The Jacksonian Promise: America, 1815-1840

great service, arrived in time for class , even on relatively short notice

This is an excellent overview of US political and to some extent social history from 1815-1840, in readable, jargon free prose.

Feller's book, THE JACKSONIAN PROMISE, is an excellent introduction to the major themes and topics that have captivated American political and social historians concerning the years 1815-40. The book attempts to move away from some of the more negative or pessimistic claims concerning the period. Instead, while acknowledging the proliferation of party sectionalism, the emergence of distinct gender roles, and the proliferation of slavery, Feller's basic claim is that experimentation and innovation characterized this period in American History. Notably, this period of history was characterized by extreme optimism in the popular imagination about America's potential. In 'getting at' that claim Feller looks at innovation and optimism in terms of economics, industrial and technological advances, religious experimentation, scientific inquiry, labor reform, and political innovation. Feller, moreover, traces how this shared sense of optimism eventually fractured into various opposing views. All in all, Feller's book is concisely written, well organized, and suprisingly sophisticated for a book of its small girth. This is partially because of Feller's own interest in the historiography of this period. It's among the best surveys of the Jacksonian period in publication. If its not the best, its, at the very least, certainly the most accessible.

The Jacksonian Promise: America 1815-1840 covers everything: optimism with the Erie Canal, the technology improvements, the commerce, the enlightenment, religious developments, and modern politics. It is best defined as in-between textbook that does not follow everything in the Antebellum America, but enough that it's a good book to fall back onto. The book was a required reading for my History 414 (Antebellum United States: 1800-1860). I enjoyed reading the book, but at times I skipped pages to keep up. I suggest reading chapters nine and ten. What would you read in the Jacksonian Promise? For example in Chapter 10: Descents into Discord, it covers the Democrats and Whigs, party politics, the reassessment of character, the constriction of choices, slavery and sectional cleavage, and toward Civil War.Keller's writing is smooth and the themes are well organized. If you are looking for a book on the Jacksonian era that is a cheap and well worth the price this is the book for you. I am giving it four stars because it's well organized that you can be half asleep and copy down some good notes, the price, and sometimes it is very interesting to read. A reminder the book is actually only 204 pages because the rest are the bibliography and index.

Argues that the central feature of the Jacksonian period was its forward-looking quality, how hopeful and optimistic people were about the future. Does quite a good job of surveying the literature that's out there on the Jacksonian period. If you need a relatively short introduction to the themes of this period in American history, then this is a good place to begin