American History Critical Text Review
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American History Critical Text Review
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Critical Review of Scholarly Books, Articles, and Primary Sources
Book Review 1: Murder in New Orleans: The Creation of Jim Crow Policing
Citation: Adler, Jeffrey S. Murder in New Orleans: The Creation of Jim Crow Policing. University of Chicago Press, 2019.
Author Credentials: Jeffrey S. Adler is a Professor of History whose research specializes in American urban history, violence, criminal justice, and race relations. His scholarship has received recognition from several major academic organizations, including the American Council of Learned Societies and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Research Questions:
- Why was violence widespread in New Orleans during the 1920s?
- What factors contributed to persistent homicide and conflict?
- Why were violence levels significantly higher than in other American cities?
- How did migration and racial dynamics influence crime patterns?
Key Conclusions: Adler concludes that New Orleans experienced exceptionally high levels of violence during the 1920s and 1930s. Using police records, autopsy reports, interviews, and newspapers, he demonstrates that homicide was shaped by political, racial, legal, demographic, and cultural factors rather than individual criminal behavior alone. The book also highlights the relationship between Jim Crow policing, racial inequality, and contemporary discussions surrounding police violence and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Book Review 2: Ghosts in the Schoolyard
Citation: Ewing, Eve L. Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side. University of Chicago Press, 2018.
Author Credentials: Eve L. Ewing is a sociologist, educator, and writer whose work focuses on education, race, and urban communities. She holds degrees from Dominican University, the University of Chicago, and Harvard University.
Research Questions:
- Why were Chicago public schools considered underperforming?
- What social and political factors contributed to school closures?
- Why did communities resist the closure of neighborhood schools?
Key Conclusions: Ewing argues that neighborhood schools function as important community institutions rather than simply educational facilities. She demonstrates that the closure of schools disproportionately affected African American communities and reflected broader patterns of systemic racism, historical inequality, and political mistrust. School closures therefore represented both educational and social displacement.
Review of Scholarly Articles
Article Review 1: Racism Towards African American Community
Citation: Saputri, Gisa Maya. "Racism Towards African American Community As Reflected in Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Rubikon: Journal of Transnational American Studies, 2021.
Author Credentials: Saputri is an Indonesian editor and writer whose work focuses on history, language, and literature.
Research Questions:
- What forms of racism affected African Americans?
- How does Black Aesthetic criticism represent African American experiences?
Key Conclusions: The article explains that Black Aesthetic criticism emerged as a movement encouraging African American writers and artists to define their own literary traditions independent of White cultural standards. Saputri concludes that racism remains a persistent societal issue while emphasizing the importance of cultural movements such as "Black is Beautiful" in promoting racial pride, equality, and resistance.
Article Review 2: The Mass Criminalization of Black Americans
Citation: Hinton, Elizabeth, and DeAnza Cook. "The Mass Criminalization of Black Americans: A Historical Overview." Annual Review of Criminology, 2021.
Author Credentials: Elizabeth Hinton is a historian and professor specializing in African American history, race, poverty, and criminal justice. DeAnza Cook is a doctoral researcher whose work focuses on policing history and racial relations.
Research Question:
- How has criminal law historically functioned as a mechanism of social control within Black communities?
Key Conclusions: The authors demonstrate that American policing and incarceration developed alongside slavery and racial control. They argue that Black Americans have historically experienced disproportionate surveillance, criminalization, and imprisonment through evolving legal systems, from slavery and the Black Codes to modern criminal justice policies.
Analysis of Primary Sources
Primary Source 1: "I, Too"
Citation: Hughes, Langston. "I, Too." Poetry Foundation, 1926.
Key Conclusions: Langston Hughes presents a powerful response to racial exclusion by affirming the identity and dignity of African Americans. The poem argues that Black Americans have always contributed to the nation's cultural identity despite historical discrimination and exclusion. Hughes emphasizes hope, equality, and eventual recognition.
Primary Source 2: "Racism in the United States"
Citation: Clinton, William J. "Racism in the United States." Voices of Democracy, 1995.
Key Conclusions: President Bill Clinton advocates for open dialogue, reconciliation, and national efforts to address racial inequality. His speech acknowledges persistent racial differences while encouraging Americans to confront prejudice through communication, understanding, and public commitment to civil rights. Although symbolic, the speech established an important foundation for continued discussions on race relations in the United States.
Overall Critical Assessment
Together, these scholarly books, research articles, and primary sources present complementary perspectives on racism, policing, education, civil rights, and African American identity throughout American history. Collectively, they demonstrate that racial inequality has been reinforced through legal, educational, and social institutions while also highlighting the resilience, cultural expression, and activism that have challenged these systems. The reviewed literature provides valuable historical and contemporary insight into the continuing struggle for racial justice and equality in the United States.