Of thee I sing : the contested history of American patriotism
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"In Of Thee I Sing, Ben Railton describes a spectrum of competing visions of patriotism that can be traced across key moments and texts in American history and that comprise a crucial debate in our 21st century moment. Drawing on the four verses as of America the Beautiful, Railton finds four central competing threads of American patriotism: celebratory, mythologizing, active, and critical. He traces each of these competing visions across a series of historical and cultural case studies, from the Revolution and the Early Republic to the Civil War and Gilded Age, and throughout the 20th century. Of Thee I Sing will also demonstrate how all four forms of patriotism remain present and evolving in our current moment, and indeed how they collectively help explain the ongoing 21st century debates over our national identity and community, history and future"--,Provided by publisher.