Home › Books › The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Vi…
The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States
by
54/99
Critics' Rating Index
88/99
Readers' Rating Index
96/99
Scholars' Citation Index
84/99
Volume of Reviews
64/99
Volume of Reader Ratings
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
A searing portrait of the racial dynamics that lie inescapably at the heart of our nation, told through the turbulent history of the city of St. Louis.From Lewis and Clark's 1804 expedition to the 2014 uprising in Ferguson, American history has been made in St. Louis. And as Walter Johnson shows in this searing book, the city exemplifies how imperialism, racism, and capitalism have persistently entwined to corrupt the nation's past. St. Louis was a staging post for Indian removal and imperial expansion, and its wealth grew on the backs of its poor black residents, from slavery through redlining and urban renewal. But it was once also America's most radical city, home to anti-capitalist immigrants, the Civil War's first general emancipation, and the nation's first general strike -- a legacy of resistance that endures. A blistering history of a city's rise and decline, The Broken Heart of America will forever change how we think about the United States.
Reviews
"Johnson offers plenty of evidence from the current century, as well, including the police murder of Michael Brown in the suburb of Ferguson."
"Louis treated Native Americans and then Blacks, a pattern he sees as relevant to us all ..."
"Johnson is a spirited and skillful rhetorician, juggling a profusion of historical facts while never allowing the flame of his anger to dim."
"Louis has been the crucible of American history,' and his celebration of the city's defiant black culture heightens the book's potency."
"He vividly describes...neighborhoods, personalities, and historical conflicts while emphasizing how segregation, disinvestment, and race-based economic extraction eventually set the stage for Ferguson ..."
"a striking illustration of the connections of militarism and racism."
"Louis was at the forefront of this bitter struggle ..."
"Once slavery is positioned as the foundational institution of American capitalism, the country's subsequent history can be depicted as an extension of this basic dynamic."
Preview
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!