The American Reader

The American Reader is a stirring anthology that celebrates our diverse and multifaceted culture in prose and verse. Through the years, these words have inspired, delighted, chastened and sometimes enraged the citizens of the United States.


The two hundred poems, speeches, songs, essays, letters, and documents in this volume were chosen both for their literary excellence and historical significance. Inspiring and eloquent, these classic writings reflect the part that all Americans have played in creating the nation’s character.

Diane Ravitch, a historian of education, is a research professor at New York University, holds the Brown Chair in Education Studies at the Brookings Institution, and is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. A former Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of many awards, she is also the author of Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms.

“The American Reader is a splendid collection of the words and sentiments that have shaped our nation. It belongs in every American home.” — E. D. Hirsch, author of Cultural Literacy