In the American grain / essays by William Carlos Williams ; introduction by Horace Gregory.

Essays.

"First published in 1956 as New Directions paperbook no. 53"--Title page verso

Red Eric -- The discovery of the Indies, Christopher Columbus -- The destruction of Tenochtitlan, Cortez and Montezuma -- The fountain of eternal youth, Juan Ponce de Leon -- De Soto and the New World -- Sir Walter Raleigh -- Voyage of the Mayflower -- The founding of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain -- The May-pole at Merrymount, Thomas Morton -- Cotton Mather's Wonders of the invisible world -- Père Sebastian Rasles -- The discovery of Kentucky, Daniel Boone -- George Washington -- Poor Richard, Benjamin Franklin -- Battle between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis, John Paul Jones -- Jacataqua -- The virtue of history, Aaron Burr -- Advent of the slaves -- Edgar Allan Poe -- Abraham Lincoln.

Wallace, E.M. Bibl. of Williams, A9d

"William Carlos Williams was not a historian, but he was fascinated by the texture of American history. Beginning with Columbus's discovery of the Indies and moving on through Sir Walter Raleigh, Cotton Mather, Daniel Boone, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Aaron Burr, Edgar Allan Poe, and Abraham Lincoln, Williams found in the fabric of familiar episodes new shades of meaning and configurations of character. He brought a poetic imagination to the task of reconstructing a live tradition for Americans, and what results is one of the finest works of prose to have been penned by any writer of the twentieth century."-- Publisher's description