Atlantic Crossings: Social Politics in a Progressive Age

Atlantic Crossings examines the exchange of social policy ideas between Europe and North America during the Progressive Era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book traces how American reformers looked to European models and experiments in areas like urban planning, social insurance, and cooperative farming. Through extensive research of letters, journals, and official documents, Rodgers reconstructs the networks of intellectuals, activists, and government officials who traveled across the Atlantic to study reform efforts. The work follows key figures in the progressive movement as they observed European innovations and attempted to adapt these approaches for American contexts. The narrative spans from the 1870s through the New Deal, documenting how progressive reforms evolved from local experiments to national policies in both Europe and America. It covers major developments in housing, labor law, city planning, and social welfare programs across multiple countries. This work challenges assumptions about American exceptionalism and isolation, revealing the deeply transnational nature of progressive reform movements. The book demonstrates how policy ideas circulated globally long before the modern era of globalization.

Readers value the book's detailed examination of how progressive policies and ideas flowed between Europe and America in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Many note its thorough research and extensive documentation. Positives: - Deep analysis of transatlantic policy exchanges - Clear connections between European and American reform movements - Strong archival research and primary sources - Effective organization of complex material Negatives: - Dense academic writing style - Repetitive in sections - Length (634 pages) exceeds what's needed - Too much focus on urban planning details One reader noted: "Rodgers proves his thesis but takes far too long doing it." Another commented: "Important content buried under unnecessarily complex prose." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (43 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (12 reviews) Google Books: 4/5 (3 reviews) The book received the Merle Curti Award and Ellis W. Hawley Prize from the Organization of American Historians.

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🌊 Author Daniel T. Rodgers spent over 15 years researching and writing Atlantic Crossings, drawing from archives in multiple countries and languages. 🔄 The book reveals how American Progressive Era reforms were heavily influenced by European social policies, challenging the notion that American progressivism was purely homegrown. 🌍 Many prominent American reformers, including Jane Addams and Lincoln Steffens, made multiple trips to Europe between 1870-1945 to study social programs and urban planning. 📚 The work won the Bancroft Prize in American History in 1999, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of historical scholarship. 🏛️ The book traces how European concepts like social insurance, public housing, and urban planning were adapted and transformed as they crossed the Atlantic to become distinctly American programs.