American Crucible : Race and Nation in the Twentieth Century

This sweeping history of twentieth-century America follows the changing and often conflicting ideas about the fundamental nature of American society: Is the United States a social melting pot, as our civic creed warrants, or is full citizenship somehow reserved for those who are white and of the right ancestry? Gary Gerstle traces the forces of civic and racial nationalism, arguing that both profoundly shaped our society. After Theodore Roosevelt led his Rough Riders to victory during the Spanish American War, he boasted of the diversity of his men's origins- from the Kentucky backwoods to the Irish, Italian, and Jewish neighborhoods of northeastern cities. Roosevelt's vision of a hybrid and superior "American race," strengthened by war, would inspire the social, diplomatic, and economic policies of American liberals for decades. And yet, for all of its appeal to the civic principles of inclusion, this liberal legacy was grounded in "Anglo-Saxon" culture, making it difficult in particular for Jews and Italians and especially for Asians and African Americans to gain acceptance. Gerstle weaves a compelling story of events, institutions, and ideas that played on perceptions of ethnic/racial difference, from the world wars and the labor movement to the New Deal and Hollywood to the Cold War and the civil rights movement. We witness the remnants of racial thinking among such liberals as FDR and LBJ; we see how Italians and Jews from Frank Capra to the creators of Superman perpetuated the New Deal philosophy while suppressing their own ethnicity; we feel the frustrations of African-American servicemen denied the opportunity to fight for their country and the moral outrage of more recent black activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and Malcolm X. Gerstle argues that the civil rights movement and Vietnam broke the liberal nation apart, and his analysis of this upheaval leads him to assess Reagan's and Clinton's attempts to resurrect nationalism. Can the United States ever live up to its civic creed? For anyone who views racism as an aberration from the liberal premises of the republic, this book is must reading. Containing a new chapter that reconstructs and dissects the major struggles over race and nation in an era defined by the War on Terror and by the presidency of Barack Obama, American Crucible is a must-read for anyone who views racism as an aberration from the liberal premises of the republic. -- "Library Journal" This Sweeping History Of Twentieth-century America Follows The Changing And Often Conflicting Ideas About The Fundamental Nature Of American Society: Is The United States A Social Melting Pot, As Our Civic Creed Warrants, Or Is Full Citizenship Somehow Reserved For Those Who Are White And Of The Right Ancestry? Gary Gerstle Traces The Forces Of Civic And Racial Nationalism, Arguing That Both Profoundly Shaped Our Society. After Theodore Roosevelt Led His Rough Riders To Victory During The Spanish American War, He Boasted Of The Diversity Of His Men's Origins- From The Kentucky Backwoods To The Irish, Italian, And Jewish Neighborhoods Of Northeastern Cities. Roosevelt's Vision Of A Hybrid And Superior American Race, Strengthened By War, Would Inspire The Social, Diplomatic, And Economic Policies Of American Liberals For Decades.^ And Yet, For All Of Its Appeal To The Civic Principles Of Inclusion, This Liberal Legacy Was Grounded In Anglo-saxon Culture, Making It Difficult In Particular For Jews And Italians And Especially For Asians And African Americans To Gain Acceptance. Gerstle Weaves A Compelling Story Of Events, Institutions, And Ideas That Played On Perceptions Of Ethnic/racial Difference, From The World Wars And The Labor Movement To The New Deal And Hollywood To The Cold War And The Civil Rights Movement. We Witness The Remnants Of Racial Thinking Among Such Liberals As Fdr And Lbj; We See How Italians And Jews From Frank Capra To The Creators Of Superman Perpetuated The New Deal Philosophy While Suppressing Their Own Ethnicity; We Feel The Frustrations Of African-american Servicemen Denied The Opportunity To Fight For Their Country And The Moral Outrage Of More Recent Black Activists, Including Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, And Malcolm X.^ Gerstle Argues That The Civil Rights Movement And Vietnam Broke The Liberal Nation Apart, And His Analysis Of This Upheaval Leads Him To Assess Reagan's And Clinton's Attempts To Resurrect Nationalism. Can The United States Ever Live Up To Its Civic Creed? For Anyone Who Views Racism As An Aberration From The Liberal Premises Of The Republic, This Book Is Must Reading. Containing A New Chapter That Reconstructs And Dissects The Major Struggles Over Race And Nation In An Era Defined By The War On Terror And By The Presidency Of Barack Obama, American Crucible Is A Must-read For Anyone Who Views Racism As An Aberration From The Liberal Premises Of The Republic. -- Provided By Publisher. Theodore Roosevelt's Racialized Nation, 1890-1900 -- Civic Nationalism And Its Contradictions, 1890-1917 -- Hardening The Boundaries Of The Nation, 1917-1929 -- The Rooseveltian Nation Ascendant, 1930-1940 -- Good War, Race War, 1941-1945 -- The Cold War, Anticommunism, And A Nation In Flux, 1946-1960 -- Civil Rights, White Resistance, And Black Nationalism, 1960-1968 -- Vietnam, Cultural Revolt, And The Collapse Of The Rooseveltian Nation, 1968-1975 -- Beyond The Rooseveltian Nation, 1975-2000 -- The Age Of Obama, 2000-2016 Originally Published In 2001. Updated In 2017. Includes Bibliographic References And Index. The description for this book, American Crucible: Race and Nation in the Twentieth Century, will be forthcoming. This sweeping history of twentieth-century America follows the changing and often conflicting ideas about the fundamental nature of American society: Is the United States a social melting pot, as our civic creed warrants, or is full citizenship somehow reserved for those who are white and of the "right" ancestry? Gary Gerstle traces the forces of civic and racial nationalism, arguing that both profoundly shaped our society. After Theodore Roosevelt led his Rough Riders to victory during the Spanish American War, he boasted of the diversity of his men's origins- from the Kentucky backwoods to the Irish, Italian, and Jewish neighborhoods of northeastern cities. Roosevelt's vision of a hybrid and superior "American race," strengthened by war, would inspire the social, diplomatic, and economic policies of American liberals for decades. And yet, for all of its appeal to the civic principles of inclusion, this liberal legacy was grounded in "Anglo-Saxon" culture, making it difficult in particular for Jews and Italians and especially for Asians and African Americans to gain acceptance. Gerstle weaves a compelling story of events, institutions, and ideas that played on perceptions of ethnic/racial difference, from the world wars and the labor movement to the New Deal and Hollywood to the Cold War and the civil rights movement. We witness the remnants of racial thinking among such liberals as FDR and LBJ; we see how Italians and Jews from Frank Capra to the creators of Superman perpetuated the New Deal philosophy while suppressing their own ethnicity; we feel the frustrations of African-American servicemen denied the opportunity to fight for their country and the moral outrage of more recent black activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and Malcolm X. Gerstle argues that the civil rights movement and Vietnam broke the liberal nation apart, and his analysis of this upheaval leads him to assess Reagan's and Clinton's attempts to resurrect nationalism. Can the United States ever live up to its civic creed? For anyone who views racism as an aberration from the liberal premises of the republic, this book is must reading. Containing a new chapter that reconstructs and dissects the major struggles over race and nation in an era defined by the War on Terror and by the presidency of Barack Obama, American Crucible is a must-read for anyone who views racism as an aberration from the liberal premises of the republic This sweeping history of twentieth-century America follows the changing and often conflicting ideas about the fundamental nature of American society: Is the United States a social melting pot, as our civic creed warrants, or is full citizenship somehow reserved for those who are white and of the "right" ancestry? Gary Gerstle traces the forces of civic and racial nationalism, arguing that both profoundly shaped our society. After Theodore Roosevelt led his Rough Riders to victory during the Spanish American War, he boasted of the diversity of his men's origins- from the Kentucky backwoods to the Irish, Italian, and Jewish neighborhoods of northeastern cities. Roosevelt’s vision of a hybrid and superior “American race,” strengthened by war, would inspire the social, diplomatic, and economic policies of American liberals for decades. And yet, for all of its appeal to the civic principles of inclusion, this liberal legacy was grounded in “Anglo-Saxon” culture, making it difficult in particular for Jews and Italians and especially for Asians and African Americans to gain acceptance. Gerstle weaves a compelling story of events, institutions, and ideas that played on perceptions of ethnic/racial difference, from the world wars and the labor movement to the New Deal and Hollywood to the Cold War and the civil rights movement. We witness the remnants of racial thinking among such liberals as FDR and LBJ; we see how Italians and Jews from Frank Capra to the creators of Superman perpetuated the New Deal philosophy while suppressing their own ethnicity; we feel the frustrations of African-American servicemen denied the opportunity to fight for their country and the moral outrage of more recent black activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and Malcolm X. Gerstle argues that the civil rights movement and Vietnam broke the liberal nation apart, and his analysis of this upheaval leads him to assess Reagan’s and Clinton’s attempts to resurrect nationalism. Can the United States ever live up to its civic creed? For anyone who views racism as an aberration from the liberal premises of the republic, this book is must reading. Containing a new chapter that reconstructs and dissects the major struggles over race and nation in an era defined by the War on Terror and by the presidency of Barack Obama, __American Crucible__ is a must-read for anyone who views racism as an aberration from the liberal premises of the republic. Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of Figures Preface and Acknowledgments Acknowledgments INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 Theodore Roosevelt’s Racialized Nation, 1890–1900 A History of the American “Race” War, Renewal, and the Problem of the “Smoked Yankee” CHAPTER 2 Civic Nationalism and Its Contradictions, 1890–1917 “True Americanism” Racial Dilemmas The New Nationalism CHAPTER 3 Hardening the Boundaries of the Nation, 1917–1929 War and Discipline “Keeping Pure the Blood of America” Civic Nationalism in the New Racial Regime Aborting the New Nationalism CHAPTER 4 The Rooseveltian Nation Ascendant, 1930–1940 A Kinder and Gentler Nation Builder Radicalizing the Civic Nationalist Creed Conservative Counterattack The Survival of Racialized Nationalism CHAPTER 5 Good War, Race War, 1941–1945 The Good War Race War “Something Drastic Should Be Done”: The Military’s Hidden Race War Combat and White Male Comradeship CHAPTER 6 The Cold War, Anticommunism, and a Nation in Flux, 1946–1960 War, Repression, and Nation Building The Red Scare and the Decline of Racial Nationalism Racial Nationalism Redux: The Case of Immigration Reform CHAPTER 7 Civil Rights, White Resistance, and Black Nationalism, 1960–1968 Civil Rights and Civic Nationalism “I Question America”: The Crisis in Atlantic City “Speaking as a Victim of This American System” CHAPTER 8 Vietnam, Cultural Revolt, and the Collapse of the Rooseveltian Nation, 1968–1975 A Catastrophic War The Spread of Anti-Americanism and the Revolt against Assimilation The Collapse of the Rooseveltian Nation CHAPTER 9 Beyond the Rooseveltian Nation, 1975–2000 Varieties of Multiculturalism “A Springtime of Hope”: Ronald Reagan and the Nationalist Renaissance Reviving the Liberal Nation CHAPTER 10 The Age of Obama, 2000–2016 Clinton, Bush, and Civic Nationalist Renewal “The American Dream Come True Tonight” Racial Nationalism Resurgent Black Lives Matter, Donald Trump, and the Fraying of Obama’s Dream Notes Index