Witnessing America: The Library of Congress Book of First-Hand Accounts of Public Life

by Noel Rae, James H. Billington (Introduction)

Collected from diaries, letters, memoirs, court records, articles, tracts, pamphlets, and advertisements in the incomparable collections of the Library of Congress, Witnessing America provides the authentic and fascinating story of our country's past by using the words of those who actually lived it. Most of the firsthand accounts are those of ordinary men and foot soldiers and laborers, pioneer wives and schoolteachers, farmers and slaves. Interspersed with these are a few extraordinary selections from such notable figures as W. E. B. Du Bois, Emma Goldman, Carry Nation, Benjamin Franklin, Buffalo Bill, and others, recording what they personally saw, heard, and experienced in a growing America.
Covering the period from the very earliest arrivals in the New World to the start of the twentieth century, Witnessing America contains selections on the first settlers as well as immigrants, stories about schooling, marriage and love, working, hunting, houses and housekeeping, food and drink, enduring hard times and enjoying high times, religion, the law and lawbreaking, medicine and sickness, dying, burials, and even ghosts. The result is an astonishingly varied and comprehensive portrait of America's social and cultural history and the life of its peoples from cradle to grave, handsomely illustrated throughout with unusual and rare pieces of art from the Library of Congress.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

576 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Suzanne LaPierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did someone say "primary sources"? This compilation from the Library of Congress brings together first hand accounts from 1600-1900- situations ranging from courtship to illness and immigration. The chapter on "pairings," for example, includes first hand accounts ranging from Benjamin Franklin trying to wrest a dowry out of the family of a young woman he was interested in (they said no, a printing press was not likely to be lucrative), to two very different accounts of the pairing of enslaved people- one a joyous wedding by choice and one of a teenager being forced into common-law marriage to produce enslaved children for her master. The "eating" chapter includes some of John Smith's writing from Jamestown settlement days recounting the Native American and settlers' food practices, early 1800's recipes for Election Cake and Dyspepsia Bread, and Jack London's account of prison fare from late 1800's New York (where he had been held for vagrancy). I would recommend this as a source for high school or college students doing history reports that require primary source material, as well as interesting reading for history buffs in general.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book I had to force myself to finish but others I was sad whn the stories were done. Eyewitness accounts to the founding of the American West.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, it's good read to have different sources from different eyewitnesses in the American History.

[Sarah Beth Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Heavy. Gave me my history fix for a bit and makes me thankful to be alive now instead of any other time.

[Jessica Gowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, that gives eye witness information about different important events throughout American History, although some of the writing can be a bit dry and hard to follow. I overall enjoyed the book.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but didn't exactly help me with my research

[Oakdoorframe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book single handedly ruined my life. I have beef with this book. It's gotten personal. If this book ever comes across me in a dark alleyway, it should be prepared to get jumped.