Manifest Destiny: American Expansion and the Empire of Right (Hill and Wang Critical Issues)
Stephanson (Kennan and the Art of Foreign Policy, Harvard Univ. Pr., 1989) turns his attention to an era not adequately covered in monographic form since Frederick Merk's Manifest Destiny and Mission in American History (1963). He traces the roots of manifest destiny from the British settlement of North America and the rise of Puritanism through Woodrow Wilson's efforts to "make the world safe for democracy" and Ronald Reagan's struggle against the "evil empire" of the Soviet Union. While earlier titles focus on the antebellum period of this misunderstood era of American history, Stephanson's work assumes a comprehensive perspective in a relatively slim volume. Unlike previous works, it emphasizes the role of Christianity as a principal ideological driving point. No footnotes are included, but there is a useful bibliographic essay. Overall, this is a good, innovative treatment of the topic. Highly recommended.?Daniel Liestman, Seattle Pacific Univ. Lib.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.