Before getting into the list, I want to give a shout-out to Beacon Press and their ReVisioning History series. This collection of accessible history books “reconstruct and reinterpret U.S. history from diverse perspectives.” They’re excellent and a perfect first place to start if you want a more inclusive and overarching look at American history. The series includes:
A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski A Disability History of the United States by Kim E. Nielsen An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross
I decided not to summarize each of those books because I feel like the titles do a good job of telling you exactly what they’re about. I’m in the middle of A Black Women’s History of the United States right now, and it’s really opening my eyes up to pieces of our story that I’d never heard before. In addition to ReVisioning History, the books below offer some more in-depth looks at specific eras, movements, or ideas that have shaped American history. If you’re still looking for more, these posts from the Book Riot archive are another great place to look:
Great American History Reads from Fascinating Historians 10 Excellent Audiobooks About American History 50 Must-Read Books About American Politics 8 Historical Books to Understand Current Social Justice Movements
