Since its founding twenty years ago the Journal of Social History has
made substantial contributions to altering the way American historians
look at and interpret their subject. It has served as a central outlet
for new and exciting scholarship in social history, particularly
European and American history but also Asian and Latin American as well.
Under the editorship of Peter N. Stearns, the journal has published
innovative work by many major American historians. Expanding the Past
commemorates and highlights the achievements of the journal by
republishing a selection of the most excellent articles that have
appeared in the journal and that especially illustrate key features and
trends in social history.
These important essays cover issues such as illiteracy, work and gender
roles, the police, kleptomania, immigration, and domesticity. Topics
such as the history of old age, the social history of women, and working
class history are explored. The volume reveals how historians define and
deal with the most recent phenomena such as disease symptoms, the
integration of subject matter to conventional issues like politics, and
an enlargement of the past to embrace new elements. This book is an
introduction to looking at the characteristic topics, methods, and
particular insights of social history.
Collectively, the essays represent some of the most vigorous and
important work in this dynamic field of American historical research.
They serve as an ideal vehicle for those readers who wish to further
their understanding of this distinct approach to the past.
