
Inventing the "American Way"
The Politics of Consensus from the New Deal to the Civil Rights Movement
Wendy Wall(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 5. November 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-0-19-539240-1 (ISBN)
Description
In the wake of World War II, Americans developed an unusually deep and all-encompassing national unity, as postwar affluence and the Cold War combined to naturally produce a remarkable level of agreement about the nation's core values. Or so the story has long been told. Inventing the "American Way" challenges this vision of inevitable consensus. Americans, as Wendy Wall argues in this innovative book, were united, not so much by identical beliefs, as by a shared conviction that a distinctive "American Way" existed and that the affirmation of such common ground was essential to the future of the nation. Moreover, the roots of consensus politics lie not in the Cold War era, but in the turbulent decade that preceded U.S. entry into World War II. The social and economic chaos of the Depression years alarmed a diverse array of groups, as did the rise of two "alien" ideologies: fascism and communism. In this context, Americans of divergent backgrounds and beliefs seized on the notion of a unifying "American Way" and sought to convince their fellow citizens of its merits.
Wall traces the competing efforts of business groups, politicians, leftist intellectuals, interfaith proponents, civil rights activists, and many others over nearly three decades to shape public understandings of the "American Way." Along the way, she explores the politics behind cultural productions ranging from The Adventures of Superman to the Freedom Train that circled the nation in the late 1940s. She highlights the intense debate that erupted over the term "democracy" after World War II, and identifies the origins of phrases such as "free enterprise" and the "Judeo-Christian tradition" that remain central to American political life. By uncovering the culture wars of the mid-twentieth century, this book sheds new light on a period that proved pivotal for American national identity and that remains the unspoken backdrop for debates over multiculturalism, national unity, and public values today.
Wall traces the competing efforts of business groups, politicians, leftist intellectuals, interfaith proponents, civil rights activists, and many others over nearly three decades to shape public understandings of the "American Way." Along the way, she explores the politics behind cultural productions ranging from The Adventures of Superman to the Freedom Train that circled the nation in the late 1940s. She highlights the intense debate that erupted over the term "democracy" after World War II, and identifies the origins of phrases such as "free enterprise" and the "Judeo-Christian tradition" that remain central to American political life. By uncovering the culture wars of the mid-twentieth century, this book sheds new light on a period that proved pivotal for American national identity and that remains the unspoken backdrop for debates over multiculturalism, national unity, and public values today.
Reviews / Votes
Wall's book is a valuable study, clearly the product of many years' work, covering a lot of ground and filled with well-considered judgments. She has gone a long way in investigating exactly how various constituencies sought to shape Americans' understanding of their own political culture in the middle years of the twentieth century. * Doug Rossinow, Reviews in American History *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
15 black and white halftones
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
672 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-539240-1 (9780195392401)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Wendy L. Wall
Inventing the "American Way"
The Politics of Consensus from the New Deal to the Civil Rights Movement
E-Book
09/2009
OUP eBook
€19.99
Available for download

Wendy Wall
Inventing the "American Way"
The Politics of Consensus from the New Deal to the Civil Rights Movement
Book
02/2008
1st Edition
Oxford University Press Inc
€97.40
Shipment within 15-20 days

Wendy L. Wall
Inventing the "American Way"
The Politics of Consensus from the New Deal to the Civil Rights Movement
E-Book
01/2008
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€19.99
Available for download
Person
Wendy L. Wall is an Assistant Professor of History at Colgate University. She was previously a reporter for the Wall Street Journal.
Content
Introduction ; PART I: ENEMIES AT HOME AND ABROAD (1935-1941) ; 1. "Are We a Nation?" ; 2. Industrial Democracy vs. Free Enterprise ; 3. In Search of Common Ground ; PART II: THE POLITICS OF UNITY DURING WORLD WAR II (1942-1945) ; 4. The Spectre of "Divide and Conquer" ; 5. "The House I Live In" ; PART III: SHAPING A COLD WAR CONSENSUS (1946-1955) ; 6. United America ; 7. The Freedom Train ; 8. Crusading for Freedom at Home and Abroad ; Conclusion: The Limits of Consensus ; Notes