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The title of Daniel Walker Howe’s book, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America (2007), refers to a second generation of leaders who came to power in America after the first generation. These people were the sons and daughters of famous Founding Fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. A Rhodes professor, Howe has taught at Oxford University and UC Berkeley. What Hath God Wrought won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for History and is part of Oxford University Press’ American history series.

The book begins with the War of 1812 and ends with the Mexican American war in 1848. One of the leading government figures was Andrew Jackson, who was previously portrayed as a proponent of democracy but Howe takes a different view, presenting him and his followers as white supremacists, supporters of slavery, exploiters of natural resources for personal gain.

While Howe presents the Whig party as a future incarnation of America, Jackson’s democrats believed that such monetary distribution would inevitably favor people who already held power in the area and so should be limited.

America used to be a meritocracy, in which anyone could succeed if they had drive and ingenuity. However, the Whigs believed that people should also work together for the good of society as a whole.

One important Whig policy was the establishment of a public school system. They also wanted to centralize banking and keep prices high so that few people could buy large amounts of land.

In addition to tracing the politics of the era, Howe also focuses on technological advances taking place during this time period. One of the most important inventions was the telegraph, which allowed for communication over long distances. The book’s title comes from an early message sent by its inventor.

Other historians have been skeptical about the rapid growth of America’s economy from an agrarian to industrial state. Charles Sellers, a historian commissioned by Oxford University Press, argued that Americans living in the previous century were happier and healthier overall than those living during the Industrial Revolution. Howe contests this view, arguing that many Americans at the time supported economic growth and it was good for America in the long term.

Howe stated that the Industrial Revolution created a lot of opportunities for people because consumer goods became cheaper. An example he gave was mattresses, which were more affordable in 1815 than they had been previously. Although it is possible that economic inequality increased during this time period, Howe believes that immigrants coming to America caused most of the change in wealth distribution.

Howe focuses on transportation advancements and how they helped the economy. Trains and steamboats were the main ways people traveled across large stretches of the United States, but both had their dangers. They were early examples of successful public transit that connected different areas in a very large country. Canals also led to economic advancement; for example, completing the Erie Canal in New York allowed ships visiting New York Harbor to grow by 500 percent.

Although there were a lot of changes in the early years, most people did not benefit from them. It was mostly farmers who made their living through agriculture and they could only make ends meet during good times. However, it is Howe’s belief that this period was generally positive for the country and its economic future.