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Bibliographic Information
- Title
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The end of the myth : from the frontier to the border wall in the mind of America
First edition.
- Author
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Grandin, Greg, 1962-
- Publisher:
- Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt and Company,
- Pub date:
- 2019.
- Pages:
- xii, 369 pages :
- ISBN:
- 9781250179821
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Item info:
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1 copy available in
Adult nonfiction shelves.
1 copy total in all locations.
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Holdings
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973 GRA
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1
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Adult non-fic hardcover
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Adult nonfiction shelves
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Enriched Content
The end of the myth : from the frontier to the border wall in the mind of America
First edition.
Grandin, Greg, 1962-
Quick Links
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MARC Record
The end of the myth : from the frontier to the border wall in the mind of America
First edition.
Grandin, Greg, 1962-
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Personal Author:
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Grandin, Greg, 1962-
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Title:
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The end of the myth : from the frontier to the border wall in the mind of America / Greg Grandin.
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Edition:
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First edition.
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Physical description:
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xii, 369 pages : maps ; 25 cm
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Contents:
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Introduction. Fleeing forward -- All that space -- The alpha and the omega -- A Caucasian democracy -- The safety valve -- Are you ready for all these wars? -- The true relief -- The outer edge -- The pact of 1898 -- A fortress on the frontier -- A psychological twist -- A golden harvest -- Some demonic suction tube -- More, more, more -- The new preëmptor -- Crossing the blood meridian -- Epilogue. The significance of the wall in American history.
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Summary:
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"Ever since this nation's founding, the idea of an open and ever-expanding frontier has been central to American identity. Symbolizing a future of endless promise, the frontier made possible the United States' belief in itself as an exceptional nation -- democratic, individualistic, forward-looking. Today, though, the country has a new symbol: the border wall. In [this book], acclaimed historian Greg Grandin explores the effect that constant, relentless expansion had on America's domestic politics, examining the full sweep of U.S. history -- from the American Revolution to the Spanish-American War, the New Deal to the election of 2016. For centuries, he shows, the ability to move outward -- fighting wars and opening markets -- provided America with a "gate of escape," helping to deflect domestic political and economic conflicts. But this deflection meant that the country's problems, from racism to inequality, were never confronted directly. And now, the combined catastrophes of the 2008 financial meltdown, our unwinnable wars in the Middle East, and a deepening ecological crisis have slammed this gate shut, bringing political passions that had long been directed elsewhere back home. It is this new reality, Grandin says, that explains the rise of reactionary populism and racist nationalism, the extreme anger and polarization that catapulted Trump to the presidency. The border wall may or may not be built, but it will survive as a rallying point, an allegorical tombstone marking the end of American exceptionalism."--Dust jacket flap.
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Personal subject:
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Turner, Frederick Jackson, 1861-1932--Criticism and interpretation.
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Subject term:
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Frontier thesis.
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Subject term:
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Borderlands--United States.
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Subject term:
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National characteristics, American.
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Subject term:
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Exceptionalism--United States.
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Subject term:
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Nationalism--United States--History--20th century.
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Geographic term:
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Mexican-American Border Region--Public opinion.
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Geographic term:
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United States--Politics and government--2017-
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Geographic term:
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United States.
