The good country: a history of the American Midwest, 1800-1900
(Book)
Author:
Published:
Norman : University of Oklahoma Press, [2022].
Format:
Book
Physical Desc:
xii, 350 pages : maps ; 24 cm
Status:
Description
At the center of American history is a hole—a gap where some scholars’ indifference or disdain has too long stood in for the true story of the American Midwest. A first-ever chronicle of the Midwest’s formative century, The Good Country restores this American heartland to its central place in the nation’s history.
Jon K. Lauck, the premier historian of the region, puts midwestern “squares” center stage—an unorthodox approach that leads to surprising conclusions. The American Midwest, in Lauck’s cogent account, was the most democratically advanced place in the world during the nineteenth century. The Good Country describes a rich civic culture that prized education, literature, libraries, and the arts; developed a stable social order grounded in Victorian norms, republican virtue, and Christian teachings; and generally put democratic ideals into practice to a greater extent than any nation to date.
The outbreak of the Civil War and the fight against the slaveholding South only deepened the Midwest’s dedication to advancing a democratic culture and solidified its regional identity. The “good country” was, of course, not the “perfect country,” and Lauck devotes a chapter to the question of race in the Midwest, finding early examples of overt racism but also discovering a steady march toward racial progress. He also finds many instances of modest reforms enacted through the democratic process and designed to address particular social problems, as well as significant advances for women, who were active in civic affairs and took advantage of the Midwest’s openness to women in higher education.
Lauck reaches his conclusions through a measured analysis that weighs historical achievements and injustices, rejects the acrimonious tones of the culture wars, and seeks a new historical discourse grounded in fair readings of the American past. In a trying time of contested politics and culture, his book locates a middle ground, fittingly, in the center of the country.
Jon K. Lauck, the premier historian of the region, puts midwestern “squares” center stage—an unorthodox approach that leads to surprising conclusions. The American Midwest, in Lauck’s cogent account, was the most democratically advanced place in the world during the nineteenth century. The Good Country describes a rich civic culture that prized education, literature, libraries, and the arts; developed a stable social order grounded in Victorian norms, republican virtue, and Christian teachings; and generally put democratic ideals into practice to a greater extent than any nation to date.
The outbreak of the Civil War and the fight against the slaveholding South only deepened the Midwest’s dedication to advancing a democratic culture and solidified its regional identity. The “good country” was, of course, not the “perfect country,” and Lauck devotes a chapter to the question of race in the Midwest, finding early examples of overt racism but also discovering a steady march toward racial progress. He also finds many instances of modest reforms enacted through the democratic process and designed to address particular social problems, as well as significant advances for women, who were active in civic affairs and took advantage of the Midwest’s openness to women in higher education.
Lauck reaches his conclusions through a measured analysis that weighs historical achievements and injustices, rejects the acrimonious tones of the culture wars, and seeks a new historical discourse grounded in fair readings of the American past. In a trying time of contested politics and culture, his book locates a middle ground, fittingly, in the center of the country.
Copies
Location
Call Number
Status
Ashland Adult Nonfiction
977 LAU
Due Mar 18, 2023
More Details
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780806190631, 0806190639, 9780806190648, 0806190647
UPC:
40031428102
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"A history of the US Midwest in the nineteenth century, describing and analyzing a rich civic culture that prized education, literature, libraries, and the arts; developed a stable social order grounded in Victorian norms, republican virtue, and Christian teachings; was marred by overt racism but made significant progress toward racial equality; and generally put democratic ideals into practice further than any nation to date"--,Provided by publisher.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)
Lauck, J. (2022). The good country: a history of the American Midwest, 1800-1900. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Lauck, Jon, 1971-. 2022. The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest, 1800-1900. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Lauck, Jon, 1971-, The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest, 1800-1900. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 2022.
MLA Citation (style guide)Lauck, Jon. The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest, 1800-1900. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 2022.
Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
1ca96166-8ff8-9619-8900-e81812c59139
Record Information
Last Sierra Extract Time | Mar 25, 2023 07:25:33 AM |
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Last File Modification Time | Mar 25, 2023 07:25:39 AM |
Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Mar 25, 2023 07:25:37 AM |
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505 | 0 | |a The Exceptionalism of the Old Square World -- "A Free and Unrestricted Mode of Life": Planting Democracy in the Midwest -- "Moulded for Good": The Growth of a Common Democratic Culture in the Midwest -- "The Attitude of a Section Itself": The Formation of Midwestern Regional Identity -- "Also a Seamy Side to Certain Phases of the History of the Valley": Racial Failures and Advances in the Good Country -- "Nothing Else Quite like It in the World": The Midwest and the Age of Mild Reform -- Finding Virtue in the Good Country. | |
520 | |a "A history of the US Midwest in the nineteenth century, describing and analyzing a rich civic culture that prized education, literature, libraries, and the arts; developed a stable social order grounded in Victorian norms, republican virtue, and Christian teachings; was marred by overt racism but made significant progress toward racial equality; and generally put democratic ideals into practice further than any nation to date"--|c Provided by publisher. | ||
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