title: Dissent: The History of an American Idea
author: Ralph Young
description: "A sweeping, panoramic narrative that is ambitious in nature, and broad and deep in scope. It provides an alternative history of the United Statesindeed of 'America.' It is a historynot from the vantage point of the forgotten or the 'losers,' per sebut from dissenters: those who foughtvaliantly, nobly, with great foresight and insight, and often against overwhelming, even impossible, odds and at great cost to themselvesin order to push, pull, shift, and shape the American world around them."-Glenn Feldman,University of Alabama at Birmingham<br /><br />"A must-read for anyone interested in how dissent, protest, and other acts of civil disobedience have shaped the United States, Ralph Youngs<em>Dissent: The History of an American Idea</em>is a well-researched, 600-plus page tome that covers both the liberal and conservative movements that changed American history." -<i>Bustle.com</i><br /><br />In deeply conservative times it bears remembering that our nation also has a long and rich history of dissent-- one that always pushes our nation to become more just and humane. Ralph Youngs sweeping and powerful account of this history, his rescuing of myriad moments and movements that made our nation fairer and more equal, is a must read for any citizen interested in making a stronger democracy and a better future for our children.-Heather Ann Thompson,Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of <i>Blood in the Water</i><br /><br />"A broad-ranging, evenhanded view of a tradition honed into an art form in America: the use of dissent as 'a critique of governance'...Young has a knack for finding obscure but thoroughly revealing moments of history to illustrate his points; learning about Fries' Rebellion and the Quasi-War with France is worth the price of admission alone, though his narrative offers much more besides...Refreshingly democraticsolid supplemental reading to the likes of Terkel and Alinsky, insistent on upholding the rights of political minorities even when they're wrong."-<i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br /><br />For those looking for a most impressive compilation on the history of American dissent,Dissentcertainly delivers in covering all of its intricacies, trajectories, and complexities through decades of discord and centuries of stridency.-<i>Journal of American Culture</i><br /><br />"Ralph Young takes us on a journey from the distant Puritan past to the cultural divisions of the contemporary age, showing that at every step along the way the nation's most powerful and productive force has been its rich tradition of dissent, the willingness of its citizens to cut against the grain of conformity to help build a fairer, more representative democracy. Marked by fast-paced and engaging prose, and filled with important insights and observations, <em>Dissent</em> may be the most important revisionist history of the nation since Howard Zinn's <em>A People's History.</em>"-David M. Wrobel,Merrick Chair in Western American History, University of Oklahoma<br /><br />"The Temple University historian Ralph Young's <em>Dissent</em>, a beautifully written, always-interesting, and analytically smart synthesis of American history, contends that dissent has shaped our world from the Puritans to the Barack Obama presidency...Here is wishing Young's big book a shelf life as long as the works of Hofstadter, Williams, and Zinn."-<i>Journal of American History</i><br /><br />"A wonderfully erudite and lucid introduction to another 'American dream' that inspired millions around the world. A wise and topical invitation to reappraise global image of American culture today, when we are facing renewed struggle for hearts and minds."-Vladislav Zubok,London School of Economics and Politics<br /><br />[Young] presents a narrative history of the role of dissent in shaping the United States, foregrounding those who dissented and how Americans have responded to injustices that prevented them from fully experiencing their vision of America.-<i>Journal of Economic Literature</i><br /><br />"[An] expansive and...impressive account...[Young] excels in story-telling mode."-<i>Popmatters</i>
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  Praise for _Dissent: The History of an American Idea_
  
  
  “A broad-ranging, evenhanded view of a tradition honed into an art form in
  America: the use of dissent as ‘a critique of governance.’ . . . Young has a
  knack for finding obscure but thoroughly revealing moments of history to
  illustrate his points; learning about Fries’ Rebellion and the Quasi-War with
  France is worth the price of admission alone, though his narrative offers much
  more besides. . . . Refreshingly democratic—solid supplemental reading to the
  likes of Terkel and Alinsky, insistent on upholding the rights of political
  minorities even when they’re wrong.”
  
  
  _—Kirkus Reviews_
  
  
  “Temple University historian Young ( _Dissent in America_ ) delivers a
  doorstopper that few readers will ever want to misuse in such a manner; his
  clear and elegant style and a keen eye for good stories make it a page-turner.
  . . . Young convincingly demonstrates that the history of the Unit