A Nation Rising

The first half of the 19th century is a critical but often overlooked period in United States history. Between 1800 and 1850, the size of the country rapidly expanded, and the population nearly quintupled. New technologies, including trains, the telegraph, and steamships radically changed daily life. Sadly, it was also an era that set the stage for the American Civil War, which would nearly destroy the new nation.

In A Nation Rising, Kenneth C. Davis examines six events from the early 19th century that have been overlooked by history, but would have a dramatic impact on the nation’s future course. Aaron Burr’s 1807 treason trial, a slave mutiny on board the ship The Creole, and clashes between Native Americans and the U.S. government are all featured in this accessible and in-depth analysis of one of the most eventful but least understood times in the nation’s history.

Kennneth C. Davis is the author of America’s Hidden History and Don’t Know Much About History, which spent thirty-five consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and gave rise to his phenomenal Don’t Know Much About series for adults and children. Davis appears frequently in the media, has written for publications that include the New York Times and Newsday, and has also contributed to NPR’s “All Things Considered.” He often speaks at schools, museums, and libraries.

“[M]errily removes the whitewash from an often-bland concept of the past, peeling people from their statues with tales of how some of the most famous Americans of whom you never heard shaped our nation.” — Associated Press