What Hath God Wrought

The Transformation of America, 1815 - 1848

By: Daniel Walker Howe

Narrated by: Patrick Cullen

Pulitzer Prize, History, 2008

In this addition to the esteemed Oxford History of the United States series, 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.

Howe's panoramic narrative - weaving together social, economic, and cultural history with political and military events - culminates in the controversial but brilliantly executed war against Mexico that gained California and Texas for America.

Please note: The individual volumes of the series have not been published in historical order. What Hath God Wrought is number V in The Oxford History of the United States.

Listen to more of the definitive Oxford History of the United States.©2007 Oxford University Press, Inc. (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the most outstanding syntheses of U.S. history published this decade." ( Publishers Weekly)
"He is a genuine rarity: an English intellectual who not merely writes about the United States but actually understands it." ( Washington Post)
"A stunning synthesis....it is a rare thing to encounter a book so magisterial and judicious and also so compelling." ( Chicago Tribune)

Stunning history book

From the opening dedication to the final word of the narration, I found this book to be without equal as a history of a time period. It covers all aspects of American life from the close of the War of 1812 to the end of the Mexican War. Because of the scope of coverage, one learns of the religious, political, economic, and technological advances and other changes shaping the era.
Howe dedicates the book to John Quincy Adams and I have a new admiration for him. I found it difficult to hold Jackson in esteem; the development of the Democratic Party I found saddening but certainly inevitable.
I have listened to this book three times now and expect I'll do it again as each listening gives me new insight and appreciation for just how much our forefathers accomplished.
I bought the book for my son as a gift and I do look forward to being able to discuss it with him.

Comprehensive and very interesting

very comprehensive and thorough overview of American history from 1812 to 1848. It filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge of our past.

Surprising and sweeping

For anyone with the vague recollections of history class — that there was a war in 1812, the Native Americans were forced off their land, and settlers gradually rolled west to Oregon — this is a revealing look at how much of modern America was defined in a short period before the Civil War. From negotiating with Spain and England for parts of Florida and Maine, to inventing the telegraph, building factories and canals, to early American literature and the occupation of Mexico, it was a revolutionary time.

U.S. History 1815-1848

I have now read the first three volumes of the Oxford Series on U.S. History and this is the best of the three. Howe does an excellent job of explaining all of the drastic political changes that occurred during this period, particularly after 1828. This work may change your thinking about Presidents Jackson, Van Buren, Tyler and Polk. Most revealing is how Polk lied the nation into the Mexican War and how he deliberately hampered generals Taylor and Scott (both Whigs) because he saw them as potential presidential candidates in 1848. Even though, Polk had pledged to serve only one term, he wanted to keep the presidency for the Democrats. He even sabotaged his own treaty representative, Nicholas Trist.

Excellent !

Loved this book

One of the few sweeping histories that is well written

The recording has some odd editing breaks that were distracting until I got used to them

An Amazing Work of History

This book is another outstanding contribution in the great Oxford series on American history. It takes a period that is normally treated only in passing and presents it with so much richness of story and insight that the narrative seems to overflow with life and meaning. From technological transformations, such as the telegraph, to a rich an compelling assessment of Andrew Jackson; from the fertile Second Great Awakening to war with Mexico; from Indian wars to early women's rights initiatives--this book is interesting in the stories it tells and impressive in its overall intellectual structure. One minor quibble is that the pace of narration seems sometimes to be too fast, not lingering quite long enough to let one point sink in before charging forward with the story. But the book provides a rich and rewarding insight into a formative era of American history, and I am about to listen to it again.

Learned so many things

Read about this piece of history and found so much that is still true today.

Stunning overview of a distant yet similar era

This is a great but dense overview of American history not for the faint of heart. It grapples with the political transformation of America from an agricultural republic to a diverse democracy, the effects of the transportation revolutions, remarkable social progress by abolitionists, women, and evangelicals, and so much more

Great book, but slight overkill on religion imo

It was very clear and thorough just like the rest of this series. I enjoyed it very much. My only complaint on this one is the sheer amount of time spent on all the religious stuff. I personally got tired of hearing about all the similarities and differences of the endless branches of religions popping up everywhere. I know it was important for the time though, so perhaps it needed to be discussed as much

An often overlooked peroid of U.S. history

A well reseached and nicely presented account of an often overlooked period of U.S. history.