White Trash

(The 400 Year Untold History of Class in America) By; Nancy Isenberg This is one of the most depressing books I have ever read. The author shreds any idea the reader might have of how our country came to be. She attacks all of my heroes including Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Jackson and Thomas Paine. She only stops when she ran out of time and published the book. She ends with Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney. To give you an idea, on page 320 she lists all of the adjectives that she used throughout the book to describe the lowest element of society; Waste people, Offscourings, Lubbers, Bogtrotters, Rascals, Rubbish, Squatters, Crackers, Clay-eaters, Tackies, Mudsills, Scalawags, Briar-hoppers, Hillbillies, Low-downers, White-niggers, Degenerates, White-trash, Swamp people. I had never even heard of some of these descriptions. Our wholesome history as taught when we were in school had us think of the good people leaving on the Mayflower to be allowed freedom of worship. She describes boatloads of criminals emptied out of jails and poor people who went as indentured servants. We, of course, knew about this. She makes it worse by describing early settlers as indigent, lazy bums looking for an easy way out. This doesn’t change throughout the book. Everything she wrote may be completely accurate. I read it to the end as I always do. I do not recommend reading but if you are interested the Tucson Library has over 10 copies in circulation. Jack B. Walters January 5, 2017