Attorneys of Virginia

Cradle of America: Four Centuries of Virginia History

Description

Virginia is definitely for lovers-of history!

As the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, the birthplace of a presidential dynasty, and the gateway to western growth in the nation's early years, Virginia can rightfully be called the "cradle of America." In this first single-authored history of Virginia since the 1970s, Peter Wallenstein traces major themes across four centuries in a brisk narrative that recalls the people and events that have shaped the Old Dominion.

Historical accounts of Virginia have often emphasized harmony and tradition, but Wallenstein focuses on the impact of conflict and change. From the beginning, Virginians have debated and challenged each other's visions of Virginia, and Wallenstein shows how these differences have influenced its sometimes turbulent development. Casting an eye on blacks as well as whites, and on people from both east and west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he traces such key themes as political power, racial identity, and education.

Bringing to bear his long experience teaching Virginia history, Wallenstein takes readers back, even before Jamestown, to the Elizabethan settlers at Roanoke Island and the inhabitants they encountered, as well as to Virginia's leaders of the American Revolution. He chronicles the state's dramatic journey through the Civil War era, a time that revealed how the nation's evolution sometimes took shape in opposition to the vision of many leading Virginians. He also examines the impact of the civil rights movement and considers controversies that accompany Virginia into its fifth century.

The text is copiously illustrated to depict not only such iconic figures as Pocahontas, George Washington, and Robert E. Lee, but also such other prominent native Virginians as Edgar Allan Poe, Carter G. Woodson, and Patsy Cline. Sidebars throughout the book offer further insight, while maps and appendixes of reference data make the volume a complete resource on Virginia's history.

As people in Virginia and elsewhere prepare to observe the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's settlement, Wallenstein's fresh interpretation marks a significant commemoration of that beginning of Virginia-and America-and shows us that the adventure of Virginia has in many ways been the adventure of America.

Reviews

Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2009-12-15
Summary: "Refreshing Approach"

If you are interested in yet another history book that focuses solely on powerful white men or trivia about civil war battles, this is not the book for you. But if you are curious how the other 99% lived, this is a great book. As other reviewers have noted, Wallenstein has a strong focus on race relations and education. It may seem like an unusual approach, but these aspects of society are what matter in the daily lives of real people. They also serve as measuring sticks to evaluate how well we've lived up to the words in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Of course, Wallenstein does not exclude the lives and accomplishments of Jefferson, Washington, Madison, etc., but he focuses more on how their actions actually affected people in their time. He also examines the role of the Anglican church, seperation of church and state, citizenship, and constitutional reform. The book also includes a large number of complete primary sources along side the text, allowing the reader to interpret their meaning for themselves, instead of relying solely on his interpretation.

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Rating: 1 / 5
Date: 2009-10-24
Summary: "NOT A HISTORY OF VIRGINIA"

This is more a typical liberal academics attack on race relations in th old south. While I do not defend slavery or in any way the mistreatment of blacks, I was looking for a history of Virginia, not the civil rights movement. Very good history or race relations but most other history, such as the civil war, are basicalyy just skimmed over. I can not recommend this as a good history of Virginia.

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Rating: 2 / 5
Date: 2007-09-12
Summary: "Four Centuries of Race in Virginia"

This is really a book about the history of race and race relations in Virginia -- with, as another reviewer notes, the development of its educational system as an ancillary theme (always in the context of race).

While it is not at all apparent from title or the material on the dust cover, the author, to his credit, discloses in his foreward that race and education will be his primary themes (by which time, unfortunately, one may have already purchased it under the impression that it was a book about "four centuries of Virginia history").

The author also deserves credit for a pretty well-written book (although he has a penchant for pompous sentence structures such as "True was it that..."). He is also, all things considered, even-handed. He merely tends to downplay the signficance of Virginia's non-African-American "Great Men", and, I (want to?) notice, refrains from the attacks that have become all too common among his brethren.

On the other hand, while his emphasis (obession, really) with everyday African-Americans and race relations in Virgnia's history yields some interesting perspectives, it does not lead to, in any way, shape, or form, a general history of Virginia. True is it that many of his extended treatments of race and education may be mind-numbing to a general reader.

The author's race-o-centric perspective and his refusal to treat the "Great Men" of Virginia (whether one cares for them or not) inevitably produces 400 pages worth of empty history. As truly rotten as was the treatment of African-Americans in Virginia's history -- and as equally admirable were the struggles of Virginia's African-Americans to overcome this -- the fact is that it does not explain Virgnia's history and development.

As a result, generalist readers will finish this book not learning very much about the development of Virginia, its historical personages, its economic development, its cities and towns, its transportation and railroads, its industries, its historical landmarks, its battles, and so forth.

What a shame that the 400th anniversary of Virginia should be marked with treatments as inadequate as this one, and the far worse "Old Dominion, New Commonwealth".

If anyone is aware of any worthwhile up-to-date histories of Virginia, please chime in.

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Rating: 1 / 5
Date: 2007-05-15
Summary: "In Search of True Southern History"

William C. Davis states in his review of the "Cradle of America" that, "Virginia is the only state to have been the capital of a 'foreign' nation, when Richmond was for almost four years the seat of the Confederacy."

Obviously Davis' knowledge of True Southern History is lacking. The seat of the Confederacy was in Montgomery, Alabama long before the seat was transferred to Richmond, Virginia, making Virginia the second and not the only state to have been the capital of a foreign nation.

Now I suspect the author of this book and Davis are Yankees, attempting to rewrite and falsify true southern history.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2007-05-13
Summary: "400 years in 400 pages"

Interesting lesser known facts about Virginia's history make up this brief overview of the state.