America's history

the long version

From the very inception of America's History, we set out to write a democratic history, one that would convey the experiences of ordinary people even as it recorded the accomplishments of the great and powerful. We focus not only on the marvelous diversity of peoples who became American but also on the institutions -- political, economic, cultural, and social -- that forged a common national identity. And we present these historical trajectories in an integrated way, using each perspective to make better sense of the others. - Preface for instructors.