A Nation Without Borders: The United States and Its World in an Age of Civil Wars, 1830-1910

A Nation Without Borders: The United States and Its World in an Age of Civil Wars, 1830-1910 by Steven Hahn

From 1830 to 1910, the United States underwent great changes. At the start it was mostly a small agglomeration of rural residents that valued their independence. After many conflicts, the Us emerged in the early 20th century as a unified country that was a significant player on the international stage.

This book is a focussed, yet broad history. There are many histories of small periods, such as the civil war. There are also many covering the entire history of the United States. This focus of an extended time of change is much more rare. There is probably a reason why. This book feels like it is telling a number of different stories without a strong theme tying things together. The author tries, but a theme of "change" is a little tough. In some ways it is a Civil War book, with clear context of the history leading to the war as well as the results after the war.