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“History in Davis’s hands is loud, coarse, painful, funny, irreverent—and memorable.”

— San Francisco Chronicle

Following on his New York Times bestsellers America’s Hidden History and Don’t Know Much About History, Ken Davis explores the next chapter in the country’s hidden history: the gritty first half of the 19th century, among the most tumultuous in the nation’s short life.

What happens when the celebrated myths of American history are stripped away?

Political Conspiracy: Go inside the trial of Aaron Burr, a former Vice President accused of treason by a vengeful Thomas Jefferson in a case that pushed the young republic to its limits. Andrew Jackson’s Indian Wars: Witness the brutal Creek War and the Fort Mims massacre, where Andrew Jackson’s ruthless ambition forged a national reputation and decimated Native American nations. Forgotten Uprisings: Uncover the stories of courageous slave rebellions, including the bloody mutiny on the Creole, and the violent anti-immigrant ‘Bible Riots’ that shattered the peace in Philadelphia. Manifest Destiny: Follow the epic journey of John C. Frémont and his wife, Jessie, whose ambition and exploration were instrumental in the conquest of California and the fulfillment of America’s coast-to-coast dream.