With shimmering research, an observant eye, and a bright moral compass, Sharon McMahon leads us through the thickets of the past until we can see where we came from and where we are going.”
―David Grann, New York Times bestselling author of The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon
“Sharon McMahon is a national treasure and a one-woman cavalry for truth, saving our republic one loving and clear-eyed lesson at a time. She and this book are a gift to our country.”
—Isabel Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns
“This book won’t just enlighten and entertain you—it will leave you empowered by newfound confidence that you don’t need to be rich or famous to make a difference. The Small and the Mighty is a master class in making American history fascinating and fun.”
―Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking
“These are the underdogs, the unknowns, and some of the most amazing historical heroes you’ve never heard of. The Small and the Mighty overflows with inspiration and brilliantly proves that the best Americans are not always famous.”
―Brad Meltzer, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Nazi Conspiracy
“The Small and the Mighty isn’t just history—it’s a testament to the power of courage and resilience. If you’re looking for a book that restores faith in the American dream, this is it."
―Jermaine Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of The Humanity Archive
“Sharon McMahon has assembled a thrilling cast of idealists, trailblazers, change agents, and crusaders. Together they light up the past—and the page.”
—Stacy Schiff, author of The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams
“So many history books focus on what went wrong. The Small and the Mighty teaches us about the people who got it right. In a time when democracy is on the line, we need this book as a reminder that hope—even when it's tiny—is strong enough to meet this moment.”
―Jemar Tisby, professor of history at Simmons College of Kentucky and New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and The Spirit of Justice
“McMahon is a world-class educator and masterful storyteller who has crafted an essential and irresistible book. If you want to be deeply inspired by history—and have a great time along the way—read this book.”
―Candice Millard, author of River of the Gods
“In this magnificent debut, Sharon McMahon offers detailed, nuanced portraits of unexpected heroes. In the process, she reminds us that citizenship is far more than a legal status―and that the American Dream is never writ small.”
―Alexis Coe, author of You Never Forget Your First
“This is a reminder that this country's ideals were and are lived by people brave enough to go against the grain—without sugarcoating our history or letting systems of oppression off the hook. The Small and the Mighty is McMahon at her best: pointing out the light in the darkness. "
―Nora McInerny, author of It’s Okay to Laugh: (Crying Is Cool Too), No Happy Endings, The Hot Young Widows Club, and Bad Vibes Only, and host of the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking
“Too often, America’s history is told in black and white. In The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon reminds us that our story is vastly more interesting, populated by unlikely and complicated figures. This book is a timely reminder of the promise of American citizenship: that anyone, no matter their background, can shape the course of the nation’s future.”
―Troy Senik, presidential historian, former White House speech writer, and author of Man of Iron
“The Small and the Mighty powerfully illuminates the messy, often dangerous work of democracy, performed by imperfect Americans with hope for a more just world. Sharon’s characteristic humor, thorough research, and disarming candor combine to issue a blazing call to be the change we want to see, wherever we are.”
―Julie Bogart, author of Raising Critical Thinkers and founder of Brave Writer
“In The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon has crafted an accessible, beautiful, and courageous masterpiece. Her meticulous attention to detail brings to light untold histories, keeping you frantically turning the page. This book is a road map toward understanding who we have always been.”
―Dr. Bettina Love, William F. Russell Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, and author of Punished for Dreaming
“The Small and the Mighty drops us into some of the most riveting and consequential times in American history, where we meet twelve of the most important people you’ve likely never heard of. McMahon’s subjects are the folks who shifted the narrative of our country. McMahon’s gifted storytelling and deep research will show you why.”
―Kate Winkler Dawson, author of American Sherlock
“With stories you thought you knew and most you’ve never even heard before, The Small and the Mighty takes us on a journey of ordinary, human hope—something America decidedly needs. This is what you wish history class had actually been.”
―Kendra Adachi, author of The Lazy Genius Way
“The Small and the Mighty brings to life a cast of Americans who deserve their place in our national Hall of Fame. It's a swift, moving, beautiful book that makes you blush with pride—after swearing with outrage at the circumstances that forced them to act.”
―Timothy Egan, author of A Fever in the Heartland
2024-08-02
A survey of footnote-level historical figures who exemplify McMahon’s declaration, “the best Americans are not always famous.”
“America’s Government Teacher,” as McMahon brands herself, turns out to be a reliable guide into lesser-known corners of history as well. Her initial specimen is Gouverneur Morris, a friend of Alexander Hamilton and signer of the Declaration of Independence who is unjustly forgotten in our day, McMahon holds. Morris, after all, wrote the preamble to the Constitution (“We the people…”). Many more of McMahon’s subjects were never known to history in the first place: the enslaved Clara Brown, for instance, who moved westward to frontier Colorado and built a tidy fortune that, alas, did not outlive her. McMahon calls on the clothier Levi Strauss, who added rivets to jeans and then “marketed the heck out of them” as “the only kind made by white labor” (though enslaved people grew the cotton and indigo). The mid-19th-century president James Buchanan openly lived with a man who “helped found a city you may have heard of because of the Civil Rights movement: Selma, Alabama.” Katherine Lee Bates, author of “America the Beautiful,” also had a same-sex partner; as a couple, they “were obviously in love and ‘together’ together.” McMahon tips her hat to Daniel Inouye, the Hawaiian senator who, in the era of Japanese American imprisonment during World War II, distinguished himself as a battlefield hero. The author is generally nonsectarian, though she gets in a subtle dig or two at Trump, denounces the “moral panic” that is the enemy of progress, and defends critical race theory. Her carefully researched book is just plain fun to read, especially at moments such as her takedown of those who hold that the Civil War was about states’ rights: “Calmly look them in the eye, and ask, politely and inquisitively, what exactly the states wanted the ‘right’ to do?”
An accessible, cheerful, and affectionate portrait of Americans who, though little known, made a difference.
