Aaron Burr: Conspiracy to Treason —
It’s specifically about Aaron Burr and his shenanigans, but it does an excellent job explaining the issues facing the country in it’s infancy. Threats from foreign powers, the very real possibility of secession (west from east at this time) and why exactly the Mississippi River and the Louisiana Purchase were such big effin’ deals.
And then there’s that whole thing with Aaron Burr attempting to stage a coup and secede with part of the country while he was vice president. Dude had stones.
Murder Most Foul: The Killer and the American Gothic Imagination —
This is essentially a social history documenting the shift in popular opinion regarding criminals and the forces behind the shift. It’s a good source for learning about how media changed from the 17th century to the 18th and to a lesser extent religion and philosophy. I found it absolutely fascinating.
Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 —
This one is past your time frame, but it’s fantastic. It’s a relatively minor bit of history, but the author does an amazing job of placing it historically in the context of WWI, the prohibition, the flu epidemic, the abuses of the Industrial Revolution and the threat of violence from downtrodden labor and anarchist supporters.
It’s a really excellent book for getting a sense of the dark side of the Industrial Revolution and the violent tact taken by some of those victimized by the system.