Grade 6-9–Clear, objective introductions to 58 of the most contentious issues in American history from Roger Williams's political and religious differences with Massachusetts colonial leaders in 1635 to the disputed election of 2000. Many of the controversies, including those over Prohibition and the New Deal, are well known and have been covered in many resources. Others, such as King Philip's War, the Chinese Exclusion Act, Andrew Jackson's battle with the Cherokee Nation, and the Haymarket Riot, may be new to readers. The set is chronologically arranged and each volume discusses 10 to 12 issues. The chapters open with an overview of how the dispute or controversy began, evolved, and briefly profiles the individuals involved. The final sections of each chapter detail the opposing ideas, beliefs, and arguments that were at the center of the conflict. Extras include "In Their Own Words" sidebars with primary-source quotes, "Fast Facts" about the topic, and at least one captioned, black-and-white period photo or illustration. Each volume contains both an extensive set index and a very limited volume-specific bibliography. Report writers will find this set both easy to use and more readable than many of the primary-source excerpts found in Greenhaven's "Opposing Viewpoints" series.–Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
In a chronological arrangement, this set gives an introduction to numerous debatable issues in American history, providing balanced coverage on all sides. Each volume includes 10-12 topics, a glossary, a bibliography, and a cumulative index.
Most of the issues are well-known topics, such as the Salem witch trials, Prohibition, and the Equal Rights Amendment, and involve the power of the national government or balancing personal freedoms with the common good. Many were decided by the Supreme Court. Each entry opens with a brief description of the issue. Historical background is followed by analysis of the pro and con arguments and the outcome of the topic. Mixed into each 8- to 12-page chapter are interesting sidebars that offer additional information or highlight key figures. "In Their Own Words" sidebars provide excerpts from primary sources and give a feel for the selected points of view, but having just two or three quoted sentences, often with no guidance on retrieving the whole document, may be frustrating even for middle-schoolers. Photos are credited but not always identified. For example, where and when was the demonstration shown at the beginning of the chapter "Cold War and Anti-Communism"?
Readability is at the middle-school level, but the topics will also be useful for high-school students. Many terms are defined in the text, and each volume includes a unique glossary of about 20 words. The lists of sources in each book cite about 6-10 books and 6-8 Web sites for further information but not the primary documents from which the excerpts are extracted. Indexing is cumulative for the whole set but is barely adequate. For example, a user finding the index entry presidential election of 2000 may miss references to other elections, which are cited in the index as election of 1800, election of 1824, and election of 1876.
Despite some weaknesses, these short introductions to each controversial topic may be enough t