Free and the Unfree, The : A Progressive History of the United States, Third Revised Edition

Rating:
Summary: A History of All
Review: In this book, first published in 1977, the stated goal of the authors was to write a "multicultural history of the United States" (p.13); to correct the imbalance of American history's traditional focus on white Protestant males and give equal consideration to the history and perspectives of women, Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, and Catholics and Jews (p.12). They accomplish this goal admirably well. This is not a history of a variety of separate cultures, but the story of the interaction of a variety of peoples with a variety of perspectives over time.

I do not agree with all of the authors' conclusions and characterizations. Like most people trying to correct an imbalance, they seem to have gone too far in the other direction at times. But sometimes that is necessary to get to the center. They also seem to be less objective with more current events. One example of this is when listing "evangelical conservatives" objections to President Clinton, they include Clinton's "easy acceptance of racial minorities" (p.452). Not all evangelicals are conservative, not all conservatives are evangelical, and to imply that anyone with an evangelical and/or conservative perspective is racist (as they do here and in a few other places) is biased. Of all the evangelicals and conservatives I know (some of whom liked Clinton), I can't imagine any of them objecting to Clinton's "easy acceptance of racial minorities," though I don't deny that there may be some out there who did.

Having said that, overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is well written and flows nicely. The text can get philosophical as they go into cultural perspectives and their relation to historical events. I especially enjoyed the discussions of differing cultural perspectives on space and time.

The important people and events of American history are interwoven into the ongoing discussion of different cultural perspectives. While the authors do try to bring the history of women and minorities in America more to the forefront, they do not ignore the white Protestant males or deny the contributions they made. The authors do object to the many ways the white Protestant males (and white Protestant male historians) historically disenfranchised women and minorities, with good reason.

When I did disagree with the authors, I was still forced to confront my own personal and cultural biases, which is always useful. I do think that this book should be supplemented with others for anyone serious about studying American history. (I still like Paul Johnson's "A History of the American People" as a good, one volume history. The "Oxford History of the American People" is also good, but more ponderous.) But I would have to include this book on any well-rounded reading list of American history. Women and minorities have been neglected in our history, and I am not sure that this lack has been completely redressed. This book certainly does make giant strides in that direction.