Showing results by author "Daniel Hardy" in All Categories

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Vermount From independent republic to progressive beacon, Vermont's story is unlike any other in American history. This comprehensive narrative traces the Green Mountains from their ancient geological formation through the Abenaki nations who first called them home, to the rowdy Green Mountain Boys who defended their land grants against New York, to the modern state that has become a laboratory for environmental protection and social innovation. Vermont spent fourteen years as a sovereign nation with its own currency, postal service, and constitution...

A Sweeping History Of The Great State Of South Dakota South Dakota is a place of stark contradictions: carved presidential faces gazing out from sacred Lakota land, booming cities surrounded by emptying small towns, and a frontier mythology that obscures as much as it illuminates. In this sweeping narrative history, the Mount Rushmore State emerges not as a forgotten flyover territory but as a crucible where the central tensions of the American experience have played out with unusual clarity and force. From the Paleo-Indian hunters who stalked mammoths across the ancient prairie to the tech...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Iowa From ancient burial mounds along the Mississippi to towering wind turbines across the prairie, Iowa's story is one of constant transformation and enduring resilience. In this sweeping narrative, Daniel Hardy traces the remarkable journey of the Hawkeye State from its earliest Native American inhabitants through its emergence as America's agricultural heartland and into its modern role as a leader in renewable energy and presidential politics. Hardy masterfully weaves together the grand sweep of history with intimate human stories—from the ...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Ohio From ancient earthworks to modern battleground elections, Ohio's story is America's story. This sweeping narrative traces the arc of a state that has always stood at the center of the nation's most crucial transformations—from frontier wilderness to industrial powerhouse, from Underground Railroad routes to civil rights struggles, from canal-era boom to Rust Belt decline and uncertain renaissance. Ohio produced eight presidents, invented the airplane and the light bulb, built the steel and rubber that powered American industry, and became the ...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of North Carolina. From the mystery of the Lost Colony to the Research Triangle revolution, North Carolina's story defies simple narratives. This is a state that was last to join the Union and last to leave it, a place that perfected both Jim Crow segregation and progressive education reform, where tobacco fields and technology campuses coexist uneasily. The Tar Heel State traces North Carolina's journey from colonial backwater to sunbelt powerhouse, exploring how geography shaped three distinct regions into one fractious whole. It examines the state's ...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Maryland From the Chesapeake Bay's ancient shores to the corridors of modern Washington, Maryland has stood at the crossroads of American history for nearly four centuries. In this compelling entry in The Hardy Histories of the States of America series, discover how a small colony founded on religious tolerance became one of the nation's most influential states. The Old Line State traces Maryland's remarkable journey from the Piscataway and Nanticoke peoples through Lord Baltimore's Catholic haven to today's high-tech powerhouse. Witness the birth of...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of South Carolina From the rice plantations of the colonial Lowcountry to the textile mills of the twentieth century, from the first shots of the Civil War to the struggle for civil rights, South Carolina's story has been central to the American experience. This comprehensive history traces the Palmetto State from its Native American inhabitants through its transformation into a twenty-first century crossroads of the New South. The Palmetto State explores how South Carolina became one of colonial America's wealthiest provinces through the brutal ...

A panoramic history of the great state of Arizona Explore the rich, complex history of Arizona from prehistoric times to the present day in Daniel Hardy's vivid new chronicle, The Grand Canyon State. This sweeping narrative brings Arizona's diverse cultures and landscapes to life in technicolor detail. From the cliff dwellings of ancient indigenous peoples to the boomtowns of the Old West, Hardy paints a panoramic portrait of Arizona as a crossroads shaped by Native American tribes, Spanish conquistadors, Mexican and American frontiersmen, Eastern immigrants and world wars. With a ...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Montana From the ancient hunting grounds of the Blackfeet and Crow nations to the modern battlegrounds over wilderness and development, Montana's story embodies the epic sweep of the American West. In this compelling entry in The Hardy Histories of the States of America series, readers will discover how Big Sky Country evolved from a pristine wilderness into one of America's most mythologized landscapes. The Treasure State chronicles the dramatic human saga that unfolded across Montana's vast plains and towering mountains: Lewis and Clark's ...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of New Hampshire From the raid on Fort William and Mary four months before Lexington and Concord to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary that transforms the state every four years, New Hampshire has always insisted on doing things its own way. This compelling narrative traces the Granite State's evolution from colonial outpost through textile powerhouse to its current identity crisis, exploring how a small, stubborn state has wielded outsized influence in American history. Daniel Hardy chronicles the Amoskeag mills that made Manchester the ...

A Sweeping history of the state of Connecticut. From the Pequot Wars to the rise of insurance giants, Connecticut has played an outsized role in shaping American history despite its modest size. In The Constitution State, historian Daniel Hardy traces the remarkable journey of this New England cornerstone, revealing how a colony founded by religious dissidents became the birthplace of constitutional democracy and industrial innovation. Hardy masterfully weaves together the stories of Connecticut's most pivotal moments: the drafting of the Fundamental Orders in 1639—America's first written...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Oaklahoma Oklahoma's history is short but explosive. In barely more than a century of statehood, this crossroads state has witnessed some of America's most dramatic moments: the forced removal of the Five Civilized Tribes along the Trail of Tears, the chaotic land runs that saw fifty thousand people race for claims in a single day, the devastation of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the ecological catastrophe of the Dust Bowl, and the deadliest act of domestic terrorism before 9/11. But Oklahoma's story is more than a catalog of tragedies. It is a tale of ...

A masterful, concise history of one of the greatest states in America. From the vibrant shorelines of the Gulf Coast to the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Alabama, often known as 'The Yellowhammer State', holds a uniquely colorful place in America's historical tapestry. 'The Yellowhammer State: A History of Alabama' by Daniel Hardy is a compelling journey through this Southern state's rich and intricate past. Hardy brilliantly transports readers to the pivotal moments of Alabama's history, from the early Native American cultures to the era of French and Spanish exploration,...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Michigan From the ancient Anishinaabe peoples who first shaped the landscape to the automotive pioneers who revolutionized the modern world, Michigan's story is one of constant transformation and remarkable resilience. This compelling chronicle traces the state's evolution from wilderness to industrial powerhouse to twenty-first-century innovator, revealing how the Great Lakes have defined both its geography and its character. The Great Lake State brings to life the lumber barons who stripped vast forests to build America, the copper and iron miners ...

From ancient Native American civilizations to the pivotal 2020 elections that reshaped American politics, Georgia's story is nothing short of extraordinary. In The Peach State: A History of Georgia, acclaimed historian Daniel Hardy takes readers on an epic journey through 13,000 years of one of America's most fascinating and complex states. From the sophisticated Mississippian culture at Ocmulgee to the Trail of Tears, from Sherman's devastating March to the Sea to Martin Luther King Jr.'s freedom movement, from Jimmy Carter's rise to the halls of power to Georgia's emergence as today's ...

A sweeping history of the great state of Florida. From the ancient Calusa kingdoms to the modern Marvel of Disney World, Florida has always been a land of transformation. In The Sunshine State, acclaimed historian Daniel Hardy takes readers on an unforgettable journey through America's most captivating peninsula—a place where Spanish conquistadors searched for fountains of youth, where Seminole warriors made their final stand, and where dreamers and schemers have been reinventing paradise for over five centuries. Hardy masterfully weaves together Florida's epic story: the rise and fall of...

A Sweeping Hisotry of the Great State of Maine From the ancient Wabanaki peoples who first called this rugged coastline home to the contemporary entrepreneurs building technology companies in converted mill towns, Maine's story is one of remarkable resilience, adaptation, and independence. The Pine Tree State traces the fascinating journey of a land shaped by ice ages and defined by its relationship with the sea, following the dramatic transformations that turned a remote frontier into one of America's most distinctive states. This comprehensive history explores Maine's pivotal moments: the...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's story is America's story. From William Penn's radical experiment in religious tolerance to the furnaces that forged a nation's steel, from the battlefield at Gettysburg to the factories that armed democracy, this commonwealth has stood at the center of every chapter in the American narrative. In this sweeping history, Daniel Hardy traces Pennsylvania's journey from indigenous homeland through colonial diversity, revolutionary crucible, and industrial dominance to post-industrial reinvention. Here are the dreamers and the ...

In "The Frontier State: A History of Alaska," acclaimed historian Daniel Hardy invites readers to journey through the untamed wilderness and enduring spirit of America's Last Frontier. Hardy takes us from the ancient footsteps of the first Indigenous tribes, through the tumultuous gold rush era, into the strategic importance of World War II, and up to the contemporary battles over oil, environment, and indigenous rights. This is not just a history of Alaska; it's a tribute to its people. Hardy brings to life the grit, tenacity, and courage of the pioneers, miners, fishermen, soldiers, and ...

A Sweeping History of the Great State of Louisiana From the indigenous nations who first shaped the Mississippi Delta to the oil workers and civil rights activists who transformed modern Louisiana, The Bayou State tells the remarkable story of America's most culturally distinctive state. This comprehensive narrative reveals how French colonists, Spanish administrators, enslaved Africans, and waves of immigrants created a unique society where different worlds collided and merged into something entirely new. Author [Name] traces Louisiana's journey from colonial outpost to economic powerhouse...