Louis P. Masur

Louis P. Masur is Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History at Rutgers University. This essay is adapted from his new book,The Sum of Our Dreams: A Concise History of America.

The Runaway Question

How people fleeing bondage helped transform the nation

by Louis P. Masur | Tuesday, September 04, 2018

Let America Be America Again

by Louis P. Masur | Tuesday, September 08, 2020

How the South Rose Again

Defeated in war, the Confederate states merely changed tactics

by Louis P. Masur | Monday, March 04, 2019

Monumental Hatred

The ongoing struggle against white supremacy

by Louis P. Masur | Thursday, August 17, 2017

Garden State Sorcerer

In his new memoir, Springsteen reveals his inner life but is strangely silent on his music

by Louis P. Masur | Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Tangled Up in Dylan

The enduring appeal of a legendary American songwriter

by Louis P. Masur | Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Julian Barnes’s A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters

A well-told story always feels true

by Louis P. Masur | Monday, May 18, 2015

Breaking the Bonds

How runaway slaves got North

by Louis P. Masur | Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Ready to Be Free

The end of the peculiar institution

by Louis P. Masur | Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Liberty Is a Slow Fruit

Lincoln the deliberate emancipator

by Louis P. Masur | Tuesday, September 04, 2012