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Rediscovering America : Journeys Through Our Forgotten Past
Rediscovering America Journeys Through Our Forgotten Past Author:Roger G. Kennedy Kennedy "writes with wit and ebullience, and as a fisty upsetter of settled opinion. The aim of these lively essays is to startle (and perhaps shame) the reader into a new curiosity about American history, ancient and modern" — --Times Literary Supplement — America's history and heritage can be traced almost as far back as the earliest civilizati... more »ons in Asia and Africa. This latest contribution to local American history, written by the director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, is a fascinating anthropological and archaeological romp through the United States. In 19 essays on major geographical regions and prominent individuals, the unique development and blending of European and Native American heritage is explored through the diverse ethnic, religious, ethical, and cultural roots, many of which are still evident today. Contrary to popular belief, slavery existed in the 1500s, cotton made its debut in the Southwest 1000 years earlier than in the East, and early migratory patterns went from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean long before Europeans arrived in Jamestown. There were mound-builders, cliff-dwellers, pyramids, and much more prior to Columbus and 1492. This is excellent material, but perhaps too scholarly for general readers. Recommended for larger collections.
- Ann E. Cohen, Rochester P.L.,
Whether his subject is the Russian influence in Hawaii or a Texas pirate immortalized by Byron, Kennedy's journey down the neglected byways of American history turns up a fascinating array of events, people, and places overlooked in conventional accounts of our past. 32 color photographs; 200 illustrations; maps.« less