Author Description

This major revision of a pathbreaking book weaves together the complex interaction of social, political, and historical forces that have shaped the United States and from which “the American people” have evolved by telling stories of people and of the nation and emphasizing that American history has never been the preserve of any particular region. Traditional turning points and watershed events are integrated with the stories of the nation's many diverse communities. The book's trademark “continental” approach has been expanded to incorporate a greater hemispheric perspective, while a new community and memory feature analyzes the role—and the conflicts—of historical memory in shaping communities' understanding of the past. Community and memory essays examine such topics as conflicts over Indian burial grounds, controversies surrounding the Alamo, and the way in which the American media is putting the World Trade Center bombing into historical perspective. Incorporates the latest research on the South, popular culture, science and technology, and the Cold War. Features full coverage of the African American experience—with full chapters on slavery and empire in the colonial period and the civil rights movement from the 1940's to the 1960's. Discussion of the role of minorities includes African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. Historians and anyone interested in American history from a narrative approach.