Break It Up

May 18, 2020
The Nation contributor Kreitner (Booked) delivers an eye-opening chronicle of separatist movements within the U.S. Contending that the antagonisms of the Trump presidency are nothing new, Kreitner traces social divisions based on regional, racial, and cultural differences from the colonial era to the present day, and writes that the refusal to recognize this long-running pull toward breaking up the union “has been a major cause of our political dysfunction and social strife.” He counters the popular conception that 19th-century Southern slave owners were the nation’s only true secessionists by showing how a group of New Englanders, leery of trade restrictions and the inevitable conflict with Great Britain and Native Americans brought on by westward expansion, conspired to secede from the U.S. after the Louisiana Purchase, and profiles members of contemporary secessionist movements in Texas and California. Briskly documenting centuries of conflict, Kreitner makes a strong case that the impulse to dissolve the union will always resonate in such a vast and diverse nation. How much this actually matters, given the country’s long history of sticking together, is left up to the reader to decide. Still, this entertaining history provides plenty of food for thought. Agent: Elias Altman, Massie & McQuilkin Literary Agents.

June 1, 2020
A contributor to the Nation revisits American history, highlighting the many crises that nearly caused permanent fracture. In his latest book, Kreitner effectively cleans the window that stands between us and our history--or what we have believed about our history. Beginning in 1620 with the arrival of the Pilgrims and ending with the election of Donald Trump--"the 2016 presidential election set off a volcanic upheaval unlike any since the one [Walt] Whitman welcomed in 1861. The next day, many Americans walked around as if in a daze, their faces the portrait of a divided nation"--the text highlights those moments, some no doubt unfamiliar to many readers, when colonies, territories, states, and groups within states considered rebellion and secession. Although the author discusses the most prominent of these, the Civil War, he focuses more on the little-known. He reminds us that the 13 Colonies did not gleefully unite against the British, that the Constitution did not arrive to universal acclaim, that we did not all leap enthusiastically into the War of 1812, that we have long feared and mistreated immigrants, and that there were numerous instances when our country was close to falling apart. Oregon, Washington, Texas, California, the New England states--these and other states have considered secession; in some cases, these efforts have been quite recent. Throughout, the author does an admirable job suppressing his own political views--until near the end, when he expresses his horror about the white supremacist march in Charlottesville, the GOP's intransigence with Barack Obama and its use of cultural issues (abortion, gay marriage, prayer in schools) to divide and conquer, the interference of Russia in our elections (yes, the Russians benefit mightily from an America in disarray), and the behavior of Trump, who has "certainly made those [cultural/political] divisions far worse." Richly researched, revelatory, disturbing, and essential to those wandering in the mists of American myth.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2020

Journalist Kreitner writes a compelling narrative on the politics of secession in American history. When people think about secessions in America, they consider the Civil War as the major seceding point in history. However, Kreitner shows that the Union has always been challenged throughout history and experienced fraught since the Colonial period. This book draws on numerous sources and documents to reveal how complex it was for leaders of the United States to develop a framework that focused on preserving the Union. Kreitner examines different parts of American history, and provides an in-depth look on how separatist movements grew and expanded in many parts of the country, challenging the laws, values, and visions from their government. By drawing on the parallel experiences and activities occurring today, Kreitner deftly explains the historical continuums and predicaments of the states. VERDICT Packed with notes on a variety of sources, this book can be a dense read. But for readers interested in American history and politics, particularly the role and response of the federal government during crises, this book offers a powerful and refreshing account on disunity in America and helps us understand more about today's political fragmentation under state and national governments.--Raymond Pun, Alder Graduate Sch. of Education

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.