1919 the year that changed America

Martin W. Sandler

Book - 2019

"Some of the most important issues of our time were no less important 100 years ago. America in 1919, at the close of World War I, was shaken from the events of large-scale warfare, fearing a Communist takeover, and facing an incredible amount of social and political change. From Prohibition to women's suffrage, the labor strikes to the violence of the Red Summer and the Red Scare, this book explores each major movement of 1919. Showing how these events were interrelated and examining their continued relevance to our country a century later, Martin Sandler offers a unique historical perspective on the trajectory of the major movements of the 20th century. Showing readers how every current event has unique and fascinating history p...receding it, this book will help them better understand the world they live in and the change many still seek today, offering educators a framework for discussing historical perspective and progress"--

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Subjects
Genres
Young adult literature
Instructional and educational works
Published
New York ; London ; Oxford : Bloomsbury Children's Books 2019.
Language
English
Main Author
Martin W. Sandler (author)
Physical Description
192 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 28 cm
Audience
10-14.
7-8.
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 185-186) and index.
ISBN
9781681198019
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

What happened in 1919? This book features significant events in that surprisingly turbulent year. Boston's deadly Great Molasses Flood destroyed many lives and structures, but it prompted cities to enforce stricter building codes. Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote. White activists unleashed the Red Summer of race riots and lynchings across the country. Triggered by fear of Communists, the Red Scare fostered distrust of immigrants and abuses of power. A series of union-led strikes met with brutal resistance. And Prohibition began. This large-format book provides background information on each topic, explains what happened, and illustrates the clear, cogent text with many well-chosen archival photos. The chapters conclude with a reflective One Hundred Years Later sections, linking historical topics with today's world. While many draw pertinent parallels, a few sections stretch the concept rather far, presenting current issues such as climate change. The two-page articles on subjects such as the Harlem Renaissance, Billy Sunday, and opposition to women's suffrage offer succinct, useful sidelights on the period. An intriguing look back at America in 1919.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In six lucid chapters, Sandler (Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed Everything) details headline-dominating events from 1919, "one of the most momentous years in the nation's history." After a riveting start devoted to a single, highly destructive incident-Boston's Great Molasses Flood, which led to building code, municipal oversight, and corporate liability precedents-Sandler proceeds to topics with a longer history, some of whose reverberations continue today: the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, widespread racial strife, waves of red scares that spread the fear of a Communist takeover, labor unrest, and the advent of Prohibition. For each subject, Sandler provides historical context, recounts the specific events of 100 years ago, and traces the impact through to the present day. He succeeds to varying degrees in making connections between women's presence in government and business, the Black Lives Matter movement, immigration, white supremacy, climate change, gun control, and public health. Even so, Sandler's narrative skill and eye for detail, and the abundant archival photos throughout, make for an engrossing resource. Further reading, sources, credits, and an index augment the text. Ages 10-14. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.


Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up-This readable journey through the year 1919 begins with an attention-grabbing and rather strange episode in U.S. history, the Great Molasses Flood. Each subsequent chapter follows a different large-scale event in 1919 that greatly affected the United States: Prohibition, women's suffrage, the red scare, labor strikes, and the Red Summer. At the end of each section, a "One Hundred Years Later" segment takes the historical social issue previously covered and shows how it affects contemporary society, with relatable examples included. Time lines throughout the volume demonstrate for readers how progress isn't always linear and how change can happen slowly, if at all. Filled with full-color pictures and extremely descriptive captions, students are transported in time to a period of turmoil and victory. VERDICT Well researched and presented in an attractive manner, Sandler's text delivers a solid look at a pivotal year.-Stephanie Wilkes, Good Hope Middle School, West Monroe, LA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

Over six engrossing chapters, Sandler covers monumental events in the year 1919, including Boston's Great Molasses Flood, the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment, race riots, communist scares, labor battles, and Prohibition. Significant people and happenings of the time are also highlighted, along with relevant historical changes set into motion by these 1919 events. Photographs and topic-specific timelines throughout enhance the text. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

The year 1919 was a significant one in 20th-century American history.Sandler draws on a wide range of resources to present some of the most compelling news stories of a banner year. In Boston, a huge tank of molasses exploded, sending a lethal flood of syrup across an area largely occupied by impoverished immigrants. Both soldiers just returned from the Great War and those who'd patriotically served on the homefront discovered that there'd be few jobs for themmost of those at wages insufficient to support familiesleading to numerous strikes. Reacting to intolerable repression, black Americans struck back at white abuses in a series of violent racial conflicts (described as "riots") that rocked both urban and rural communities. The U.S. attorney general pushed back against a perceived "Red Scare" of communist agitators, leading to mass imprisonments and deportations that reflected more a growing sense of anti-immigrant prejudice than any actual danger. Women were campaigning to achieve voting rights, and Prohibition was instituted. Each chapter attempts to relate that section's issue to modern problems, in one case tenuously drawing a connection between labor unrest and climate change. Sandler's prose is vigorous, impassioned, and carefully contextualized. If some of his choices seem odd (he fully reports the Molasses Flood, a regional story, while the massive international influenza epidemic of the era receives scant coverage), it's nevertheless a fascinating story, augmented by numerous attractive archival images.An entertaining and instructive look at a tumultuous year. (further reading, sources, index) (Nonfiction. 11-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.