The History of the United States

The Great Courses

by Gary W. Gallagher, Patrick N. Allitt, Allen C. Guelzo

This is the chronicle of a nation that enslaved a race of people. And of a nation that fought a Civil War that freed its slaves, and outlawed segregation and discrimination.

This is history shaped by Revolutionary War and Vietnam, Thomas Jefferson and William Jefferson Clinton, Puritanism and Feminism, Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King, Jamestown and Disneyland, Harpers Ferry and Henry Ford, oil wells and Orson Welles.

This is a review of the extraordinary blend of people, ideas, inventions, and events that comprise The History of the United States. In this seven-part, 84-lecture series, three noted historians and lecturers—two of whom teach other popular Teaching Company courses—present the nation's past through their areas of special interest.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Politics, American History, Historical, Education

44 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Gary W. Gallagher, the John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia, is the author or editor of many books in the field of Civil War history, including The Confederate War; Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War; and The Union War.

Reviews

[Riku Sayuj · Rating 4 out of 5]

First experiment with a great courses lecture. Used the guidebook and transcript as much as the lecture, hence adding here.

Lecture Breakdown:
Professor Guelzo (Lectures 1-36) - Colonization to mid 19th century
- Brilliant. Made me a fan of the Great Courses. Great storytelling and pacing.

Professor Gallagher (Lectures 37-48) - American Civil War era
- Bit of a let down after Prof. Guelzo. Went ahead hoping the pace picks up after the extra detailing of the civil war.

Professor Allitt (Lectures 49-84) - Late 19th century into the 21st century
- Disappointing. Very cursory, no storytelling involved and a lot of thematic treatments that skip ahead and back ignoring the timeline structure followed till lecture 48. Expected better of Prof. Allitt.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 42 hour long audiobook comprises 84 half-hour lectures on the history of the United States of America from its colonial origins to the beginning of the 21st century. It’s broken into three sections, each presented by one of three award winning historians.

Section 1

Focuses on the discovery by Europeans and their subsequent settlement, how this impacted the native population and also how this mix of people created a country unique amongst other, older nations of the West and of the world. It discusses how the United States managed to assimilate many different peoples from many different places and how this eclectic group, planted along the eastern coast of North America, developed such unprecedented religious, political and economic freedoms. Finally it talks of how the natural resources found in this land enabled its inhabitants to generate an abundance of wealth and of the many confrontations that transpired as it worked out how best to use it.

Led by Professor Allen C. Guelzo it’s told as the big story it is, in a really engaging way. It’s almost like a huge fictional tale, with the history being allowed to unfold with plenty of cliffhangers and loads of dramatic events. I really enjoyed the telling of this element of the country’s history.

Section 2

This section covers the events leading up to the American Civil War, the war itself and it’s immediate aftermath.

I’d previously listed to and extended series of lectures covering this period from Professor Gary W Gallagher, who delivers the sessions here. Again, it’s set out in the style of a good story and as in the Section 1 events are covered pretty much chronologically. But I think because I’d enjoyed the extended series covering this period so much I felt a little short changed by this section.

Section 3

This time the lectures are presented by an Englishman, Professor Patrick N. Allitt. After listening to two American voices, Allitt's East Midlands twang did feel a little incongruous but I soon got used to the change.

It picks up the period from the late 19th Century and takes us through to just beyond the start of the 21st Century. This time the style is different and the lectures are diced up according to various themes, such as industrialisation, railroads, indian wars, religion etc. It does follow a rough timeline through the period and, actually, I think this way of covering the period does work well. As with previous sections, I found it both entertaining and informative.

The series is supported by a 408 page document which provides additional information and pictures, recommended supporting reading and detailed timelines. It’s a very comprehensive document.

It’s a superb series of lectures and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in the history of this vast land. Despite its length it is positioned as an ‘introduction’ to the history of America and I can see why that is: despite providing a huge amount of information I kept thinking I’d like to know more about quite a number of themes and events. More study will certainly follow.

[Michael Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This course is NOT a postmodern reading of history, nor is it an anti-American rant, which I was thankful for. If you want a college level overview of U.S. history taught by top notch professors, this course is for you. It’s the type of U.S. History course I wished I had received in college. As with any course of multiple lecturers, the teaching is uneven at times. Guelzo’s lecturers were the least helpful due to his mischaracterization of the Puritans and their beliefs. Guelzo seems to think the Puritans were a monolithic organization set on domination rather than the diverse group of Christians they really were. He often scoffs at their beliefs and rejoices when the next generation undermines them. Since the modern American view of the Puritans is more akin to the view presented in The Crucible or The Scarlet Letter rather than historical facts, Guelzo’s narrow perspective may go unnoticed by most listeners. One wishes he had presented a more balanced history of the Puritans and their theology such as historians Perry Miller, Edmund Morgan, Harry Stout, and Marsden have shown us. When speaking on other issues, Guelzo teaches more accurately and with professionalism. Gallagher is a very good lecturer and seems to know his subject well. His were my favorite lectures, due to the fact he brought forth issues which are often glossed over in most college classes. His part of the course seemed to end too soon, though I admit to the Civil War era being my favorite part of U.S. History. Allitt has a relaxed yet professional style and I found his British accent pleasing to the ear. He sometimes laughs in the middle of speaking, which brings out his personality while lecturing. To hear a(n) (ex)Brit speak approvingly of the U.S. for its actions at times was refreshing. Allitt’s last few lectures did seem to drop in quality, as if he was sitting at a table speaking into a microphone rather than the usual TGC setup. All in all I gave this course 5 stars for its educational value.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a 42-hour course on American History, available through the Great Courses. Three different lecturers guide students through the Colonial days, Civil War era, and on to the early 2000s. I was very impressed with the knowledge, enthusiasm, and insights of all three teachers.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another set of lectures from Teaching Company, and for those used to their format, more of the same, but with a slight twist.

Let's start with the twist, because it is of importance for the rest of my review. Normally, the lectures from Teaching Company are provided by a single academic personality. This time around, the unusually lengthy series of 84 30 minutes lectures is split in three distinct sections:
Early history starting with the setup of the colonies up to the 1850:s is dealt with by Dr. Allan C. Gunzelo
Civil War period and Reconstruction that followed is handled by Dr. Garry Gallagher.
Period from early 1900:s up to current date is the responisbility of Dr. Patrick N. Allit.

So, three periods, handled by three different academics. Nothing wrong with that, after all the division is pretty logical. What's not so logical is how very different styles those three men use in their narrative. One has to listen to the course to really understand what I'm talking about, but it's really quite funny how huge the differences in presentation techniques are between them! Funny, and also quite distracting. Another thing that can throw the listener for a spin consists of the fact that the first two of the professors choose to format their lectures in chronological order, while Dr. Allit chooses topical approach in majority of his lectures.

I'm not saying that those differences between course's three parts diminish the quality of this production, but they certainly are a little confusing on mental level. Therefore, I'm not entirely convinced that the decision to divide the material between three different people is 100 percent on the mark.

But what about the course itself? Well, as in the case of most of the courses I've listened to in the past, the material provided in it needs to be regarded as an introduction to the topic. Parts that were previously unfamiliar to me, such as internal colonial politics during pre-revolutionary period or the period between end of Civil War and 1917, were extremly interesting. As soon as the lectures dealt with material I know a bit about, it had a tendency of quickly turning into a basic refresher course. Regarded as a whole however, this course is a very well executed, accessible and informative package of information. Thus, I recommend it without any big reservations, especially if the topic is previously unfamiliar to the listener.

[Steve Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second time through the entire course. This is a fantastic overview of American history that touches of themes of politics, religious life, work life, and home life, from pre-colonial times through the 911 attacks. The series also gives a good understanding of two dominant themes of the American experience, slavery and race relations, and the struggle between capital and labor.

[Michelle Halliwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best way to consumer American history. These guys tell is in an interesting way. I was not disappointed in the least.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook from Audible for the last couple of months. You might ask why listen for 43 hours to stories about mostly dead people from a land far away (I'm living in Europe).

Well, I wanted to get somewhat more familiar with the USA as the things happening there recently seemed to me quite unusual (Trump administration, QE programs, the (mis)handling of the pandemic in 2020). And after listening I hope I understand them a little better.

Taking e.g. Trump administration. I thought Trump was a very different president then all before him. It turns out that the USA already had populist presidents, one of them Andrew Jackson who dismantled the US central bank (Second Bank of the United States).

I thought the conspiracy theories which Trump incited were something new. Turns out that e.g. senator McCarthy blew out of proportion the communist infiltration theory in 1950s.

Fun fact that was totally new to me - the democrats were the ones trying to keep the status quo between free states and slave states before the Civil War.

Not so fun fact - in the years heating up to the Civil War (1856) one of the Republican senators Charles Sumner was beaten in his senate office by a Democrat Representative Preston Brooks with a cane for Sumner's verbal attacks on pro-slavery states and on Brooks's relative in particular. Charles Sumner came back to health and to public life only after 3 years after the attack.

All in all, a good listen, worth it if you're interested in a general overview of the USA history.

[Scott Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a an enjoyable survey of American History. It is, in general a positive history, although I think it hits us where we deserve it, and refuses to kowtow to mythologies, preferred fictions, or blurry-edge pleasantries.

The course makes a case in the end for American exceptionalism, but not in the sense of any superiority, or moral greatness. Instead it is a more literal definition of exceptionalism--the manners in which America is the exception to the rule where its times, contemporaries, and other major modern western nations are concerned. I think it's a fairly convincing case--that in many ways America is an exception to what seems to be the rule. A cogently argued opinion by a series of distinguished professors that at least deserves serious consideration.

[Eellittterhut Jeenyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I think this is a good - great in some places - dive into the sprawling history of the United States. The first narrator was the best; the second was a little hard to listen to, but I adapted; and the third narrator was not bad, although, he did quote Dinesh D'Souza, which is a little off-putting.

It was interesting and very enjoyable to take a deep dive into the country's history for the first time in many, many years. My only real complaint would be that it seemed to avoid a more critical portrayal of some of America's social transgressions, especially of the last 60 years.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and helpful for teaching. However the later lessons, while a good review, felt more broad and less new information to make me confident about my knowledge of modern U.S. history. Not thr fault of the lectures though.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

* At the height of their civilization, the Greeks had slaves.

* At the height of their civilization, the Romans did, too.

* Just today I was learning about African slave trading (while taking the "Big History" course taught by a different Great Courses (Wondrium) professor, Craig Benjamin.

Enslaving people is horribly wrong, in every way, but the summary for this set of lectures by Dr. Gallagher has it exactly right: In hindsight... America did fight a war to end slavery. (Even if most of the soldiers involved, on either side, didn't see it that way.)

Reviewing part of this course in order to review it here at Goodreads, I turned to Gary Gallagher's lesson "African Americans in Wartime."

IN 1862, WHAT KIND OF WAR WAS IT?

* Confederates claimed they were protecting their rights, their wonderful culture, their property, etc. Such excuses never fail to disgust me. Although not surprising me.

* What surprised me was when Dr. Gallagher called attention to this: For most Northerners (President Lincoln included) this was a war to preserve America's Union. Not to liberate enslaved Black people.

KILLING THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY

Even among the relatively small number of abolitionists -- and I mean the abolitionists who fought on the Union side -- few aimed to kill the institution of slavery.

Learning matters; sometimes it horrifies but at other time that learning consoles. I appreciate what I've learned from this course on the Civil War from Dr. Gary W. Gallagher.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I would not make this your first foray into the Great Courses, this is a great value for the money. I really enjoyed some of the lectures and zoned out during others (much like being back in school).

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply excellent! I learned so much.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor Guelzo organizes his material beautifully. Within minutes, you realize you're listening to a powerful communicator who places each lesson in a context, a humanly meaningful context.

Preparing to write this review, I revisted the start of Lesson 23, "A Nation Announcing Itself." Nothing dull or dusty about this history lesson: What could be more relatable than Baby America announcing itself?

Occasionally you'll find quiet flashes of wit, among all the expertly chosen historical details, although this professor mostly plays it straight. For instance, I chuckled inwardly when Allen Guelzo referred to the "Old Cronies Correspondence" that developed between former presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.

This teacher has style, as well as heart, as well as organization. Superb!

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

You would think that by this point in time that a book on American History would appropriately cover the dark side of this countries history, as well as major movements. The history of indigenous peoples is only glancingly referred to. There is no history of the injustices natives still experience today.
The atrocities of slave life are given only cursory coverage but there was plenty of time for unnecessary anecdotes about military life.
The civil rights movement is barely a footnote, as is the feminist movement, and the internment of Japanese Americans. The history of contemporary American Presidents is suspiciously slanted with praise for Reagan and “successful” wars under both Bush administrations. The history of the Gore Bush election and voting irregularities is only referred to as a recount. There certainly isn’t information on the wars in the Middle East, growing economic disparity, the changes in voting laws and election contribution changes that you would expect in a history of our democracy. Any reasonable history must include a history of its people and not just the history of it’s military, it’s battles and the machinations of power.
The book closes with “reflections” where some of the glaring omissions are suddenly mentioned without context or background. Shame on Great Courses for putting this out.

[Chris Leuchtenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy and very traditional introduction to U.S. history, a bit too easy for me. It's focus is on political history with an emphasis on the ideas that shaped the politics.

We hear a lot about why Europeans explored the New World but virtually nothing about the natives who already lived there. There is an extensive discussion of the reasons for the development of political parties, but little about excluded groups, such as women and nonwhites.

The huge time period requires complicated topics to be only briefly described, but this is also intended as an introduction, perhaps suitable for high school students, unprepared for a more sophisticated treatment.

For someone like me, looking for a review and to fill in some blanks, these lectures are too simplistic and too focused on the politics of white men with too little attention paid to social history, women's history, economic history, etc.

(At this point, I have only listened up to about 1800, but I wanted to get this down before I forgot it, and I may or may not listen to the remainder.)

[James Bartel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent overview of American history. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic. Most content about the history of a country (especially America) cannot help but have a positive or negative spin (although it's difficult to find anyone writing about America in a positive light lately). This lecture series did a great job at finding the balance. It painted a picture of a country that, while often falling short of it's aspirations, truly did aspire in ways that make America exceptional.

The course is broken into 84 30-minute lectures, taught by 3 professors at American universities. Professor Guelzo taught the first 36 which took us from Columbus up to the first rumblings of the civil war. He was truly excellent. Professor Gallagher covered the civil war and reconstruction, and then professor Allitt took us into the early 21st century. Both of these professors were good, but not as good as Guelzo.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the best credits I've spent on Audible. 42 hours - 84 lectures covering a pretty thorough survey of the history of the U.S.

Much of it I remembered from school, much I had forgotten, and still more I had never heard before. It was particularly interesting towards the end, hearing historical lectures about the recent decades that I have lived through.

Overall, I found it to be a pretty even handed telling. This is our story - the good and the bad. Going through it all with a more sober and adult level of comprehension offered me some new insights into how our nation and society have come to be where they are now.

The one minor ding is that I believe this was recorded back in 2006, so the presenters do not have the benefit of being able to incorporate or compare with some of the most recent major events in our history. Still, the journey was well worth taking.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 42 hours, this course is more in-depth than any college-level history course I have taken. Yet, each chapter was remarkably concise and well-defined. Topics covered by the course include significant events (wars, economic depressions, social movements, watershed policies), people (Presidents, thought leaders, religious leaders, etc), and the ideas that motivated each. I especially liked the discussion of significant social and religious beliefs for each period.

The course is presented by three different professors, according to their specialties. Each professor is slightly different of course, but overall they are consistent in the quality and pacing of their presentation.

[Sterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 23rd “book” in my U.S. history series. It is a 42-hour, 84-lecture series and it is wonderful. It was a great capstone to this “year” which is almost over and I will listen to this lecture series again. It covers all of the most important stuff in a fair way and it wasn’t merely like going back and reviewing your college history course information. I learned a lot of new information and I will go back to lectures in the course about post-Civil War Reconstruction, the Jacksonian era, religious history, and economic history lectures just to name a few. (Those are eras of U.S. history I’m still foggy on and want to improve my knowledge).

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

84 lectures over 42 commute hours. This was the book that made US history feel more like a wave than a bunch of particles for me. The narrative begins in 1492 and ends with Clinton so despite its length the book offers hundreds of jumping off points for further reading rather than the final word on any particular person, event, or era in US history. For me, the big takeaway is that our nation is a remarkable "emergent property" of human civilization that, while too often falling short of its principles, seems clearly to have been the first to unleash the better parts of human nature at scale.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic coverage of US history. The first professor was my favorite; he covered up to the Civil War. Very engaging material and a great lecturer. Yes, a lot of review, but some new perspectives and new material as well. Makes me proud to be an American.

Listening to our political history while watching Clinton/Sanders and Trump/Cruz provided some nice perspective. Politics has always been dirty and messy. Politicians going way back were no better than those we have today. Compromise is key.

[Arka Sadhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty amazing book which covers most of the history albeit focusing on breadth rather than depth. I was most engrossed by the parts about pre-revolution, and just after revolution America. In particular, the stuff about Henry Clayton, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson and how the politics played out. I always had a bit of rosy picture of post-revolution America, but there were far too many variables in the equation and things were way more chaotic. Some stuff on post civil war such as Rutherford, and Bull Mose are also fascinating.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's the latest event that should absolutely be covered in future history courses? The fall of the Berlin Wall? The LA Riots? The Twin Towers? Had this thought while listening to the excellent lesson series from Audible. Even at 50 some-odd hours, the teachers had to be selective of what counted as important. We're inundated with "urgent" news everyday, but really. How much of it really matters?

[Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this searies of lectures.

I liked the earliest lectures by Dr. Guelzo the best, which focused on political history and the interactions of major playeers in the founding of the United States up through the prelude to the Civil War. The later lectures transitioned to focus on social issues, which for me were less interesting.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of U.S. history, not really focusing in-depth on any particular topic. The lectures by Dr. Guelzo up to the Antebellum period are the best - if not in content, then definitely in delivery. The series is good as an interest gauge, suggesting further reading on whatever or whomever peaks your interest from the variety of lecture topics.

[Dolly Sauza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was easy to like because I’m a big fan of American history. Most of this was common knowledge but history is a fun subject when you’re interested in reflecting and analyzing on how we got to our current situation.

I really enjoyed the lecturers. Not only were their insights and evaluations interesting, but they read with enthusiasm.

[Johannes Bertus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant. I especially enjoyed the parts about the Andrew Jackson era, which I had known almost nothing about.
My one complaint js that so little is said about precolonial America. It's not as if nothing happened on the continent before the arrival if Columbus, after all.

[Neil Funsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great source for understanding much about our country. Dr. Guelzo is my favorite Great Courses Teacher and he comes through big in his section on the first 200 years or so. It is 43 and a half hours long but since it's given in half hour classes it is easily digestible!