For the People

For the People is a historical docutext that examines the evolution of the struggle for peace andjustice in America's past from pre-colonial times to the present. Each chapter begins with abrief historical introduction followed by a series of primary source documents and questions toencourage student comprehension. Sample photographs illustrate the range of peace activists'concerns while the list of references focused on the most important works in the field of U.S.peace history points students toward opportunities for further research.This is the only historical docutext specifically devoted to peace issues. The interpretive analysisof American peace history provided by the editors makes this more than just an anthologyof collected documents. As such the docutext is an extension and a complement to the editors'recently published popular scholarly survey A History of the American Peace Movement fromColonial Times to the Present.A central idea in this work is that peace is more than just the absence of war. The documentsand the analysis that accompanies them offer fresh perspectives on the ways in which the peace movement became transformed fromone simply opposing war to one proclaiming the importance of social political and economic equality.The editors' premise is that the peace movement historically has been a collective attempt by numerous well-intentioned people toimprove American society. The book illuminates the ways in which peace activists were often connected to larger reform movements inAmerican history including those that fought for the rights of working people forwomen's equality and for the abolition of slavery to name just a few. With a focus onthose who spoke out for peace this docutext is designed to call to students' attention oneof the least discussed classroom subjects in American education today. Students insecondary school Social Studies and American history classes as well as those takingcollege level courses in U.S. history American Studies or Peace Studies will find thiswork an excellent supplementary reader.