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United States -- Ethnic relations Books
Best books
William John Cameron
The International Jew, the world's foremost problem [volume I] : $b being a reprint of a series of articles appearing in the Dearborn Independent from May 22 to October 2, 1920
"The International Jew, the world's foremost problem [volume I]" is a collection of antisemitic articles published in the early 1920s by Henry Ford's Dearborn Publishing Company. Originally serialized in Ford's newspaper beginning in 1920, these pamphlets promoted conspiracy theories about Jewish influence over finance, media, and politics. The work was translated into sixteen languages, including multiple German editions, and became influential among Nazi leaders. Ford later issued a public apology and retraction, claiming shock at the content, following a libel lawsuit in 1927.
Madison Grant
The Conquest of a Continent; or, The Expansion of Races in America
"The Conquest of a Continent; or, The Expansion of Races in America" by Madison Grant is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The work examines the racial origins and influences that shaped American society, asserting the significance of Nordic heritage in the formation of the United States. Grant positions this exploration as a response to contemporary concerns about immigration and cultural homogeneity. At the start of the book, the author outlines significant shifts in American public sentiment regarding immigration, noting the change from a welcoming attitude toward diverse peoples to a more cautious and restrictive approach influenced by events such as World War I. He argues that the United States was originally dominated by a predominantly Anglo-Saxon and Nordic population and expresses concern over the growing diversity due to mass immigration. Grant sets the stage for a more detailed analysis of these racial dynamics, highlighting historical contributions and transformations that occurred as different groups settled in America, while suggesting that understanding these foundations is critical to comprehending the current state of the nation.
William John Cameron
Jewish influences in American life : $b volume III of the International Jew, the world's foremost problem : being a reprint of a third selection from articles appearing in the Dearborn Independent
"Jewish influences in American life : volume III of the International Jew, the…" is a polemical collection of newspaper articles written in the early 20th century. Drawn from the Dearborn Independent, it advances an antisemitic narrative that alleges sweeping Jewish influence over American culture, religion, politics, finance, and popular entertainment. The volume positions itself as an exposé of a so‑called “Jewish Question,” framing its arguments as fact-finding while leaning heavily on hostile interpretation and sensational claims. The opening of the book lays out a preface asserting that earlier installments spurred national debate and that the paper’s “facts” are indisputable, followed by a table of contents signaling targets such as religion, jazz, baseball, Bolshevism, Tammany Hall, Zionism, and the Federal Reserve. The first chapters argue that criticism of the series is not about “religious persecution” of Jews but, rather, that organized Jewish groups purportedly persecute Christianity; they cite selected press clippings and episodes involving public prayers, holidays, schools, and civic rituals to claim Jewish hostility to Christian symbols. The next chapter extends this line, alleging Jewish attacks on multiple Christian denominations and suggesting that “liberal” Christianity converges with Judaism, predicting the erosion of distinct Christian beliefs. The narrative then pivots to professional sports, using the Black Sox scandal to claim Jewish gamblers and businessmen corrupted baseball, naming figures like Arnold Rothstein and Abe Attell, and spinning managerial and governance struggles—such as the “Lasker Plan” and Judge Landis’s appointment—into a story of mounting Jewish control. Throughout, the text presents these accusations as documentation, but its opening portion is plainly a series of assertions and curated anecdotes designed to portray Jewish influence as pervasive and malign.
William John Cameron
Aspects of Jewish power in the United States $b : volume IV of the International Jew, the world's foremost problem : being a reprint of a fourth selection from articles appearing in the Dearborn Independent
Aspects of Jewish Power in the United States: Volume IV of The International Jew is a polemical collection of reprinted newspaper articles written in the early 20th century. It presents a conspiratorial, anti-Jewish account of alleged Jewish influence over American economic, political, and cultural life, framing this volume as further “studies” from The Dearborn Independent. The focus ranges from claims about the liquor industry and Prohibition to broader assertions about labor, religion, education, and national identity. The opening of the volume lays out a preface asserting that prior exposes have awakened public opinion, then lists chapters that target specific arenas of supposed Jewish power. It begins by alleging historic Jewish dominance of the liquor trade, arguing that “rectifiers” degraded whiskey quality, helped spur Prohibition, and later orchestrated bootlegging—naming lawyers, firms, and brands to claim a vast trust and distribution network. Subsequent chapters broaden the indictment, contending that rabbis’ ritual-wine permits fueled illicit sales, and then shift to sweeping assertions about Jewish influence in labor movements, churches, and universities, portraying U.S. “Americanism” as at odds with Jewish separateness. Throughout these opening sections, the text advances accusatory claims and lists of names to suggest coordinated control, setting a strident, propagandistic tone for the rest of the work.
Mary Antin
From Plotzk to Boston
"From Plotzk to Boston" by Mary Antin is a memoir published in 1899. It chronicles Antin's emigration from Polotsk in the Russian Empire to the United States in 1894, when she was thirteen years old. Originally written as letters to her uncle in Yiddish, the work describes her family's arduous journey across Europe and the Atlantic, capturing their encounters with bureaucratic obstacles, cultural shock, and harsh travel conditions, before concluding with an emotional reunion in Boston.
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