This anthology of secondary sources portrays the lives of ordinary Americans and examines the diversity of the American people, from the earliest settlement of America to Reconstruction. The Social Fabricacquaints students with the ways in which important events in the nation's history were reflected in the everyday lives of ordinary people. A wide variety of essays deals with the experiences of men as well as women, Native Americans as well as African-Americans and immigrants, the poor as well as the wealthy. These readings highlight the diversity of Americans'experiencesbased on differences in race, ethnicity, and genderand the way in which those differences have at times led to conflict.