Moral Energy in America

From the Progressive Era to the Atomic Bomb

Rebecca K. Wright

$141

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Johns Hopkins University Press
29 April 2025

History of the Americas; The Earth: natural history general

Series: Energy Humanities

How a distinctly American way of thinking about energy shaped US culture and society from the Progressive Era to the atomic bomb.

In Moral Energy in America, Rebecca K. Wright offers an illuminating exploration of how the concept of energy shaped American thought, culture, and politics throughout the first half of the twentieth century. This essential history traces how politicians, sociologists, geographers, urban planners, economists, and intellectuals adopted the idea of energy to bolster their social programs and visions of the future through distinctive energy imaginaries.

Energy was not a stable concept in the period, and it appealed to writers and advocates across the political and cultural spectrum. While medical practitioners and social workers interwove energy into discussions of race, immigration, youth, and crime, mainstream political campaigns appealed to the public by drawing energy into political rhetoric. Wright positions energy at the heart of key intellectual debates of the period, such as the Bourne-Dewey confrontation over America's role in World War I and the rise of technocratic ideas that envisioned energy as a new metric for societal progress.

In a thirty-year era that shook the foundations of American democracy—a period punctuated by the Great Depression, the rise of communism and fascism abroad, two world wars, and the atomic bomb—energy became a key metaphor through which to understand major transformations in American society. Wright demonstrates how energy's many meanings transcended material and scientific definitions to influence everything from racial theories to economic policies, and ultimately played a pivotal role in molding the American moral landscape.

By: Rebecca K. Wright
Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 499g
ISBN: 9781421451411
ISBN 10: 1421451417
Series: Energy Humanities
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 29 April 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction 1908–1919 1. Energizing the Will: Progressive Energies 1920–1943 2. Energizing Americanness: Climatic Energy and Race 3. Energizing Culture: Psychic Energy and Primitive Waterways 4. Erginette's Beauty: Energizing the Economy 1939–1951 5. Energizing the World: Energetic Ethics for an Atomic Age Epilogue: M.E.O.W Bibliography Notes IndexMoral Energy in America: From the Progressive Era to the Atomic Bomb

Rebecca K. Wright is an assistant professor in history at Northumbria University, Newcastle.