Resistance History of the United States by Tom Stoermer is the July book for the History Book Club. Join in person at the Civic Center Library in the Board Room or via Zoom: https://bit.ly/lplhbc on July 21 at 7 p.m. Registration is not necessary to attend in person or on Zoom.
"Revisit the Salem Witch Trials, the Underground Railroad, and other resistance movements of American history to get a bold new understanding of how resistance shaped our past-and how its principles can change our future. The United States was shaped by resistance-but not in the way we've been taught. The Revolution did not secure liberty; it opened the door to either liberty or oppression, where only white men enjoyed all of the benefits and protections of citizenship. In A Resistance History of the United States, public historian Tad Stoermer shows how from the very beginning, that tension-between the ideals of resistance and the realities of power-has defined America more than the Enlightenment ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Utililizing powerful storytelling to focus on key-and often lesser-known-moments in American history, this book reveals the truth of how resistance movements from Colonial times have opposed the powers that be. Stoermer covers an impressive roster of pivotal movements, with each chapter identifying a key resistance movement and principle meant to inspire contemporary readers, including: Bacon's Rebellion/Metacomet's War (1676) Salem Witch Trials (1692) The Black Loyalists (1783) The Underground Railroad (1850) Through these and many more examples, Stoermer dismantles the mythologies that pass for American history-exposing the curated nostalgia, moral evasions, and institutional silences that have long protected abusive power. What emerges is an essential look at how we can take lessons from the past to understand, and effectively respond to, the injustices we face today"-- Provided by publisher.
Livermore Public Library Book Clubs
Summer Learning is on through August 4, 2026. All ages receive a free book just for signing up! Register at Livermore.beanstack.org or on the Beanstack app. Paper gameboards are also available at all Livermore Library locations. Participants who track their reading and activities will earn raffle tickets towards drawings for prizes. Thanks to Friends of the Livermore Library and our other partners for making the Summer Learning program and events possible.
