American Chronicle (Volume I)

The story of the American people has been traditionally written as "victory history." In this narrative, Euromericans come to the Western Hemisphere, dominate the existing Indigenous peoples, and ultimately create the greatest nation in the world. This version has been misleading, misguided, and occasionally downright wrong. "American Chronicle: An Inclusive History" (Volume I) is an in-depth examination of American history from the arrival of Euromericans to the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes. It provides readers with a more accurate representation of the previously scorned and marginalized people—the native nations and tribes, African Americans, Chicanos, American Jews, Asian Americans, and the LBGTQ community—with their proper recognition and acknowledgement. Moreover, their bypassed, disregarded, and frequently denigrated contributions are illuminated. In addition, "American Chronicle" examines the role mass sickness and disease has played in U.S. history. While many historical appraisals highlight the devastation mass disease had on indigenous peoples, scant attention has been paid to the fact that most deaths in American conflicts were the result of various maladies. For example, less than twenty percent of all American deaths in the Mexican War were battlefield related, while eighty-three to eighty-six percent were caused by disease, particularly dysentery, yellow fever, malaria, and smallpox. In the Civil War, two-thirds of all fatalities were the result of disease. Finally, this study integrates social history—the role fashion, music, and literature played in shaping the American perspective—into this exceedingly well documented "warts and all" narrative.