The American Story presents a balanced and manageable overview of the United States as an unfolding story of national development, integrating social and political history into a coherent and compelling narrative.

Acknowledging the nation's rich diversity of class, race, gender, and ethnicity, this edition tells the story of the people who, through their collective and individual endeavors, have shaped the past through the demands historical events placed on them. This text, based on the bestselling America Past and Present, is presented in a highly affordable Penguin Academic format.