Constructing the American Past

Now published by Oxford University Press, Constructing the American Past: A Source Book of a People's History, Eighth Edition, presents an innovative combination of case studies and primary source documents that allow students to discover, analyze, and construct history from the actors' perspective.

Beginning with Christopher Columbus and his interaction with the Spanish crown in 1492, and ending in the Reconstruction-era United States, Constructing the American Past provides eyewitness accounts of historical events, legal documents that helped shape the lives of citizens, and excerpts from diaries that show history through an intimate perspective. The authors expand upon past scholarship and include new material regarding gender, race, and immigration in order to provide a more complete picture of the past.

“"Constructing the American Past lets students be historians, delve deeply into a single issue, and come to some conclusions of their own. Professors who want to show their students what it's like to be a historian will love it."--Cindy Hahamovitch, University of Georgia "Compared to other sourcebooks on the market, Constructing the American Past has a focused chapter approach. Other sourcebooks just offer a chapter-by-chapter collection of sources that are relevant, but mostly unconnected or unfocused. With Constructing the American Past, students are led into problem-solving, which is the essence of history."--Louis Haas, Middle Tennessee State University”

"Constructing the American Past lets students be historians, delve deeply into a single issue, and come to some conclusions of their own. Professors who want to show their students what it's like to be a historian will love it."--Cindy Hahamovitch, University of Georgia

"Compared to other sourcebooks on the market, Constructing the American Past has a focused chapter approach. Other sourcebooks just offer a chapter-by-chapter collection of sources that are relevant, but mostly unconnected or unfocused. With Constructing the American Past, students are led into problem-solving, which is the essence of history."--Louis Haas, Middle Tennessee State University

Elliott J. Gorn is Joseph A. Gagliano Chair in American Urban History at Loyola University Chicago.

Randy Roberts is Distinguished Professor of History at Purdue University.

Susan Schulten is Professor of History at the University of Denver.

Terry D. Bilhartz was Professor of History at Sam Houston State University.

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