The time between America's independence in 1784 and the year 1850 was an era of remarkable growth in territory and power for the new nation, as well as a time of social ferment and change. Americans created a constitutional government, expanded westward, and grappled with the problem of slavery.

The colonists of early America faced many hardships as they carved out a foothold in a strange new world. This volume traces the establishment of Jamestown, Plymouth, and other prominent settlements that gave shape to colonial America. Other topics include the Salem witchcraft trials, the relations between the colonists and the Native Americans, and the beginnings of plantation-style slavery.

The period of American history from 1750 to 1783 was revolutionary in more than one sense. Authors in this anthology examine the political and military events that led to American independence from Britain, as well as the many social and cultural changes that shaped early America.

In this volume, authors and primary documents relate important events of the Civil War era and describe the relevance of these events to United States history. Chapters include: Tension Mounts Between the North and the South; The Civil War; The Reconstruction Era; The United States and the Native Americans Battle Over Land Rights; The Gilded Age.

The Peace achieved at the end of World War II quickly gave way to a tense standoff between the democratic west and the communist east. This anthology covers an era of international intrigue and domestic turmoil as America faced not only a nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union, but war in Southeast Asia and race riots at home.