American History II Research Guide

A history of the first civil rights movement and the origins of race in America. By revisiting the Reconstruction era, a turning point in the evolution of America's racial system, The Accident of Color brings to life a moment from our distant past that illuminates the origins of the racial lies we live by

Before Rosa Parks and the March on Washington, four African American women risked their careers and freedom to defy the United States Army over segregation. This book sheds light on the experiences of World War II Black Women Army Corps (WAC) Privates who resisted racial discrimination and asserted their place as female military personnel.

From the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation to the first woman to wear pants on the Senate floor, author Bridget Quinn shines a spotlight on the women who broke down barriers to voting. She Votes is an intersectional story of the women who won suffrage, and those who have continued to raise their voices for equality ever since.

This book presents first-hand accounts, oral histories, and a wealth of underground newspapers, posters, flyers, and photographs documenting the actions of GIs and veterans who took part in the Vietnam war resistance.

In a deeply divided post-pandemic America, Keith Boykin examines how the fear of a changing demographic landscape has fueled the Republican Party's resistance, while also addressing divisions within the Democratic Party. Boykin calls for a national reckoning with racism and inequality to unite the country.

This book spotlights the vital role of African American women in the Harlem Renaissance, a transformative period for Black creative and intellectual expression. It profiles the most influential female figures who made significant contributions to this cultural movement.

Empire's Tracks reframes the history of the transcontinental railroad from the perspectives of migrant Chinese railroad workers and the Cheyenne, Lakota, and Pawnee Native American tribes. In this book, Manu Karuka situates the railroad within the violent global histories of colonialism and capitalism.

Threatening Property examines the conflicting views on residential segregation among white supremacists in early-twentieth-century North Carolina. It highlights the class divisions that prevented the widespread implementation of segregation, revealing how middle-class whites sought to protect property values, while elites resisted to maintain their Black workers, offering insight into the complex dynamics of white supremacy during that era.

Vanishing America reveals how wilderness preservation efforts became entangled with racial anxieties. Namely, many early conservationists embraced scientific racism, eugenics, and restrictive immigration laws as solutions for environmental conservation. This book examines the consequences of their racial prejudices.

This book reexamines the women's suffrage movement in the United States, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of diverse activists like Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin and Mabel Ping-Hua Lee who pushed for a more inclusive vision of equal rights. This book sheds light on the unfinished struggle for women's rights beyond the Nineteenth Amendment's ratification, offering a new perspective on this pivotal historical moment.

This book explores the impact of African Americans' involvement in the U.S. military from World War II to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It delves into how their experiences with war and discrimination fueled antiwar activism and reshaped their fight for civil rights and equality.