The Roots of American Individualism : Political Myth in the Age of Jackson
(Book)
Author
Published
Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2022].
Format
Book
ISBN
0691226318, 9780691226316
Physical Desc
x, 418 pages ; 24 cm
Status
Description
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Also in this Series
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Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Morris County Library - Adult Nonfiction | 320.512 ZAK | Available |
More Details
Published
Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2022].
Language
English
ISBN
0691226318, 9780691226316
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
A panoramic history of American individualism from its nineteenth-century origins to today's divided public square. Individualism is a defining feature of American public life. Its influence is pervasive today, with liberals and conservatives alike promising to expand personal freedom and defend individual rights against unwanted intrusion, be it from big government, big corporations, or intolerant majorities. The Roots of American Individualism traces the origins of individualist ideas to the turbulent political controversies of the Jacksonian era (1820-1850) and explores their enduring influence on American politics and culture. Alex Zakaras plunges readers into the spirited and rancorous political debates of Andrew Jackson's America, drawing on the stump speeches, newspaper editorials, magazine articles, and sermons that captivated mass audiences and shaped partisan identities. He shows how these debates popularized three powerful myths that celebrated the young nation as an exceptional land of liberty: the myth of the independent proprietor, the myth of the rights-bearer, and the myth of the self-made man. The Roots of American Individualism reveals how generations of politicians, pundits, and provocateurs have invoked these myths for competing political purposes. Time and again, the myths were used to determine who would enjoy equal rights and freedoms and who would not. They also conjured up heavily idealized, apolitical visions of social harmony and boundless opportunity, typically centered on the free market, that have distorted American political thought to this day.
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Zakaras, A. (2022). The Roots of American Individualism: Political Myth in the Age of Jackson . Princeton University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Zakaras, Alex, 1976-. 2022. The Roots of American Individualism: Political Myth in the Age of Jackson. Princeton University Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Zakaras, Alex, 1976-. The Roots of American Individualism: Political Myth in the Age of Jackson Princeton University Press, 2022.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Zakaras, Alex. The Roots of American Individualism: Political Myth in the Age of Jackson Princeton University Press, 2022.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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