Primary sources are documents that were recorded or written down at the time an event occurred. Primary sources can include diaries, letters, speeches, photographs, newspaper articles, government documents, and much more.
Environmental Issues: Essential Primary Sources by These volumes of primary source documents focus on leading social issues of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. International in scope, each title is devoted to one topic: Crime and Punishment Environmental Issues Family in Society Gender Issues and Sexuality Government, Politics, and Protest Human and Civil Rights Immigration and Multiculturalism Medicine, Bioethics, and Health Social Policy Terrorism Each title contains approximately 175 full or excerpted documents---speeches, legislation, magazine and newspaper articles, essays, memoirs, letters, interviews, novels, songs, and works of art---as well as overview information that places each document in context. Entries are organized into chapters that feature a general overview of the chapter's subtopic. The following standard subheads are included in each entry: Date Source About the Author Introduction Primary Source Significance Further ResourcesAll titles contain an introduction to its topic, a chronology of major events associated with the topic, and a general index. A comprehensive subject index is included with print set purchases only.
Environmental Issues in American History by Controversy surrounding environmental issues is not a recent development in American history. Since the time of the early settlers, issues concerning the environment have plagued certain groups of Americans. In this exhaustively researched study, primary documents support different sides of various questions, such as the use of water as an energy source, deforestation, gold mining in California, and the emergence of wildlife conservation. High school and college students will not only find this book extremely comprehensive, but will also find its heated discussions exceptionally engaging. Some of the major topics covered include differences between the way Native Americans and early settlers treated the land, The Land Ordinance of 1785, Thomas Jefferson's views about the land, the commercial progress of New England river valleys, establishing the Adirondack Forest Preserve in 1885, Theodore Roosevelt's thoughts on forest conservation, the pros and cons of hydraulic gold mining, the near-extinction of the North American bison, andThe Lacey Act Magoc's book will prove an essential asset for all American history students.
U. S. Environmental Policy and Politics by As citizens address the issues of climate change, earth-friendly technologies, and jumpstarting a green economy, environmental politics has gained a prominent position on the American political landscape. U.S. Environmental Policy and Politics: A Documentary History shows readers the many ways throughout American history in which environmental concerns have intersected with issues of energy production and consumption, government regulation, private property rights, economic growth, and lifestyle choices. The primary sources featured in the book illuminate essential events and environmental controversies that have roiled the waters of American politics and policymaking from the colonial era to the twenty-first century. The volume opens with a narrative overview which develops the major environmental themes discussed in the chapters and documents that follow. Each chapter leads with a comprehensive narrative that provides background information necessary for understanding the significance of the primary documents. The wide-ranging document collections include over 150 full and excerpted speeches, writings by conservationists, federal and state legislation, court opinions, testimonies, policy briefs, and more. The documents are preceded by context-setting headnotes which provide information on the key players and events. Some of the topics covered include: Population growth and territorial expansionToxins and waste disposalAir pollution and climate changeWilderness and species protectionEnergy productionConservation and environmental justiceLand and water useUrban development and public healthMining and logging A timeline listing major events from the colonial era to the present provides an overview of U.S. environmental history, while illustrations and an index further supplement this title. U.S. Environmental Policy and Politics is well-suited for collections at academic, community college, and public libraries. Key Features Thematic, primary source documentsChronological chapters from colonial era to the presentAddresses current concerns about climate change and energy conservationTracks the rise of regulatory agencies
