The American Reader: Words That Moved a Nation
by Diane Ravitch
On This Page
Description
The American Reader is a stirring and memorable anthology that captures the many facets of American culture and history in prose and verse. The 200 poems, speeches, songs, essays, letters, and documents were chosen both for their readablility and for their significance. These are the words that have inspired, enraged, delighted, chastened, and comforted Americans in days gone by. Gathered here are the witings that illuminate---with wit, eloquence, and sometimes sharp words---significant show more aspects of the national consciousness. They reflect the part that all Americans---black and white, native born and immigrant, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American, poor and wealthy---have played in creating the nation's character. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
I really like this little collection. It has speeches from all the important historical figures that you can think of that have had an impact on the U.S. Even though it could have included more, I still enjoyed it and I like having it as a reference.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
32+ Works 3,173 Members
Diane Ravitch is the Research Professor of Education at New York University and a historian of education. She is the former assistant secretary of education and a former member of the National Assessment Governing Board. The author of ten books, including Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public show more Schools, Ravitch lives in Brooklyn, New York. show less
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1990
- Epigraph
- If you wou'd not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worth reading,
Or do things worth the writing.
Benjamin Franklin
Poor Richard's Almanack - Dedication
- For Mary
- First words
- The American Reader aims to put its readers into direct contact with the words that inspired, enraged, delighted, chastened, or comforted Americans in days gone by.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 539
- Popularity
- 55,491
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.96)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 6
