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America 1900: The Turning Point
The story of this one remarkable year will air as a three-hour documentary on The American Experience in November 1998.
In January 1, 1900, as Americans tried to divine the future of the twentieth century, what no one could foresee was that the issues they were dealing with were much the same as those that would face their grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the year 2000. Change had come so fast that there was an almost magical belief in the powers of science and technology. The country had never been more prosperous but the disparity between rich and poor had never been greater. Slavery was dead but racism was growing.
The narrative begins New Year's Day in Washington, D.C., as President McKinley shrugs off warnings that his life may be in danger. Never far from the seat of power is Theodore Roosevelt, "the coming American of the twentieth century." Throughout the year, as Crichton details one event after the other - the greatest mine disaster in American history; the banning of a salacious play; an historic election campaign; the Galveston flood; the Harvard-Yale football game; a great labor victory; the emergence of the first billion-dollar corporation--the forces of the future are moving into place.
In January 1, 1900, as Americans tried to divine the future of the twentieth century, what no one could foresee was that the issues they were dealing with were much the same as those that would face their grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the year 2000. Change had come so fast that there was an almost magical belief in the powers of science and technology. The country had never been more prosperous but the disparity between rich and poor had never been greater. Slavery was dead but racism was growing.
The narrative begins New Year's Day in Washington, D.C., as President McKinley shrugs off warnings that his life may be in danger. Never far from the seat of power is Theodore Roosevelt, "the coming American of the twentieth century." Throughout the year, as Crichton details one event after the other - the greatest mine disaster in American history; the banning of a salacious play; an historic election campaign; the Galveston flood; the Harvard-Yale football game; a great labor victory; the emergence of the first billion-dollar corporation--the forces of the future are moving into place.
343 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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August 7, 2021to-read
April 26, 2013
This book is full of amazing photographs and stories of life during a pivotal period in American history. The photographs have exceptional clarity and life to them.
In particular I appreciated the authors writing style. There are informative and interesting anecdotes about some of the major people, places, and events. All of these chunks of information are told with a narrative style and help the reader to gain a greater understanding of America and the forces at that shaped the turn of the century.
I'm very familiar with this period of history and there was information in this book I had never come across in other materials.
Definitely check this book out.
In particular I appreciated the authors writing style. There are informative and interesting anecdotes about some of the major people, places, and events. All of these chunks of information are told with a narrative style and help the reader to gain a greater understanding of America and the forces at that shaped the turn of the century.
I'm very familiar with this period of history and there was information in this book I had never come across in other materials.
Definitely check this book out.
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February 5, 2021What a year. What events: war in the Philippines, Yukon gold rush, war in China, mining disasters, labor unrest, plague in San Francisco's Chinatown, Galveston destroyed by a hurricane. What issues: changing sexual standards, race struggles, new technologies, incredible wealth and grinding poverty. What personalities: Jack London, Carl Sandburg, Teddy Roosevelt, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. The storytelling is vivid, and the pictures are striking. Reading this book you can learn a lot of history in an enjoyable way.
July 20, 2015
Wondèrful photos. Also snippets of news from 1900. Interesting and enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews