The American reader
The American Reader is a stirring anthology that celebrates our diverse and multifaceted culture in prose and verse. Through the years, these words have inspired, delighted, chastened and sometimes enraged the citizens of the United States. The two hundred poems, speeches, songs, essays, letters, and documents in this volume were chosen both for their literary excellence and historical significance. Inspiring and eloquent, these classic writings reflect the part that all Americans have played in creating the nation’s character. Diane Ravitch, a historian of education, is a research professor at New York University, holds the Brown Chair in Education Studies at the Brookings Institution, and