American Pageant, Volume 2

One of the most popular, effective, and entertaining American history texts ever written, THE AMERICAN PAGEANT combines colorful anecdotes, a wealth of primary source materials, an abundance of photos and cartoons, and the authors' scholarship and trademark wit to bring American history to life.

“Contending Voices,” new to the 16th Edition, adds to the wealth of primary source material. This feature offers paired quotes from original historical sources, accompanied by questions that prompt students to think about conflicting perspectives on controversial subjects. Examples of topics include: Anne Hutchinson: Accused and Defended (Ch. 3); Debating the New Constitution (Ch. 9); The Role of Women (Ch. 15); Perspectives on Race and Slavery (Ch. 16); The Ghost Dance and the Wounded Knee Massacre (Ch. 26); All that Jazz (Ch. 30); and Differing Visions of Black Freedom (Ch. 38).

“Thinking Globally” essays (now totaling 14) present a different aspect of the American experience contextualized within world history. Readers learn how developments in North America were part of worldwide phenomena, be it the challenge to empire in the 18th century or the globalization that followed World War II. Students see how key aspects of American history were faced by other nations but resolved in distinct ways according to each country's history, cultural traditions, and political and economic structures.

A global focus throughout the text includes graphics to help students compare American developments to developments around the world in areas such as railroad building, cotton production, city size and urban reform strategies, immigration, automobile ownership, the economic effects of the Great Depression, and women's participation in voting and the workforce.