Remaking America: Public Memory, Commemoration, and Patriotism in the Twentieth Century
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In a compelling inquiry into public events ranging from the building of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial through ethnic community fairs to pioneer celebrations, John Bodnar explores the stories, ideas, and symbols behind American commemorations over the last century. Such forms of historical consciousness, he argues, do not necessarily preserve the past but rather address serious political matters in the present. Publishers Weekly Ideally, public recognition of a national past would include society's diverse elements in commemorative activities. Or so asserts University of Indiana history professor Bodnar in this relevant, readable social history. But as he tells it, the rise of an American industrial and cultural elite during the 20th century was accompanied by consolidation of a nation-state, federally strengthened by the two world wars and by the Cold War. The author charges that the U.S. employs symbols of ``pride and patriotism'' with which it seeks to unite citizens and preserve the political interests of its dominant social and economic class. However, notes Bodner, official interpretation of the past and present is now being challenged by racial, immigrant ethnic, regional and local interests, and by others seeking personal identification within the public memory. ``The present,'' the author concludes, ``is no longer seen as something that emerged neatly and purposefully from the past.'' Illustrations not seen by PW. (Feb.)
List of IllustrationsPrefacePrologue: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial3Ch. 1The Memory Debate: An Introduction13Ch. 2Public Memory in Nineteenth-Century America: Background and Context21Ch. 3The Construction of Ethnic Memory41Ch. 4Commemoration in the City: Indianapolis and Cleveland78Ch. 5Memory in the Midwest before World War II113Ch. 6Memory in the Midwest after World War II138Ch. 7The National Park Service and History169Ch. 8Celebrating the Nation, 1961-1976206Conclusion: Subcultures and the Regime245Notes255A Note on Sources285Index289
