American Yawp / Feedback

The word “the” is written twice in a row:

As part of the the armistice, Allied forces followed the retreating Germans and occupied territories in the Rhineland to prevent Germany from reigniting war.

“Prostitutes and con men could look like regular honest Americans.”

Equating sex workers to con men is distasteful in our current social state. Sex work is still work and should be respected as such. Making sex workers the antonym of “regular honest Americans” is distasteful.

I would suggest just saying con men and leaving “prostitutes” out so you don’t disrespect sex work in order to get the point communicated.

I think it would be more accurate to say “human decisions” here rather than “human action.” Methodists, Baptists, and most other Protestant groups emphasized the role of belief, not behavior, in salvation (though behavior was seen as a product of belief) — the conversion experience or moment of commitment was prioritized over actions.

It seems somewhat relevant that the US ambassador to Mexico before Woodrow Wilson came in office was a supporter of Huerta/tacitly encouraging Madero’s removal due in part to Madero refusing to listen to US orders.

“Divine Wind” is invoked for Kamikazes and the old storm that saved Japan from Kublai Khan, whereas “Protestant Wind” is typically the go-to phrase for the storm that engulfed the Spanish Armada.

I think, Snyder, Christine. Slavery in Indian Country: The Changing Face of Captivity in Early America.  Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2010. would be a great addition to this section! 

I agree that more on Puerto Rico. My students get a lot out of the Philippines information and documents. I would love to see similar inclusions for Puerto Rico, either here or in a later chapter.

Spellling error. In 2nd part of sentence, ‘ Rose Cohen was born in Russia in 1880 as Rahel Golub. She immigrated to the United States in 1892 and lived in a Russian Jewish neighborhood in New York’s Lower East Side. Her, she writes about her encounter with the world outside of her ethnic neighborhood.’. It should be ‘Here’ not ‘Her’

As a college student and enthusiastic book-lover of all genres, this is the worst history book I have ever read. Yawp is the perfect word for it. It’s incomprehensible yodeling; American Yawp exasperates me. Despite the fact that the history of America is fascinating, this book basically collects each important name, something those people did, and the year they did it in and drops those facts onto the page in a manner that tries to sound intelligent. Where is the STORY in hiSTORY???

I am disappointed that my college chose this textbook… how do I survive a whole semester with this? Now I am going to have to double my assigned reading each week because I need something to supplement what American Yawp is refusing to give me.

More context for almost every topic mentioned in this book is needed. Please stop jumping around all over the place. And I’m begging you; please make it more memorable. Your readers need to be at least 1% interested, or the book is worthless and the information unhelpful. Historical information is already hard enough to memorize. Please don’t leave me wondering what on earth I just read after every chapter.

I think it should be mentioned that las Casas solution to the mistreatment of indigenous peoples was the importation and enslavement of Africans.

Also – flipping between Spanish and European is confusing for some of my students. Let’s be honest – most Americans have little knowledge of geography and may not realize that Spain is part of Europe.