Broad and balanced in perspectiveand reader-friendly in format and designthis collection of authoritative readings focuses on the various forces, ideologies, people, and experiences that have forged the distinctive American character. Drawn from an extensive and impressive variety of historical sourcesincluding popular history journals, chapters from key books, and scholarly journalscoverage ranges from traditional fields such as historiography and political, cultural, diplomatic, and religious history, to the new social and women's history.