Summary

The introduction defines 1919 as "one of the most remarkable and important years in the history of the United States" (4). The events and issues of this year that the forthcoming book will cover include women's suffrage, race riots, reactions to the alleged threat of Communism, advancements in technology, labor rights, a sports scandal, Prohibition, and the Great Molasses Flood. From our current vantage point one hundred years later, one can look back on 1919 and see how the events of that year shaped the future of the United States. As author Martin W. Sandler writes: "learning from important events in our past leads not only to an understanding of where we are today, but also to an appreciation of how much progress is yet to be made" (6).

Analysis

This introduction provides an overview of the topics and events that will be discussed in the rest of...