Borrow it
Coverart for item
The Resource The age of acrimony : how Americans fought to fix their democracy, 1865-1915, Jon Grinspan

The age of acrimony : how Americans fought to fix their democracy, 1865-1915, Jon Grinspan

Creator
Author
Summary
"A raucous history of American democracy at its wildest--and a bold rethinking of the relationship between the people and their politics. Democracy was broken. Or that was what many Americans believed in the decades after the Civil War. Shaken by economic and technological disruption, they sought safety in aggressive, tribal partisanship. The results were the loudest, closest, most violent elections in U.S. history, driven by vibrant campaigns that drew our highest-ever voter turnouts. At the century's end, reformers finally restrained this wild system, trading away participation for civility in the process. The result was a calmer, cleaner democracy, but also a more distant one. Americans' voting rates crashed and never recovered. This is the origin story of the "normal" politics of the 20th century. Only by exploring where that civility and restraint came from can we understand what is happening to our democracy today. The Age of Acrimony charts the rise and fall of 19th-century America's unruly politics through the lives of a remarkable father-daughter dynasty. The radical congressman William "Pig Iron" Kelley and his fiery, Progressive daughter Florence Kelley led lives packed with drama, intimately tied to their nation's politics. Through their friendships and feuds, campaigns and crusades, Will and Florie trace the narrative of a democracy in crisis. In telling the tale of what it cost to cool our republic, historian Jon Grinspan reveals our divisive political system's enduring capacity to heal itself"--
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
xiv, 368 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates
Contents
  • Part one: Pure democracy, 1865-1877. "The one question of the age is settled" ; "The great American game" ; "The game going on at Washington" ; "I boast of Philadelphia at all times" ; "Swallow it down" ; "If anybody says election to me, I want to fight"
  • Part two: The law of everything is competition, 1877-1890. "Bother politics!" ; "When a man works in politics, he should get something out of it" ; "Where do all these cranks come from?" ; "Now we shall have the worst again" ; "A young lady, now in Europe, who bears my name" ; "Reformers who eat roast beef" ; "A man who has been through as much as I have"
  • Part three: New weapons of democracy, 1890-1915. "Some changes must occur very soon now" ; "The secret cause" ; "Investigate, agitate, legislate" ; "The right not to vote" ; "It runs in our blood to be leaders"
Isbn
9781635574623
Instance
Label
The age of acrimony : how Americans fought to fix their democracy, 1865-1915
Title
The age of acrimony
Title remainder
how Americans fought to fix their democracy, 1865-1915
Statement of responsibility
Jon Grinspan
Title variation
How Americans fought to fix their democracy, 1865-1915
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"A raucous history of American democracy at its wildest--and a bold rethinking of the relationship between the people and their politics. Democracy was broken. Or that was what many Americans believed in the decades after the Civil War. Shaken by economic and technological disruption, they sought safety in aggressive, tribal partisanship. The results were the loudest, closest, most violent elections in U.S. history, driven by vibrant campaigns that drew our highest-ever voter turnouts. At the century's end, reformers finally restrained this wild system, trading away participation for civility in the process. The result was a calmer, cleaner democracy, but also a more distant one. Americans' voting rates crashed and never recovered. This is the origin story of the "normal" politics of the 20th century. Only by exploring where that civility and restraint came from can we understand what is happening to our democracy today. The Age of Acrimony charts the rise and fall of 19th-century America's unruly politics through the lives of a remarkable father-daughter dynasty. The radical congressman William "Pig Iron" Kelley and his fiery, Progressive daughter Florence Kelley led lives packed with drama, intimately tied to their nation's politics. Through their friendships and feuds, campaigns and crusades, Will and Florie trace the narrative of a democracy in crisis. In telling the tale of what it cost to cool our republic, historian Jon Grinspan reveals our divisive political system's enduring capacity to heal itself"--
Tone
Writing style
Assigning source
Provided by publisher
Biography type
collective biography
http://library.link/vocab/ext/novelist/bookUI
10957031
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Grinspan, Jon
Dewey number
  • 303.48/40922
  • B
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • plates
Index
index present
LC call number
E661
LC item number
.G756 2021
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/resourcePreferred
True
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • United States
  • Kelley, Florence
  • Social problems
  • Women social reformers
  • United States
  • Legislators
  • Philadelphia (Pa.)
Target audience
adult
http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/titleRemainder
how Americans fought to fix their democracy, 1865-1915
Label
The age of acrimony : how Americans fought to fix their democracy, 1865-1915, Jon Grinspan
Instantiates
Publication
Copyright
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 279-356) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Part one: Pure democracy, 1865-1877. "The one question of the age is settled" ; "The great American game" ; "The game going on at Washington" ; "I boast of Philadelphia at all times" ; "Swallow it down" ; "If anybody says election to me, I want to fight" -- Part two: The law of everything is competition, 1877-1890. "Bother politics!" ; "When a man works in politics, he should get something out of it" ; "Where do all these cranks come from?" ; "Now we shall have the worst again" ; "A young lady, now in Europe, who bears my name" ; "Reformers who eat roast beef" ; "A man who has been through as much as I have" -- Part three: New weapons of democracy, 1890-1915. "Some changes must occur very soon now" ; "The secret cause" ; "Investigate, agitate, legislate" ; "The right not to vote" ; "It runs in our blood to be leaders"
Dimensions
25 cm
Extent
xiv, 368 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates
Isbn
9781635574623
Lccn
2020053954
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other control number
40030620665
Other physical details
illustrations (some color)
System control number
  • on1151069519
  • (OCoLC)1151069519
Label
The age of acrimony : how Americans fought to fix their democracy, 1865-1915, Jon Grinspan
Publication
Copyright
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 279-356) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Part one: Pure democracy, 1865-1877. "The one question of the age is settled" ; "The great American game" ; "The game going on at Washington" ; "I boast of Philadelphia at all times" ; "Swallow it down" ; "If anybody says election to me, I want to fight" -- Part two: The law of everything is competition, 1877-1890. "Bother politics!" ; "When a man works in politics, he should get something out of it" ; "Where do all these cranks come from?" ; "Now we shall have the worst again" ; "A young lady, now in Europe, who bears my name" ; "Reformers who eat roast beef" ; "A man who has been through as much as I have" -- Part three: New weapons of democracy, 1890-1915. "Some changes must occur very soon now" ; "The secret cause" ; "Investigate, agitate, legislate" ; "The right not to vote" ; "It runs in our blood to be leaders"
Dimensions
25 cm
Extent
xiv, 368 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates
Isbn
9781635574623
Lccn
2020053954
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other control number
40030620665
Other physical details
illustrations (some color)
System control number
  • on1151069519
  • (OCoLC)1151069519

Subject

Genre

Library Locations

    • Williamsburg LibraryBorrow it
      515 Scotland Street, Williamsburg, VA, 23185, US
      37.377573 -76.770995

Library Links

Structured data from the Bibframe namespace is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Williamsburg Regional Library. Additional terms may apply to data associated with third party namespaces.