment of the national park system like any good amatuer history buff I have my favorites that envitably be get cut from a book like this, however, even with my nit-picking aside I think thos is a truly outstanding work of narrative history that should be read by even those with just a passing interest in the history of the United States. My only real ciriticism is that the book could use an update to cover the two decades of history that have reshaped the American landscape. show less

Edited by David Colbert, Eyewitness to America is a comprehensive compilation of crucial moments and personalities in 500 years of American history, as told by the people who had first-hand experiences. The various primary sources used here range from John Smith's account of Jamestown and Pocahontas, to President Truman's perspective on his firing of MacArthur. There is also a great coverage of popular history, including first-hand encounters with Elvis, Tom Wolfe's coverage of the Beatles, Ritchie Havens on Woodstock, and John Houseman on The War of the Worlds mix-up. Each account, which averages about 2-6 pages, is an interesting and brief read into historical events from the people that knew them best. With a thorough index, show more comprehensive notes on primary sources, and an overall appealing format, Eyewitness to America is perfect for American history enthusiasts as well as anyone who is even mildly interested in history in general. It is an engaging, entertaining, and highly inviting book to flip through that leaves little out and is a great presentation of the diversity in American history. show less

I have read various accounts that I was interested in and truly this events became more vivid. Recommend as a reference for families with school age children. You may have not been there back in the day, but at least you can refer your children to accounts from personal letters, diaries/journal of those who were suppose to be there.