{"product_id":"pennsylvania-a-history-of-the-commonwealth-9780271022147","title":"Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Keystone State  so nicknamed because it was geographically situated in the middle of the thirteen original colonies and played a crucial role in the founding of the United States  has remained at the heart of American history. Created partly as a safe haven for people from all walks of life  Pennsylvania is today the home of diverse cultures  religions  ethnic groups  social classes  and occupations. Many ideas  institutions  and interests that were first formed or tested in Pennsylvania spread across America and beyond  and continue to inform American culture  society  and politics. This book tells that storyand more. It recenters Pennsylvania in the American historical narrative. Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth offers fresh perspectives on the Keystone State from an array of distinguished scholars who view the history of this Commonwealth critically and honestly  using the latest and best scholarship to give a modern account of Pennsylvanias past. They do so by emphasizing the evolution of Pennsylvania as a place and an idea. The book  the first comprehensive history of Pennsylvania in almost three decades  sets the Pennsylvania story in the larger context of national social  cultural  economic  and political development. Without sacrificing treatment of the influential leaders who made Pennsylvania history  the book focuses especially on the lives of everyday people over the centuries. It also magnifies historical events by examining the experiences of local communities throughout the state. Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth is divided into two parts. Part I offers a narrative history of the Commonwealth  paying special attention to the peopling process (the movement of people into  around  and out from the state); the ways people defined and defended communities; the forms of economic production; the means of transportation and communication; the character  content  and consequences of peoples values; and the political cultures that emerged from the kinds of society  economy  and culture each period formed and sustained. Part II offers a series of \"Ways to Pennsylvanias Past\"nine concise guides designed to enable readers to discover Pennsylvanias heritage for themselves. Geography  architecture  archaeology  folklore and folklife  genealogy  photography  art  oral history  and literature are all discussed as methods of uncovering and understanding the past. Each chapter is especially attuned to Pennsylvanias place in the larger American context  and a Foreword  Introduction  and Epilogue to Part I explore general themes throughout the states history. An important feature of the book is the large selection of illustrationsmore than 400 prints  maps  photographs  and paintings carefully chosen from repositories across the state and beyond  to show how Pennsylvanians have lived  worked  and played through the centuries. This book is the result of a unique collaboration between Penn State Press and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC)  the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together they gathered scholars from all over the Commonwealth to envision a new history of the Keystone State and commit their resources to make imagining and writing a new history possible.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45495967318069,"sku":"ByrdShop_0271022140","price":37.43,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780271022147.jpg?v=1780904530","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/pennsylvania-a-history-of-the-commonwealth-9780271022147","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}