Expertly steering readers through the often tumultuous and exhilarating history of the United States, from its early modern Native American roots to twenty-first-century neoliberalism and the shifting political climate of the past decade, this highly readable textbook provides a compelling overview of American development over the last five centuries. This book avoids either celebratory or condemnatory rhetoric to present a critical examination of domestic America and its interaction with the rest of the world. Balancing coverage of political, social, cultural, and economic history, each chapter also includes a wealth of features to facilitate learning: * * Timelines situating key events in their wider chronology * * Lists of topics covered within each chapter for easy reference * * Concept boxes discussing selected issues in more detail * * Historiography boxes exploring key debates * * Chapter summaries offering condensed outlines of the main themes of each chapter * * Further