A New Introduction to American Studies provides a coherent portrait of American history, literature, politics, culture and society, and also deals with some of the central themes and preoccupations of American life. It will provoke students into thinking about what it actually means to study a culture.Ideals such as the commitment to liberty, equality and material progress are fully examined and new light is shed on the sometimes contradictory ways in which these ideals ha...

A collection of essays in which every contributor focuses upon some aspect of slave emancipation with the aim of assessing to what extent the outcome met with expectation. The hopes and disappointments that characterized the transition from slavery to freedom are depicted.