The Twentieth Century American Being a Comparative Study of the Peoples of the Two Great Anglo-Saxon Nations

"The Twentieth Century American" by Harry Perry Robinson is a discussion comparing people from the United States and Great Britain around the start of the 1900s. The study seeks to help these two groups of mostly English-speaking people understand each other better by talking about their common past, what they believe is important, and how their governments work. Robinson, who lived in the U.S. for almost 20 years, shares his thoughts on how the two countries are changing in relation to one another, especially as things change around the world. Early on, the author talks about why it is important to rethink the old idea of staying away from "getting mixed up in alliances." As America becomes more important worldwide, Robinson thinks that staying isolated is not realistic and could be risky. He hopes that if the U.S. and Britain work together, they can help bring peace to the world, based on their history and shared goals. The beginning sets the stage for thinking carefully about political ideas and what it means for America to be a powerful country on the world stage.