About this item
"We the People." The Constitution begins with those deceptively simple words, but how do Americans define that "We"? In We the People, Ben Railton argues that throughout our history two competing yet interconnected concepts have battled to define our national identity and community: exclusionary and inclusive visions of who gets to be an American.From the earliest moments of European contact with indigenous peoples, through the Revolutionary period's debates on African American slavery, 19th century conflicts over Indian Removal, Mexican landowners, and Chinese immigrants, 20th century controversies around Filipino Americans and Japanese internment, and 21st century fears of Muslim Americans, time and again this defining battle has shaped our society and culture.
About the Author
Ben Railton is Professor of English Studies and Director of American Studies at Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. He has written six books, with the most recent, Of Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism, forthcoming in January 2021. But his proudest productions are pictured here!
