Presents a biography of nineteenth-century author Herman Melville, and traces his rise and eventual decline in both critical and popular reception against the backdrop of 19th-century America.
fugitive slaves and the struggle for America's soul from the Revolution to the Civil War
Delbanco, Andrew
Explains how fugitive slaves escaping from the South to the northern states awakened northerners to the true nature of slavery and how the Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act divided the nation and set it on the path to civil war.
Chronicles the life and career of American author Herman Melville, uncovering autobiographical elements in his diverse works, discussing the historical and cultural implications of his writing, and assessing his accomplishments as a writer.
A collection of essays which examine the works of some of America's great authors--produced in the century between the Civil War and World War II--that reflect a dedication to the ideal of democracy and freedom.
Examines the history of higher education in the United States, the problems with the system now, and what can be done to make it available to future generations.
