M Earl Smith: 5 books

From its humble beginnings as a strip of wilderness just west of William Penn's "greene country towne," Powelton Village has seen a rise in both prestige and activism since its inception in the late 17th century. An aristocratic estate at its founding, Powelton has found itself in a state of constant...

Given that Ridgewood lies within 20 miles of Lower Manhattan, it would be easy to dismiss this little town as another New York suburb. Settled by Johannes Van Emburgh in 1700, this slice of New Jersey was a pivotal safe haven for the founding fathers, such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton,...

On the banks of the Mystic River, the Connecticut community of Mystic has a maritime history that stretches back beyond the founding of the nation. Starting as a Native American settlement, the area switched hands—first to the Dutch, then to the English—before finally becoming a part of the United...

In the "City of Brotherly Love," there are few things taken as seriously as local bragging rights. In a city that lives and dies with its sports heroes, basketball is no exception. This volume traces the lore and history behind Philadelphia's Big 5, an informal basketball league that features...

At an earlier time, sociologists C. Wright Mills, W. E. Du Bois, and Jane Addams loudly protested injustices and inequities in American society, provided critiques and analyses of systems of oppression, and challenged sociologists to be responsible critics and constructive commentators. These giants...