Bloody History of America: Revolution, Race, and War

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” may have been proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but, in pursuing—and defending—those ideals, the United States has witnessed the shedding of much American blood and that of its enemies, too. From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, and from World Wars to the Cold War, conflict and bravery have been a part of America’s history, as has the ill-treatment of its native peoples, slavery, and the persecution of African Americans even after enslavement was abolished. And yet the story of America is also one of religious tolerance and the Pilgrim Fathers, of the rule of law, and of opportunity, as the early pioneers and Gold Rush prospectors risked their lives in venturing west across the continent. In Bloody History of America, Kieron Connolly traces the narrative of this still young nation from the adventurers of the sixteenth century to the soldiers fighting the Islamic State (ISIS) today, from the Salem Witch Trials to the McCarthy-era witch-hunts, from Prohibition to Hollywood excess, and from religious cults to political corruption. Illustrated throughout with 180 captivating paintings, photographs, and illustrations, Bloody History of America is a vivid account of the darker side of the United States.