American history told by contemporaries ..

“The object of these volumes is to furnish a collection of sources for the study of American history . . . Few public documents are given, but rather extracts from diaries and contemporary narratives. The editor believes that by means of such material the reader will get a knowledge of the real life of the past and catch its true spirit. The selections will be of great service in furnishing illustrative material for teachers or for students who are reading modern authors. Each selection is preceded by a very short statement concerning the life of the author.” Larned’s Literature of American History.
— Standard Catalog for Public Libraries: History (H.W. Wilson) 1929