I was initially skeptical of Simon Winchester's organization of the origins of this country around the five classical elements (wood, earth, water, fire, metal). However, upon finishing The Men Who United the States, I will say that it worked. It really, really worked and it's hard to envision to better framework to tie together such disparate seeming developments as Lewis & Clark's expedition, the interstate system, and television.
Winchester works his way forward, from Jefferson's charge to Merriwether Lewis through the building of the canals, then the railways, the roads, and aviation, transportationally speaking, to the telegraph, radio, television, internet, in terms of communication. Indeed, this book is the story of the country's connection both physically and culturally. Many of those he profiles have long graced the pages of elementary social studies books: Lewis & Clark, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, for example, but many others have otherwise been lost to time. Henry McKinley built the first road in America, a turnpike out of Cumberland, Maryland. DeWitt Clinton, mayor of New York City, owns much responsibility for the Erie Canal. And so on and so forth.
Winchester includes great imagery of the American West, particularly when he writes of the railways and the roads. The book is filled with photographs, documents, and maps that give further life to his writing. He also intersperses the historical storytelling with more modern stories of how own travels in America. Occasionally, he seems rather too pleased with himself (as when relating a treacherous crossing of the Donner Pass), but the stories do serve to illustrate the changes to various regions and technologies.
Ultimately, The Men Who United the States is best enjoyed by history buffs, but if you're looking for a refresher course on much of U.S. history (from Pocahontas to Ike and beyond), you won't be disappointed.
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