Still Casting Shadows : A Shared Mosaic of U.S. History: A Shared Mosaic of U.S. History

By Shannon, B., Clay

Book Id: WPLBN0100302664
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 3.57 MB
Reproduction Date: 9/8/2006

Title:	Still Casting Shadows : A Shared Mosaic of U.S. History: A Shared Mosaic of U.S. History
Author:	Shannon, B., Clay
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, History of the Americas (Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, etc.), Social/Cultural/Family History of the U.S. from 1620-1914
Collections:	Authors Community
Historic Publication Date:	2006
Publisher:	Clay Shannon


Citation APA MLA Chicago Clay Shannon, B. B. (2006). Still Casting Shadows : A Shared Mosaic of U.S. History. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.us/

Description
Still Casting Shadows: A Shared Mosaic of U.S. History is a history of the United States as it pertained to the common man and woman, boy and girl. It is unlike most history books in that, rather than focusing on political leaders and events, and European-Americans almost exclusively, much about the common people of all races is included.

Summary
Still Casting Shadows is a Social/Cultural/Family History of the United States, from 1620 (arrival of the Mayflower) to 2006 (the year it was completed, and the 50th anniversary of my parents' wedding). It is in two volumes. Volume 1 covers 1620-1913; volume 2 covers 1914-2006.

Excerpt
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”—Søren Kierkegaard My original hope in writing this account was for it to eventually contain enough information to fill a thin volume. This I would present to my parents on their 50th wedding anniversary in late summer 2006. The compilation was to include as much family information as I could gather, and a little general history to put the lives of our families’ ancestors in historical context, so as to better picture them in the milieu in which they lived. This collection of family and national stories and events, though, quickly took on the proverbial “life of its own.” From the expected thin volume, it has expanded to the point where it had to be split into two volumes: Volume I covers 1620–1913, and Volume II covers 1914 to 2006. Although still intended primarily as a 50th anniversary present to my parents, the history it contains has grown not only in sheer size (word count), but also in terms of its “specifics-to-generalities” ratio—that is to say, its volume of purely historical information as compared to family-specific data. Although certainly not a comprehensive history of the United States (it contains only a brief mention, if any at all, of many important events, such as Bacon’s Rebellion; Washington crossing the Delaware and subsequent revolutionary happenings at Trenton, Princeton, etc.; the massacres at Mountain Meadows, Fort Pillow, and My Lai; the building of the Erie Canal; the Gadsden Purchase; various NASA feats; the murder of John Lennon; and several other significant pieces of the American experience montage), this tome has expanded to the point where it can be considered a fairly complete outline of U.S. cultural and social history. This stands in contrast to predominantly political history, which is the perspective of events emphasized in most schools. I have intended to present a more balanced history than one can normally find encased between two (or even four) covers. The balance of presentation for which I strove is that between the “important” people (the nationally famous) and the “common man.” My intention was also for balance in its coverage of the races. Instead of focusing on political leaders and white people almost exclusively, much about the common people and their experience—not just white, but also black and red–is also included. Other peoples are given their due, too, but the two minorities specifically mentioned (African-Americans and native Americans) seem to me to be the most important “other” races to examine. I say that because in the former case, they were brought here against their will by the whites, and in the latter case, they were displaced from their ancestral homes when the whites arrived, thrived, and expanded ever westward. Both groups have also profoundly affected and influenced (and have been profoundly affected and influenced by) “white” America’s history. Morgan Freeman recently said, “Black history is American history!” The same could be said about Native Americans. In fact, that very designation (Native American) should be enough to make a claim of their being an intrinsic part of the region’s history unassailable. Vine Deloria, Jr., may have said something like “Indian history is American history!” If not, he certainly could have with credibility. Such information is indeed available elsewhere, but normally you have to read books specifically and exclusively targeted to Indian and African-American audiences, or for use in studies of these groups, to get such. So this book before you is a conglomeration, an amalgamation, of U.S. history in the rough and in the brief.

Table of Contents
Plymouth Rocks International Harvesters Who Gives This Woman? Desire of the Pilgrims Raghorne the Heifer Patronized Saints Setting Fire to the Fox’s Tail Uniting of Couples and Colonies Marshfield Marshal Sole Survivors Barnstable Constable Cruelty and Hard Usage A Sword or a Gun in the Belly Which Witch is Which? A Courtship Interrupted by the Court A Gentleman and a Scholar The Severity of the Season Burden of Beasts Letter from Plymouth Jail Peace and Love Paperwork and Nostalgia French and Indian Wars The History of a Campaign that Failed Eastward Ho! A Pox on their House Sweet Remembrance Spoils of War The Orphan Gorham’s Rangers to the Rescue Equal Opportunity Terrorists Dukes and Kings A Wild and Uncontrollable Ruffian The Fog of War Seven Years of Death and Destruction The Fall Fall Appalachian Spring Stamp This! There Goes the Neighborhood A Motley Rabble Banned in Boston Outsized Satellite You Say You Want a Revolution The Blood of Patriots and Tyrants On the Waterfront Constitutional Crunching Numbers Quaker Oats Put a Cork In It Watch Yarmouth Cheap at Twice the Price! The Passage Thankful to be Alive Tippecanoe and a Couple of Comets, Too The Father of Waters Runs Backwards Like a Warrior Going Home How the West was Lost Status Quo Ante Bellum Exodus from Germany The Red and the Black (and the White) Three Wives in Two Years Show Me Statehood Leggo My Eggo! Setting the Stage A New Civilization Scheme As Long as the Green Grass Grows and the Water Flows A War Named for a Man Grandfathers of Grandfathers The Adventures of Tom, Huck, Sam, and James Remember the Defenders The Watery Part of the World Walking the Walk Borne Away Wired Rebels and Cannibals (Very Steep Marching Indeed) Gold and an Irresistible Offer The Elephant The Bear The Bay of Indians Caught Red-Handed Ruffians, Raiders, and Rebellions Spanning the Big Muddy Islands in the Stream Drawing the Line Massacres, Emancipators, and Wiry Fellows Provocations (A House Divided) Land Bought With Sweat, Land Bought with Blood and Tears Freedom Breaks A Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness A Courthouse Surrender, a Playhouse Pretender, and a Celebrated Frog Combining, Dividing, Ice Follies, and Old Shoes His Heart’s Home California Annexes the United States Robert E. Lee Victorious Apocalyptic Blazes Reaping the Whirlwind Chasing Bona Fide Chiefs Bright Ideas The Octopus Dowries and Corrals The Return of the Native Engineering Feats, Volcanic Eruptions, and Synchronization Triple Tragedy and a Change to the Skyline Ears Flared, Trunk Raised, and Trumpet Blaring Enlightening the World Streams of Love to Restrain Absentee Fathers and a New Vision Wings For Their Feet A Terrestrial Paradise, and a Hell on Earth Immigrants, Expatriates, and a Kidnapping Cars, Clashes, and Clubs The Cows Get Out of the Barn Pseudo Armies and Pseudo Gods Going for the Silver Play it Again, Sam Wars for Countries and Worlds Hello, Dollie Fanatics, Fast Food, and Fantasy Big Trees and Big Sticks Coming Into the Country Trips and Trails, Flights and Folks Fire and Ice 10,000 Peek-a-Boos and a Good Swap An Earthquake, A Man-made Jungle, and Legal Redress AMOK Married by a Stranger Walking Aisles and Endless Miles Going Out Together Lost and Found Icebergs, Maidens, and the Bull Moose No Dam, Taxes, and Pavement