New Spirits: Americans in the Gilded Age: 1865-1905

by Rebecca Edwards

New Spirits: Americans in the "Gilded Age," 1865-1905, Third Edition, provides a fascinating look at one of the most crucial chapters in U.S. history. Rejecting the stereotype of a "Gilded Age" dominated by "robber barons," author Rebecca Edwards invites us to look more closely at the period when the United States became a modern industrial nation and asserted its place as a leader on the world stage.

In a concise, engaging narrative, Edwards recounts the contradictions of the era, including stories of tragedy and injustice alongside tales of humor, endurance, and triumph. She offers a balanced perspective that considers many viewpoints, including those of native-born whites, Native Americans, African Americans, and an array of Asian, Mexican, and European immigrants.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

266 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2015

Reviews

[Dan Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Edwards's "New Spirits" is not as systematic a synthesis of Gilded Age America as Jackson Lears's "Rebirth of a Nation," but Edwards's book is superior to Lears's book in three ways. One, Edwards integrates the experiences of Latinx, particularly Mexican, Americans into the narrative. Two, she discusses Native American/First Nation authors such as Zitkala-Sa as public intellectuals. Three, Edwards integrates social and gender history topics, notably the Orphan Train and the criminalization and pathologizing of homosexuality. Edwards's treatments of the economy and Populist movement are somewhat thin, but the book touches on all the major issues of the period. "New Spirits" probably would make a better introductory text to Gilded Age history than Lears's more substantive volume. Use "New Spirits" for high school students and college freshmen and sophomores; use "Rebirth of a Nation" for advanced college students.

[Alexa Hansen-Beeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful. It is not just a list of information about the Gilded Age. It is information woven together into a beautiful narrative. I loved it.