Pivotal Decades: The United States, 1900-1920

by John Milton Cooper Jr.

Book Overview

These were the years in which two of our greatest presidents--Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson--transformed the office into the center of power; in which the United States entered the world stage and fought its first overseas war; in which the government's proper role in the economy became a public question; and in which reform became an imperative for muckraking reporters, progressive politicians, social activists, and writers.

It was...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393956555
• ISBN13: 9780393956559
• Release Date: September 1990
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Superb, Concise Book on American History 1900 to 1920

This is one of the best written books I have ever read. Professor Cooper's writing is concise and easy to read, which is an extraordinary achievement considering the enormous amount of information packed into this medium-to-small sized book. You will learn much, yet the book is a quick-paced joy to read. More history should be written like this. The book has many pictures and other visual aids, such as maps and newspaper headlines, to help bring the story to life. It succeeds marvelously. I believe this to be the best single-volume book on the Progressive Era, beginning at the end of the Gilded Age, through World War I, to the start of the roaring twenties. An enormous amount of fascinating history takes place during that era with many fascinating characters, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Fighting Bob LaFollette, William Jennings Bryant, the suffragists, the religious crusaders to solve social ills, and the Gilded Age capitalists. Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson are featured most prominantly. Indeed, the author also wrote an outstanding biography of Roosevelt and Wilson called "The Warrior and the Priest." This book can also be considered a concise and excellent biography of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. The story begins during the late Gilded Age, when America was a bustling industrial superpower. Great capitalists of the era, such as Morgan and Rockefeller, enter the story. You get a balanced portrait of the economy that employed many people and created progress but had a harsh side to to it. You learn about the Muckraker reporters who uncovered scandals and the rise of socialists among the working class, although they never gained much power. You briefly learn what America was like at that time of great change. America had been mostly a rural country and now was both a rural country and a modern industrial economy. The rural people and generally the Democratic party, with power mainly in the south and midwest, favored low tarriffs and polices helping the pastoral life. William Jennings Bryant exemplified these views. He fought for the farmers with his legendary "cross of gold" speech. Yet his rural ways and religiosity, common among many people, made his a less-desirable candidate among swing voters, and he was defeated multiple times in his bid for the presidency. President McKinley was a mild imperialist and brought American on the world stage. He won the presidency by campaigning only from his porch in Ohio. The industrialists were so afraid of Bryant that they donated an unprecedently amount of money to McKinley. Although he was strongly pro-business and supported high tarriffs, McKinley slightly lowered tarriffs as president and began early anti-trust actions against monopolies. Several presidents back then came from Ohio, which shows you where the power was concentrated back then. Theodore Roosevelt is then prominantly features for much of the book. He was not the fervent trust-buster that he has been

Easy to read and informative

I liked this book. It details the history of the USA in pretty sensible chronological order from 1900 to 1920, with good description of the events during those momentous decades. It is pretty balanced, and should not offend anyone with biases one way or the other. The author is an authority on the two dominating figures of those decades, Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, and I read his dual study, The Warrior and the Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, on October 7, 1995, with much appreciation. Cooper writes in a clear style, and even tho this book read like a college textbook, hey, it is fun to read a college textbook on such interesting subjects as this book deals with. A good and worthwhile book.

An Excellent Book

I was required to read this book (it reads like a textbook)for an American history class I was taking in my sophomore year, and I love the book. Cooper integrated various facets (political, social, military, and cultural history) into a solid and interesting read. It can be a little dense at times, but it is a very good beginning for those interested in twentieth-century American history.

Well-organized and an enjoyable read

I had to read this book for my US History,1914-1945 class, and I have to admit, I am quite pleased with it. It was well-organized and gives an in-depth look into the Roosevelt and Wilson presidencies. This book is a must for anyone interested in 20th-century American history.

The Tide of the Century

These years at the beginning of the century seemed so intense. A good read when reviewing this century that (almost) was. The author tries to write a comprehensive look at everything that was happening in the US at the time, from fashion to politics. However, make no mistake, the author's favorite topic and more richly covered is: politics. There are references at the end on the amazing amount of literary work of the era, which is tantamount. All in all, a very good introductory to that time and age, and a very good starting point for a researcher in the world of those years.