This insightful volume profiles the social and economic factors that have shaped American history from colonial times to the present day. Drawing on the seminal work The American Nation: A History, it explores topics such as slavery, labor movements, and the rise of consumer culture, and provides a clear and engaging overview of the forces that have made America what it is today. With its accessible language and broad coverage, this book is an ideal introduction to the subject for students and general readers alike. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.