Oregon's Promise
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By David Peterson del Mar
2003. 6 x 9 inches. 320 pages. B&W photographs. Notes. Bibliography. Index.
ISBN 0-87071-558-5. Paperback, $19.95.
Table of Contents
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A concise and compelling general history, Oregon's Promise explores familiar and neglected people and movements in the state's history, while challenging readers to view Oregon's past, present, and future in a new way.
The words "Oregon history" conjure up images of Lewis and Clark and rugged pioneers. In Oregon's Promise, David Peterson del Mar shows that the explorers' impact was both different from and less significant than commonly assumed, and that the state's settlers were much more varied, contentious, complicated, and interesting than conventional heroic stereotypes would suggest.
The book's many themes revolve around Peterson del Mar's consideration of how Oregonians have attempted to build a prosperous and just society. He examines both the traditional center of Oregon history and its often overlooked margins-the people who have struggled to be included in Oregon's promise.
The author is both a respected historian and an engaging writer, with a talent for explaining Oregon's past in a way that will appeal to all readers, from natives to newcomers, from students to scholars.
"A first-rate book . . . Peterson del Mar is an excellent writer and interpreter."
-Carlos Schwantes, author of Columbia River: Gateway to the West
"The author has a firm and broad grasp of Oregon's interesting, often exciting, history and a rare skill for writing about it with passion, compassion, and welcome touches of humor."
About the Author
David Peterson del Mar is author of the award-winning book,
What Trouble I Have Seen: A History of Violence against Wives and of
Beaten Down: A History of Interpersonal Violence in the West. He has taught many courses on Oregon and Pacific Northwest history at universities and colleges in Oregon and British Columbia. He lives in Portland, Oregon, and is a board member of
Oregon Uniting, an organization devoted to advancing racial reconciliation and justice through dialogue and education.
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