American Rule: How a Nation Conquered the World but Failed Its People

by Jared Yates Sexton

"From writer and political analyst Jared Yates Sexton comes a journey through the history of the United States, from the nation's founding to the twenty-first century, which examines and debunks the American myths we've always told ourselves. In recent years, Americans have faced a deluge of horrifying developments in politics and stolen elections, fascist rallies, families torn apart and locked away. A common refrain erupts at each new This isn't who we are. In American Rule, Jared Yates Sexton upends those convenient fictions by laying bare the foundational myths at the heart of our collective American imagination. From the very origins of this nation, Americans in power have abused and subjugated others; enabling that corruption are the many myths of American exceptionalism and steadfast values, which are fed to the public and repeated across generations. Working through each era of American growth and change, Sexton weaves together the origins and perpetuation of these narratives still in the public memory, and the acts we have chosen to forget. Stirring, deeply researched, and disturbingly familiar, American Rule is a call to examine our own misconceptions of what it means, and has always meant, to be an American"--

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Audiobook, American History, United States, American

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2020

About the author

Jared Yates Sexton is a born-and-bred Hoosier living and working in The South as an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Georgia Southern University. His work has appeared in publications around the world and his first short story collection, An End To All Things, is available from Atticus Books. His latest book, The Hook and The Haymaker, was released by Split Lip Press in January 2015. For more information and a select list of publications, please visit the author's website at www.jysexton.com. For more information on Split Lip Press, please visit www.splitlippress.com.

Reviews

[Ben Serviss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, like the one-star reviewer below, have not read this book, but since Goodreads doesn't care about following up on nonsense reviews (that have been flagged numerous times) just because some snowflake disagrees with the author's politics, I hereby give it 5 stars.

[Christopher Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subtitled: How a Nation Conquered the World But Failed Its People

I follow Jared Yates Sexton on Twitter and became aware of American Rule through his promotion of the book there. I jumped at the chance to request this book the first time I saw it available on Net Galley. I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


My daughter took a college course a few semesters ago that used Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States as one of its textbooks, and during one of her breaks I was able to take a brief skim through it. I believe American Rule is similar to Zinn’s book, focusing on the theme of differences between the mythology of the aims of America’s government and the actual actions that our government takes.

This book takes readers on a concise trip through American history ranging from the revolutionary times of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson up through Donald Trump’s America. There are several themes Sexton returns to again and again such as the myth of American exceptionalism, how the American constitution allows moneyed elites to use the government to protect and/or expand their own wealth at the expense of the common citizens it is supposed to support and defend, and how a combination of religion, white supremacy, and wealthy backers has poisoned the American political and governmental process.

I gave American Rule five stars. It provides a surprisingly concise yet complex summary of the American era. The outlook is fairly bleak toward the end, but offsets the pessimism by tossing out several actions we can take to make things better.

[Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote about this book on Books Are Our Superpower.

As an aside: The book doesn't mention QAnon, although, in recent tweets, (here, here, here, here, here, here, here), Sexton implies that QAnon is part of the same "Cult of the Shining City" phenomenon.

[Chrystopher’s Archive · Rating 3 out of 5]

How did we get here? this book asks, and attempts to answer.

In the end, the answer is a little bit that we’ve always been here, and that when we ask ourselves, “are we the bad guys?” the answer is “well, we’re definitely not the good guys, but some of us are trying to get better.”

As the author says, “The myth of American exceptionalism tells us that greatness and talent reside naturally within us, that our achievements are expected and dully ordinary, but by casting aside this myth, this product of superficial politicking hand opportunistic branding, what we find is that normal people have been excelling and achieving greatness in spite of America. Once this is clear, it becomes obvious that the march on Selma, the Stonewall uprising, Frederick Douglass’s fearless turn as America’s conscience, the perpetual struggle by women and vulnerable minorities to seek equality, and even the ability of people to continue striving, dreaming, and just surviving in a system designed to hinder them at every turn, are just as inspiring as a band of eighteenth century revolutionaries defeating Great Britain, the world’s foremost empire.”

This was a really interesting read, although I admit I’m not an American revolution history buff, and even the portions covering the earlier twentieth century were less absorbing to me than the latter half of the book. Once it hit the post WWII era is where I really began to see all the lines the author was drawing and where the book really took off for me.

The idea of constructed realities and how we respond to those living in a different one from our own, and how those realities become the dominant worldview was really sobering.

Recommended reading, for sure.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

American Rule is a MUST-READ. It is clear, concise, well researched and documented as it traces the trajectory of American rule from the very beginnings of our nation through today. By using authentic and verified historical facts and documentation, and tying them together with the narrative of our political process from the very beginning, the author gives the reader an excellently written and very accessible summary of where we've been, how we got to where we are, and offers some wholesome and humane suggestions on how we can proceed forward; in this election year, amid this pandemic, etc. Find a copy of this book and read it ASAP!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should have been depressing.

It's a detailed history of all the shenanigans rich white men have pulled to stay in power, from the very beginning of America's history to the Trump administration. The media has always been partisan and biased—first pamphlets and newspapers, then radio and TV, now email and social media have been funded by people with an agenda. The rich and powerful pitted poor whites against poor blacks so that neither would see they were both being taken advantage of. Parties sacrificed ideals to stay in power. Idealists make it to the top, only to find the forces against change too strong to overcome.

However, far from being discouraged, I was comforted. Despite all the compromises and power plays, progress has in fact been made. Trying to recover a lost golden age feels impossible; finding out it never was, or that if there ever was one, it was brief and localized, means we are free to choose a new path going forward.

I only wish the author had acknowledged his bias more openly. It's clear that he's quite liberal, but by leaving it unstated, he casts doubts on the truthfulness of his seemingly meticulous and carefully cited research. Although no party or president escapes the microscope, it will probably raise hackles with its description of modern Republican presidents (which, again, probably aren't false, but are presented with no attempt at neutrality).

From his epilogue:

Americans must take a firm and nonnegotiable stand for fair representation and democratic values, understanding that electoral wins and losses need not be apocalyptic scenarios; grasp that divisive politics have been used as a weapon against the people from the very beginning; and recognize that communal good can far outweigh the visceral and toxic appeals of prejudice and tribalism.

…what we find is that normal people have been excelling and achieving greatness in spite of America. Once this is clear, it becomes obvious that the march on Selma, the Stonewall uprising, Frederick Douglass's fearless turn as America's conscience, the perpetual struggle by women and vulnerable minorities to seek equality, and even the ability of people to continue striving, dreaming, and just surviving in a system designed to hinder them at every turn, are just as inspiring as a band of eighteenth-century revolutionaries defeating Great Britain, the world's foremost empire.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and accessible analysis of American mythology and how we are still (and increasingly) impacted by it. If you’ve ever said, “How did we end up here?” this is the book for you.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have this book on my list to read but was outraged at the reviewer who hadn’t read the book but gave it a 1 star. While two wrongs do not make a right, I am giving a 5 star review as a way to negate that review. It may not be right, but it feels right.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are different versions of American history, unfortunately. And with Trump and his supporters pushing for a return to the history where America can do no wrong, is an exceptional country, and is pure of heart and deed, it's important to keep some the alternative, more realistic histories front and center. American Rule provides one of those alternatives -- tracing American history from its founding to today and identifying the many examples of how this country has, from its founding, been led by rich, elite white men whose primary motivation was to protect their power and their wealth. Easy to read and not excessively long, it's well worth the read if you're interested in something other than "America is great" history.

[Grandt White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two things are immediate red flags about this book. One, is his unhelpful obsession with Trump as the ultimate villan, leading him to look for similar figures in history on which to place all of the blame. This gives us detailed descriptions and accounts of a single person during a large and complex historical event. The best examples of this are James Madison, Andrew Jackson, and Richard Nixon. All of whom have had devastating effects on the lives is those living at the time, as well as a broader effect on how America works. In some ways, I have no issue with his preoccupation with finding one person to zoom in on and attribute everything bad that happens onto them. It gives us a fascinating and thorough account of Andrew Jackson, for instance. However, this need for an ultamite villain inadvertently leads to them being the main character, which is fine, in a biography of them or if you're zooming in on them to explore the devastating effects of their influence, but not in an overview of American history. Sexton has a hard time humanizing the groups that the subjects of his overview murder, torture, oppress, etc. And with this lack of inspiration and examples of people who fought back, it makes his call to action in the conclusion extremely hollow. This book also has one audience and one audience only. Liberals in 2017. We are not in 2017, and I am not a liberal. With that being said, there are things that I like about this book, for instance, his understanding of the effects of Christianity on the sociopolitical climate are integral to a full understanding of American history.

[Goran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good overview, but ruined a bit at the end when he tries to call for action. In a weird fashion, it seems like the author is calling back to go to the myth he deconstructs in the book.

Otherwise an excellent overview of the exceptional and insidious influence of American propaganda from the founding onwards.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

The good: overview history of the United States is plucky and engaging. Lincoln's quote admitting the war was about saving banker investments is one I had never encountered. Atrocity propaganda being traced back to Lantos was yet another element, in this case concerning the Gulf War.

The bad: his love affair with Obama, and tendency to act as though black people are not a serious social problem to other groups.

[ac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admittedly have neglected learning about American history since high school. This book was a great primer that spared no details of America’s deep deep deep flaws.

I vacillated between relief and horror to learn that the Trump presidency was literally nothing new (see: Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan etc.) The author outlines the rise of “The Cult of the Shining City” which is a very compelling argument for why we have so many american myths about our alleged exceptionalism.

Took me awhile to get through, but I highly recommend!

[Trent · Rating 5 out of 5]

While "American Rule" is in many ways a spiritual successor to Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States”, the author admits in the Prologue that it began much more simply - as an attempt to figure out if the recent influx of Fascist ideology in America (mainly via the Trump Presidency) was a symptom of a broken system or the root cause.

He quickly realized that he needed to go much further back into the annals of American history to find his answer. This book is, therefore, at its core, a history book. Much like Zinn’s opus, however, it is definitely not the history we were taught in school. Rather, it is a deconstruction of the American Myth of Exceptionalism - what is it, where did it start, and how can we debunk it in order to -actually- create a more perfect Union?

In this book, you will travel all the way back to America's founding, through the tumultuous 19th Century (and the evolution of the President into the 'Cult of Personality' we see today), through two devastating World Wars (and their much -more- devastating aftermath), and into modern America as we know it.

In order to improve, we must first know where we went wrong, and this book very explicitly outlines where America has (repeatedly) gone wrong. To his credit, though, Sexton also outlines how we can improve, grow, and forge ahead as a true leader in the modern world.

Highly recommended.

[Dan Connors · Rating 4 out of 5]

“America’s original Noble Lie is the mischaracterization of its founding. The facts of its conception, its independence, and the process by which its Constitution was penned and then sold to the world have been twisted to fit a larger story of universal morality, white supremacy, and social Darwinism, and it has been used since its beginning as a means of manipulation and control.” Jared Yates Sexton


What is America? Is it a shining city on a hill of freedom and prosperity blessed explicitly by God, or a mediocre and violent nation-state bent on dominating its peoples with convenient lies? Being born in the center of the USA, it's hard to be objective. The narrative story of America is still a point of debate. Many prefer the rose-colored view of American progress, from a noble Revolutionary War to the saviors of democracy against the evil Nazi Reich and Soviet Communist Empire. The myth of America as a land of freedom and opportunity lives on, but its long history is marked by flawed leaders and horrible injustices that have been conveniently left out.


If your only knowledge of American history is from grade-school history books, you are missing out on a lot. The first book I remember that shook my understanding of US History was Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States, published back in 1980 when Ronald Reagan was just about to use the Shining City On a Hill story to win the presidency and remake the government. We've come a long way since then. The founding fathers are no longer looked upon as infallible vessels of God. Christopher Columbus has been exposed as a monster. The genocide of Native Americans and disgraceful treatment of freed slaves in the century after the Civil War is more well known. Going forward, a new concept of what America is about is trying to emerge, but it fights against the old, outdated one at every turn.


The latest attempt to chronicle the mess that is American history is by author and professor Jared Yates Sexton in American Rule. This book is a depressing 300 page slog through the worst aspects of the period from 1776 to the present, but important to read to get the entire picture. Only 2 pages at the end try to put an optimistic spin on this depressing story, and it's a wonder we all survived and somehow managed to dominate and influence the word's economy as screwed up as our leaders were.


Mind you, American Rule is a cherry-picked set of stories involving many of the scandals and scoundrels that many of us already know about. It leaves out many of the more inspiring people and unsung heroes that made more of a difference than the usual cast of clowns that qualified as US Presidents. But then again, any attempt to write history has to pick and choose which stories to tell and which to leave out. Here are some of the stories that I learned from this book:


1- Thomas Jefferson was a complicated man who promoted populism and democracy, but eventually gave in to federalism and single-handedly expanded the American empire with one purchase. Jefferson fought against the Federalists, who wanted to limit the power of the masses and preserve power in the hands of the elites. But he was an elite himself. He wrote a passionate condemnation of slavery into the Declaration of Independence that was later taken out, while he himself owned 600 slaves, only 10 of which he ever freed.


2- The Philadelphia Constitutional Convention of 1787 was never authorized to create a brand new constitution, but only to revise the Articles of Confederation. Sexton and other historians claim that the convention greatly exceeded its authority, and that the framers of the constitution were un-elected elites bent on setting up rules that would benefit them and their control of America going forward. Those elites were shaken up by Shay's Rebellion in 1786, an uprising in Massachusetts against unfair laws that favored the wealthy, The Electoral College was devised by these elites to keep the appearance of democracy while making sure that most of the important decisions would be kept in the hands of a few wealthy land owners. The new constitution was sold as a part of a story of American exceptionalism, though it kept slavery intact and only allowed white, property owning males to vote. (About 6% of the population at the time).


3- Abraham Lincoln was more ambivalent about slavery than we were led to believe. He wanted to preserve the Union at all costs, and was willing to negotiate slavery if it meant states wouldn't secede. For freed slaves, Lincoln proposed deporting them to Haiti or Africa in the sincere belief that freed black people didn't belong and couldn't fit in. Unfortunately for him, the entire economy of the south depended on cotton and free slave labor, so he never got anywhere. The math of the electoral college changed in 1860 so that the South and Democratic party no longer could dominate like it had, and Lincoln was elected without even being on the ballot in most southern states. Seeing the writing on the wall that they would always be in the minority, they chose to break away completely. This leads to my favorite quote from the book:


"A dominant group faced with losing power combated their new reality by embracing fascism and discarding established institutions and embracing new ones- guaranteeing continued dominance." (To put the 21st century into perspective)



There is much, much more about American history including the disastrous elections of 1800, 1876, 2000, and 2016 that involved behind the scenes drama and put into question the entire legitimacy of our democracy. Sexton discusses the rise of the robber-barons in the late 19th century and how capitalism took over government. He goes into how a racist professor like Woodrow Wilson was rebranded as the champion of world peace, and how Hitler modeled much of his Nazi Germany on how America treated its Native Americans and Blacks. It is dark, dark stuff, but important to keep in mind to avoid unrealistic models of the present and future.


Is America exceptional? It was lucky to be situated on a continent rich in resources and devoid of competitors who threatened to invade. That gave America free reign to expand and grow into the power that it did, complete with convenient mythology that made it sound like God's chosen land in a world full of inferior and suspect nations. In that way it's exceptional. But as far as the scourges of racism, slavery, war, excessive capitalism and greed, America is just like most of the rest of the world. Those things are everywhere- Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia. We are maybe unique in the way we discount those inconvenient stories to think we are the moral center of the universe. The rest of the world knows better and sees us for our strengths and our weaknesses. American leaders throughout history were as flawed, overconfident, and greedy as anybody else for the most part.


If we can confront this unpleasant truth once and for all, perhaps we can finally choose better leaders and better pathways going forward. History is about learning from the past, not constructing noble lies. As George Santayana said, "Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

[Jonathan Moses · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book intrigued me when I first heard about it. Now that I have read it I am disappointed. The book is, more than anything else, an indictment of our educational system in general and of mr. Sexton's education in particular. Anyone who has studied American history to any reasonable extent already knows everything this book contains. I can not imagine how the author got through college without apparently ever hearing the names of historians such as Howard Zinn, John Hope Franklin and Winthrop Jordan. Zinn is even required reading in many high schools. It suffices to say that, if you are even a committed amateur historian, you already know everything the author has to say. And, if you are not a fairly committed student of history, you are probably never going to read this book anyway.
I kept waiting in vain for something, anything that I hadn't read many times before. The stories of the Bay of Pigs, Allende, Cointelpro, the Cuban missile crisis, McCarthy, the 3/5 clause, Lincoln's embrace of white supremacy etc. etc. etc. have been told and retold endlessly. The connection of America's history of white supremacy to the election of Donald Trump has been explored repeatedly. If you are looking for a corrective to the feel good version of American history, don't waste your time with this. You'll be better served by picking up the latest edition of Zinn's Peoples' History.

[Michael Stegmaier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jared Yates Sexton knee-caps the entire concept of American Exceptionalism with this recontextualized 30,000-foot-view of American History. As much as the "noble lie" of American Exceptionalism has galvanized its people in a singular vision, it has been an effective tool to brainwash generations of Americans and to white-wash egregious violations of morality and ethics, the likes of which we have literally invaded other countries over (purportedly; the true reasons are often either banal or horrific). Sexton runs at a breakneck pace through the country's history time and again, showing that the true engine behind the juggernaut of America is not our righteous quest for equality and democracy but predatory capitalism with the government and the military as its teeth and claws.

[Steve Steidle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful repainting of American history for what it truly is - racism, misogyny, and continued manipulation of the populace for the betterment of the wealthy few.

[Dan McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reconstruction of the American myths of the "Shining City on a Hill" and "American Exceptionalism" through the lens of the Noble Lie. Sexton outlines how American has never lived up to it's proposed ideals, often working directly in opposition to them, both in internal politics and external global policies.

This book stems from Sexton's own internal struggle to come to terms with the mythological America he was sold as a white Evangelical with the true America; one designed with oligarchical, white supremacist, and anti-democratic institutions from the very founding.

While I enjoyed the book, it isn't anything new to historians of the United States. However, Sexton does provide a clear through line from the American Revolution to modern day Trumpism which is a helpful introduction to anyone who has finally removed their rose colored glasses.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will likely divide your understanding of the USA into two eras- before reading this book, and after having read this book. It answers a lot of questions I never thought to ask but in hindsight seem like I should definitely have been asking.

It's a clear fluid read; Sexton's prose flows smoothly and is easygoing without being informal.

I appreciate the hard work that went into telling the actual story of the USA. It's a story that is vital to understanding what is happening in the country right now. The book gives hope for crafting a better country going forward, if enough of us are willing to ask the questions that are answered by reading this book.

[Jon Wlasiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new grand narrative of American history is forming and American Rule is among the best books to communicate the outlines of this new territory to a national audience. Jared Yates Sexton is neither an American historian by training nor does this book break uncover new archival sources, which will no doubt fluster some academic historians. Regardless, American Rule demonstrates a mastery of historiography without getting lost in the tired debates or the stuffy norms of academia. With its connections across time and its sharp, sobering revelations of an America enthralled to a poisonous ideology, American Rule establishes Jared Yates Sexton as the Hannah Arendt of Trumpism.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexton is a fantastic writer and is able to make what could be considered “boring” history interesting. We all know the stories of how America was founded and the pivotal moments in our history. What is interesting is to see them all lined up one after the other and you start to see the common thread that has led us to where we are now. We, the people, must contest the political play and demand that changes continue to be made to improve our nation.

[Mrs. Danvers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful overview of our troubled history.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jared Yates Sexton provides a sweeping history of US History from the perspective of supremacy. His unflinching approach is a breath of fresh air that freely explores the evil undertones of bigotry, misogyny, and supremacy. The accompanying references make the book a treasure. I’ve culled a few titles to put in my to-read list.

I enjoyed this book immensely.

[Jessica Morlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed well researched book. The contents made me mad so many times i threw the copy across the room, but it's important to face our past head on so we never repeat the mistakes.

[Andy Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening look at how this current mess in America has its roots in the founding of the country. Almost overwhelming to consider while dealing with everything else right now, but important to know nonetheless.

[Marissa Lorenzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading. Each chapter could have been its own book, but the author did a great job summarizing and not confusing the timeline or reader. A heavy read in 2024— we are absolutely cooked as nation.

[Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific book! The amount of sourced historical fact is so abundance that I can overlook any extra analysis, albeit very poetic and probably spot on. Howard Zinn would be proud. really enjoyed the extra time to read it today without the President tweeting nonstop..

[Sydney Apel]

The thesis of this book is that America has always been a capitalist, white supremacist country fueled by partisan media and the only way forward is to reckon with it, learn from it, and to stop putting our political figures on pedestals. And I absolutely agree. The author breaks down our sordid history by presidential figures and historical eras, covering some things I knew and some things that were unbeknownst to me (namely the turn of the Democratic party to centricity and neo-libreralism around the time of Clinton). If you're trying to understand our current hellscape, I recommend this wholeheartedly

[Ray Ann Lampe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have seen the authors twitter feed. Giving a synopsis of his own work. It’s not based in any facts other than ones he cherry picks. Neglects to mention that Democrats are the confederacy he is referring to. Never mentions the facts that every single piece of CivilRights Legislation was opposed by Democrats. He is an associate professor of creative writing (not a history major or historian) and I can already tell you his book is more fiction and opinion than fact. I hope that this book is placed in the fiction section next to animal farm where it belongs.