Henry Adams

Democracy: An American Novel (1880) is a novel by Henry Adams. Published anonymously, Democracy: An American Novel draws on Adams' experience as a political journalist in Washington, DC who worked to expose corruption in American government. Although fictional, the novel is viewed as a commentary on the presidential administrations of the 1870s and political atmospheres surrounding each. "For reasons which many persons thought ridiculous, Mrs. Lightfoot...

Using architecture, sculpture, culture and history, Adams humanizes the medieval period and provides valuable insight on religious philosophy. Mont-Saint Michel and Chartes provides a background and description of the construction of two French landmarks built in the 11th century. The Mont-Saint Michel cathedral was built during a militant time; it was not enough to simply be steadfast in one's own beliefs, but also to make others believe them. Religious...

Thomas Hart Benton, arguably the single most controversial figure in the history of American art, played a major role in shaping three separate movements in American art: the early American modernism of the 1910s and '20s; the Reigonalism of the 1930s (a movement he led in partnership with Grant Wood); and finally (through his influence on his pupil Jackson Pollock) the Abstract Expressionism of the 1940s. Benton was also a notable writer, whose autobiography,...

Brilliant, captivating, and unforgettable memoirs from four of the greatest minds in American history. Penned between 1771 and 1790 and published after his death, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is one of the most acclaimed and widely read personal histories ever written. From his youth as a printer's assistant working for his brother's Boston newspaper through his own publishing, writing, and military careers, his scientific experiments and...