Awakening of American Nationalism, 1815-1828

In "The Awakening of American Nationalism," George Dangerfield recovers familiar ground. In many ways, the book serves as a shorter version of his Pulitzer winning "The Era of Good Feelings" but "The Awakening" focuses more on politics and less on culture. While shorter and more focused, "The Awakening" remains an excellent survey of a crucial time period. Dangerfield shows the growth of both economic nationalism and democratic nationalism and how these conflicting forces undermined any hopes for an Era of Good Feelings in national politics. If you are looking to understand the important political period between the end of the War of 1812 and the Jacksonian period, this is an excellent overview and, best of all, is an easy read.