This text is a comprehensive introduction to the vital subject of American government and politics. Governments decide who gets what, when, how (See Harold D. Lasswell, Politics: Who Gets What, When, How, [New York: McGraw-Hill, 1936]); they make policies and pass laws that are binding on all a society’s members; they decide about taxation and spending, benefits and costs, even life and death.Governments possess power—the ability to gain compliance and to get people under their jurisdiction to obey them—and they may exercise their power by using the police and military to enforce their decisions. However, power need not involve the exercise of force or compulsion; people often obey because they think it is in their interest to do so, they have no reason to disobey, or they fear punishment. Above all, people obey their government because it has authority; its power is seen by people as rightfully held, as legitimate. People can grant their government legitimacy because they have been socialized to do so; because there are processes, such as elections, that enable them to choose and change their rulers; and because they believe that their governing institutions operate justly.Politics is the process by which leaders are selected and policy decisions are made and executed. It involves people and groups, both inside and outside of government, engaged in deliberation and debate, disagreement and conflict, cooperation and consensus, and power struggles.In covering American government and politics, this text introduces the intricacies of the Constitution, the complexities of federalism, the meanings of civil liberties, and the conflicts over civil rights;explains how people are socialized to politics, acquire and express opinions, and participate in political life; describes interest groups, political parties, and elections—the intermediaries that link people to government and politics; details the branches of government and how they operate; and shows how policies are made and affect people’s lives.

Table of Contents:

Module 1: New World Encounters
Module 2: New World Experiments
Module 3: Putting Down Roots
Module 4: Experience of Empire
Module 5: The American Revolution
Module 6: The Republican Experiment
Module 7: Democracy & Dissent
Module 8: Republican Ascendancy
Module 9: Nation Building & Nationalism
Module 10: The Age of "Jacksonian Democracy"
Module 11: Southern Society Before the Civil War
Module 12: Northern Society Before the Civil War
Module 13: An Age of Expansionism
Module 14: Sectional Crisis
Module 15: Secession & Civil War
Appendices

This text from Dr. Franklin Williamson and Dr. Tom Aiello from Gordon State University contains all modular text content used in the LMS implementation of their American History I (HIST 2111) courses. American History 1 covers topics ranging from the colonial period to the Civil War.

The text was created under an Affordable Learning Georgia G2C Pilot Grant, taking place from Spring 2018 until Fall 2019.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 - The Colonial South
Chapter 2 - The Colonial North
Chapter 3 - 18th Century Colonial Life
Chapter 4 - The French and Indian War
Chapter 5 - American Revolution, Part 1
Chapter 6 - American Revolution, Part 2
Chapter 7 - Articles of Confederation
Chapter 8 - Early Republic
Chapter 9 - Jeffersonian Era
Chapter 10 - Market Revolution
Chapter 11 - The North and 19th Century Thought
Chapter 12 - Slavery and Southern Life
Chapter 13 - Western Expansion
Chapter 14 - Sectional Conflict
Chapter 15 - American Civil War

This text from Dr. Franklin Williamson and Dr. Tom Aiello from Gordon State University contains all modular text content used in the LMS implementation of their American History I (HIST 2111) courses. American History 1 covers topics ranging from the colonial period to the Civil War.

The text was created under an Affordable Learning Georgia G2C Pilot Grant, taking place from Spring 2018 until Fall 2019. Topics include:

The Colonial South / The Colonial North
18th Century Colonial Life
American Revolution
Jeffersonian Era
Slavery and Southern Life
Western Expansion
Sectional Conflict
American Civil War

A Learning Management System (LMS) course in Canvas Commons that corresponds to the textbook: https://louis.pressbooks.pub/americanhistory2/

American History II is a survey of United States history from the Civil War era to the present. This course will survey American history from Reconstruction to the modern-day. Students are encouraged to think critically about events, people, and developments covered during the course of the semester. The course is designed to meet the general education goals listed in the catalog. Students will learn how to think critically, research, analyze documents, communicate effectively, and improve their information literacy, all skills that can be applied in a variety of careers. This course was created through Interactive OER for Dual Enrollment, a project led by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network (https://louislibraries.org) and funded with a $2 million Open Textbooks Pilot Program grant from the Department of Education. This project supports the extension of access to high-quality post-secondary opportunities to high school students across Louisiana and beyond. It features a collaboration between educational systems in Louisiana, the library community, Pressbooks, and workforce representatives to enable and enhance the delivery of open educational resources (OER) and interactive quiz and assessment elements for priority dual enrollment courses in Louisiana and nationally. Developed OER course materials are released under a license that permits their free use, reuse, modification and sharing with others. This includes a textbook and corresponding course available in Moodle and Canvas that can be imported to other platforms. For access/questions, contact Affordable Learning Louisiana (alearningla@laregents.edu). If you are adopting this resource, we would be glad to know of your use via this brief survey: https://survey.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_41Olbogjof6HUay

A Learning Management System (LMS) course in MoodleNet that corresponds to the textbook: https://louis.pressbooks.pub/americanhistory2/

American History II is a survey of United States history from the Civil War era to the present. This course will survey American history from Reconstruction to the modern-day. Students are encouraged to think critically about events, people, and developments covered during the course of the semester. The course is designed to meet the general education goals listed in the catalog. Students will learn how to think critically, research, analyze documents, communicate effectively, and improve their information literacy, all skills that can be applied in a variety of careers. This course was created through Interactive OER for Dual Enrollment, a project led by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network (https://louislibraries.org) and funded with a $2 million Open Textbooks Pilot Program grant from the Department of Education. This project supports the extension of access to high-quality post-secondary opportunities to high school students across Louisiana and beyond. It features a collaboration between educational systems in Louisiana, the library community, Pressbooks, and workforce representatives to enable and enhance the delivery of open educational resources (OER) and interactive quiz and assessment elements for priority dual enrollment courses in Louisiana and nationally. Developed OER course materials are released under a license that permits their free use, reuse, modification and sharing with others. This includes a textbook and corresponding course available in Moodle and Canvas that can be imported to other platforms. For access/questions, contact Affordable Learning Louisiana (alearningla@laregents.edu). If you are adopting this resource, we would be glad to know of your use via this brief survey: https://survey.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_41Olbogjof6HUay

A Learning Management System (LMS) course in Canvas Commons that corresponds to the textbook: https://louis.pressbooks.pub/americanhistory1/

This course will survey American history from its colonial origins to the end of the Civil War in 1865. Students are encouraged to think critically about events, people, and developments covered during the course of the semester. The course is designed to meet the general education goals listed in the catalog. Students will learn how to think critically, research, analyze documents, communicate effectively, and improve their information literacy, all skills that can be applied in a variety of careers. This course was created through Interactive OER for Dual Enrollment, a project led by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network (https://louislibraries.org) and funded with a $2 million Open Textbooks Pilot Program grant from the Department of Education. This project supports the extension of access to high-quality post-secondary opportunities to high school students across Louisiana and beyond. It features a collaboration between educational systems in Louisiana, the library community, Pressbooks, and workforce representatives to enable and enhance the delivery of open educational resources (OER) and interactive quiz and assessment elements for priority dual enrollment courses in Louisiana and nationally. Developed OER course materials are released under a license that permits their free use, reuse, modification and sharing with others. This includes a textbook and corresponding course available in Moodle and Canvas that can be imported to other platforms. For access/questions, contact Affordable Learning Louisiana (alearningla@laregents.edu). If you are adopting this resource, we would be glad to know of your use via this brief survey: https://survey.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_41Olbogjof6HUay

This course provides a basic history of American social, economic, and political development from the colonial period through the Civil War. It examines the colonial heritages of Spanish and British America; the American Revolution and its impact; the establishment and growth of the new nation; and the Civil War, its background, character, and impact. Readings include writings of the period by J. Winthrop, T. Paine, T. Jefferson, J. Madison, W. H. Garrison, G. Fitzhugh, H. B. Stowe, and A. Lincoln.

A Learning Management System (LMS) course in Canvas Commons that corresponds to the textbook: https://louis.pressbooks.pub/americanhistory1/

This course will survey American history from its colonial origins to the end of the Civil War in 1865. Students are encouraged to think critically about events, people, and developments covered during the course of the semester. The course is designed to meet the general education goals listed in the catalog. Students will learn how to think critically, research, analyze documents, communicate effectively, and improve their information literacy, all skills that can be applied in a variety of careers. This course was created through Interactive OER for Dual Enrollment, a project led by LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network (https://louislibraries.org) and funded with a $2 million Open Textbooks Pilot Program grant from the Department of Education. This project supports the extension of access to high-quality post-secondary opportunities to high school students across Louisiana and beyond. It features a collaboration between educational systems in Louisiana, the library community, Pressbooks, and workforce representatives to enable and enhance the delivery of open educational resources (OER) and interactive quiz and assessment elements for priority dual enrollment courses in Louisiana and nationally. Developed OER course materials are released under a license that permits their free use, reuse, modification and sharing with others. This includes a textbook and corresponding course available in Moodle and Canvas that can be imported to other platforms. For access/questions, contact Affordable Learning Louisiana (alearningla@laregents.edu). If you are adopting this resource, we would be glad to know of your use via this brief survey: https://survey.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_41Olbogjof6HUay

The American LGBTQ Rights Movement: An Introduction is a peer-reviewed chronological survey of the LGBTQ fight for equal rights from the turn of the 20th century to the early 21st century. Illustrated with historical photographs, the book beautifully reveals the heroic people and key events that shaped the American LGBTQ rights movement. The book includes personal narratives to capture the lived experience from each era, as well as details of essential organizations, texts, and court cases that defined LGBTQ activism and advocacy.

The American LGBTQ Rights Movement: An Introduction is a peer-reviewed chronological survey of the LGBTQ fight for equal rights from the turn of the 20th century to the early 21st century. Illustrated with historical photographs, the book beautifully reveals the heroic people and key events that shaped the American LGBTQ rights movement. The book includes personal narratives to capture the lived experience from each era, as well as details of essential organizations, texts, and court cases that defined LGBTQ activism and advocacy.

Table of Contents
THE BEGINNINGS
THE HOMOPHILE MOVEMENT
GAY LIBERATION
RESPONSE TO ADVERSITY
THE AIDS ERA
THE LGBTQ RIGHTS MOVEMENT
BATTLEFRONTS

This course is a survey of American Literature from 1650 through 1820. It covers Early American and Puritan Literature, Enlightenment Literature, and Romantic Literature. It teaches in the context of American History and introduces the student to literary criticism and research.

This book offers an anthology of texts that includes letters, journals, poetry, newspaper articles, pamphlets, sermons, narratives, and short fiction written in and about America beginning with collected oral stories from Native American tribes and ending with the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Many major and minor authors are included, providing a sampling of the different styles, topics, cultures, and concerns present during the formation and development of America through the mid-nineteenth century.

In this class we will practice skills in reading, analyzing, and writing about fiction, poetry and drama from a select sampling of 20th Century American Literature. Through class discussion, close reading, and extensive writing practice, this course seeks to develop critical and analytical skills, preparing students for more advanced academic work.

This course studies the national literature of the United States since the early 19th century. It considers a range of texts - including, novels, essays, and poetry - and their efforts to define the notion of American identity. Readings usually include works by such authors as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson, and Toni Morrison.

This work was created as part of the University Libraries’ Open Educational Resources Initiative at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

A web version of this text can be found at https://umsystem.pressbooks.pub/ala1865/.

This book is an anthology of American Literatures After 1865, a new revision of the open educational resource entitled Writing the Nation: A Concise Introduction to American Literature 1865 to Present. It contains works that have been newly introduced to the public domain and provides direct links to reading materials that can be borrowed for free from Archive.org.

This work was created as part of the University Libraries’ Open Educational Resources Initiative at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

A web version of this text can be found at https://umsystem.pressbooks.pub/alpt1865/.

This anthology of American Literatures Prior to 1865, is organized chronologically into four units, focusing on Colonial Literature, Literature of Native American Perspectives and Discovery, Literature of Nineteenth Century Reform, and Literature of the New Nation. It includes introductions to the many authors included to enhance the reader's contextual understanding of the chosen texts. This anthology is essential reading for any student or scholar of Early American literature.