This fascinating study examines the meteoric career of a vigorous intellectual movement rising out of the Age of Jackson. As Americans argued over their destiny in the decades preceding the Civil War, an outspoken new generation of "ultra-democratic" writers entered the fray, staking out positions on politics, literature, art, and any other territory they could annex. They called themselves Young America--and they proclaimed a "Manifest Destiny" to push back frontiers in every category of achievement. Their swagger found a natural home in New York City, already bursting at the seams and ready to take on the world. Young America's mouthpiece was the Democratic Review, a highly influential magazine funded by the Democratic Party and edited by the brash and charismatic John O'Sullivan. The Review offered a fresh voice in political journalism, and sponsored young writers like Hawthorne and Whitman early in their careers. Melville, too, was influenced by Young America, and provided a running commentary on its many excesses. Despite brilliant promise, the movement fell apart in the 1850s, leaving its original leaders troubled over the darker destiny they had ushered in. Their ambitious generation had failed to rewrite history as promised. Instead, their perpetual agitation helped set the stage for the Civil War. Young America: The Flowering of Democracy in New York City is without question the most complete examination of this captivating and original movement. It also provides the first published biography of its leader, John O'Sullivan, one of America's great rhetoricians. Edward L. Widmer enriches his unique volume by offering a new theory of Manifest Destiny as part of a broader movement of intellectual expansion in nineteenth-century America.

Tales of Young America takes a glimpse of history through the eyes of this amazing storyteller. Read stories of George Washington and his friendship with Benjamin Franklin, tales of Abraham Lincoln like never before, riveting stories of Andrew Jackson that will make you shiver, passionate stories of love between the presidents and their first ladies. This is a great way for young and old to enjoy one of our greatest gifts—our history.

Oliver Optic's 'Vine and Olive; Or, Young America in Spain and Portugal. A Story of Travel and Adventure' is a captivating novel that follows a group of young Americans exploring the landscapes of Spain and Portugal. Optic's descriptive writing style vividly brings to life the cultural richness and historical significance of these countries, making it an immersive reading experience for those interested in travel literature. The book is beautifully written, with detailed accounts of the characters' adventures, making it a valuable addition to the travel fiction genre. Oliver Optic, a pseudonym for William Taylor Adams, was a prolific author known for his adventure stories for young readers. With a background in education, Optic's writing often incorporated moral lessons and values, aiming to educate and entertain his audience. This particular novel reflects Optic's passion for travel and exploration, as well as his expertise in crafting engaging narratives that appeal to a wide range of readers. I highly recommend 'Vine and Olive' to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and travel narratives. Oliver Optic's vivid storytelling and attention to detail make this book a must-read for those seeking a thrilling adventure through the landscapes of Spain and Portugal.

A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature. In this New York Times bestselling novel, two teens—one black, one white—grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension. A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement? There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before. Written in tandem by two award-winning authors, this four-starred reviewed tour de force shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment, the type taken directly from today’s headlines, unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth.