In this addition to the esteemed Oxford History of the United States, historian Daniel Walker Howe illuminates the period from the Battle of New Orleans to the end of the Mexican-American War, an era of revolutionary improvements in transportation and communications that accelerated America's expansion and prompted the rise of mass political parties. He examines the rise of Andrew Jackson and his Democratic party, but contends that John Quincy Adams and other advocates of public education, economic integration, and the rights of blacks, women and Indians were the true prophets of America's future.

As part of the Oxford History of the United States series, this volume is a portrait of an era that saw dramatic transformations in American life. The author illuminates the period from the battle of New Orleans to the end of the Mexican-American War, an era when the United States expanded to the Pacific and won control over the richest part of the North American continent. This narrative portrays revolutionary improvements in transportation and communications that accelerated the extension of the American empire. Railroads, canals, newspapers, and the telegraph dramatically lowered travel times and spurred the spread of information. These innovations prompted the emergence of mass political parties and stimulated America's economic development from an overwhelmingly rural country to a diversified economy in which commerce and industry took their place alongside agriculture. In his story, the author weaves together political and military events with social, economic, and cultural histo