New York State: Peoples, Places, and Priorities: A Concise History with Sources

Now in its second edition, New York State: Peoples, Places, and Priorities is an accessibly written book that explores the ever-shifting dynamics of New York State history in a single volume.

The text is organized both chronologically and topically, balancing political, economic, social, and cultural history. It discusses key figures, groups, movements, and controversies, upstate and downstate. Each chapter is divided into teachable, digestible sections that examine the major developments and challenges of that period, with timelines and lists of online resources to aid student understanding. The new edition brings New York State’s history into the present with coverage of recent political and economic developments, the Covid-19 pandemic, immigration, and global warming. Throughout the book, material was added concerning the American Revolution, the Civil War, women’s rights, and environmental justice. Artwork, maps, charts, and textboxes illuminate the state’s rich history. Analytical questions accompanying figures and texts encourage deeper engagement with the past.

Designed for undergraduates, this book is a concise and updated account of New York State’s history over the centuries, with a wealth of resources to benefit students and instructors alike.

Joanne Reitano is History Professor Emerita at La Guardia Community College, CUNY. She earned a BA from Vassar and a PhD from NYU. Her publications include The Tariff Question in the Gilded Age, The Restless City: A Short History of New York from Colonial Times to the Present, and The Restless City Reader. Her biography of Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes is forthcoming.