Contending Voices Biographical Explorations of the American Past, Volume I: To 1877

Each chapter inContending Voicesexamines the lives of two individuals--some of them familiar historical figures and some of them lesser known--who took opposing positions on important issues in American history. The "paired biographies" in the text are followed by a set of four to six related primary sources, many in the individuals' own voices; a "Questions to Consider" section; and an annotated bibliography. This unique format promotes critical thinking and engages students in historical debates. New!In Volume I, new chapters include "Politics, Morality, and Race in the Abolitionist Crusade: William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass"; "The Feminine Sphere in Antebellum Society: Catharine Beecher and Elizabeth Cady Stanton"; and "Yankees and 'Border Ruffians' in 'Bleeding Kansas': Sara Robinson and David Atchison." New!New chapters in Volume II include "Science, Religion, and 'Culture Wars' in the 1920s: William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow"; "Politics and Principle in the Second Red Scare: Joseph McCarthy and Margaret Chase Smith"; and "The Battlefields of Vietnam: Robert McNamara and John Kerry." A running glossary of important historical terms, events, and people appears at the bottom of selected pages in every chapter. Each of the two volumes contains 15 chapters to parallel the coverage in most survey texts.