Presidential Documents

In this lively, authoritative collection, Thomas J. McInerney presents famous and lesser-known speeches, letters, and other important documents from every U.S. president from George Washington to Barack Obama.Whether printed in full or excerpted, these history-making documents are an invaluable resource as well as a fascinating browse. Including familiar documents such as the Emancipation Proclamation, to personal correspondence such as a letter from George H.W. Bush to his children, this collection brings together the famous statements that came to represent each administration with intimate glimpses into the thought processes of various presidential leaders. Now in its second edition, Presidential Documents has been re-designed to increase its usefulness in the classroom. Part openers introduce each era of the American presidency with a concise political and historical overview, highlighting the challenges each leader faced, and placing the documents in context. Whether used as a complement to an American history survey text or as a collection of primary documents for courses on the American Presidency, Presidential Documents provides an engrossing look at the work of the leaders of the United States, in all their complexity.

"State papers are instruments of power, and PresidentialDocuments illustrates the diverse ways American presidents have striven to mold the nation's destiny. This collection, well-selected and ably annotated, is a fine introduction to the perennial mysteries of the American presidency." -- Arthur Schlesinger, Jr."Deftly selected and edited, these documents present a compact history of the presidency in the sometimes inspirational, sometimes disconcerting words of the presidents themselves.Presidential Documents ought to be required reading for all presidential candidates and for all voters." -- Donald A. Ritchie, U.S. Senate Historical Office."This fine collection of documents with running commentary from professors Watts and Israel provides a valuable tool for studying the American presidency and the country's larger history." -- Robert Dallek, Professor of History, Boston University

Thomas J. McInerney is Professor of History at Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado.Fred L. Israel is Professor Emeritus of American History at the City College of New York. His previous works include the five-volume History of Presidential Elections 1789-1988 (1988), which he co-edited with Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., and Running for President (1995).