America at 250: UC Press books examine history, justice and change
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This July 4, the United States will mark 250 years since the Declaration of Independence — a milestone that invites both celebration and reflection.
At a time when public conversations about American history can feel especially contested, UC Press is recognizing the anniversary by highlighting UC-published titles that examine the past in all its complexity, including moments that are difficult to revisit. From histories of racism and inequality to questions of labor, justice and democracy, these books help readers better understand the forces that have shaped our country — and the work still ahead.
Explore the America 250 book list
Challenging the Myths of US History: Seven Short Essays on the Past and Present
Historian Marc Egnal reexamines some of the most familiar stories in U.S. history, from the Revolution and Civil War to Vietnam, women’s rights and the rise of Donald Trump. In seven pithy and provocative essays, he explores how power, expansion and racism have shaped the American story, inviting readers to question old assumptions and see the past in a new way.
American Peril: The Violent History of Anti-Asian Racism
Drawing on 35 years of research and activism, scholar-activist Scott Kurashige traces anti-Asian violence from the exclusion era to the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing a history shaped by white supremacy, misogyny and colonial power. By connecting domestic and global events, some of which were erased from the official record, “American Peril” highlights generations of Asian American protest and the power of collective memory, grassroots activism and multiracial solidarity.
The Middle-Class New Deal: Restoring Upward Mobility and the American Dream
The American middle class did not happen by accident — and its decline was not inevitable. In this New York Times bestseller featured on “The Daily Show,” finance and legal scholar A. Mechele Dickerson reveals how policy choices built economic security, only to weaken it for millions of families. Clear, urgent and deeply personal, this book offers a bold path toward rebuilding opportunity for everyday Americans.
Slavery and Capitalism: A New Marxist History
History scholar David McNally draws upon Marxist theory to reexamine Atlantic slavery, arguing that plantations were not separate from capitalism but central to its rise. Drawing on planter records, travel writing and narratives by enslaved people, he shows how struggles for freedom were also struggles over labor, reshaping our understanding of resistance, capitalism and the roots of racial inequality.
Black Gold: The Rise, Reign and Fall of American Coal
Coal has warmed homes, powered railroads, fueled the Industrial Revolution and helped shape America’s cities. But its legacy also carries a darker story of exploitation, labor conflict, deadly violence and environmental harm. In this clear and timely account, journalist Bob Wyss reveals how coal helped build the nation — and how its consequences still shape the climate crisis.
Better Judgment: How Three Judges Are Bringing Justice Back to the Courts
For many Americans, a trial courtroom is the first and only place to seek accountability. Blending legal research, archival records and extensive interviews, Pulitzer Prize finalist and journalist Reynolds Holding explores how access to the courts has narrowed over time and what it would take to restore it. The result is a vivid, hopeful account of the judiciary’s role in protecting ordinary people and strengthening democracy.
America, Goddam: Violence, Black Women, and the Struggle for Justice
Blending history, theory, memoir and Black feminist analysis, historian Treva B. Lindsey examines how anti-Blackness, misogyny, patriarchy and capitalism shape the lives of Black women and girls in the United States. With a title inspired by Nina Simone’s searing protest song, this powerful account demonstrates how Black women and girls have confronted violence, demanded justice and helped shape generations of Black liberation movements.
More great reads
UC Press publishes two book series focused on our country’s current history: “American Crossroads,” which explores race and ethnicity in the United States across past and present, and “American Studies Now,” a series of short, timely books on the political and cultural issues shaping public conversation today.
Taken together, these UC Press publications help readers better understand the past — and consider what kind of country we want to build next.
About UC Press
Based at the Office of the President in Oakland, UC Press publishes 40 journals and about 180-200 books each year across the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences, with a strong focus on social justice. Learn more about UC Press.