The Nation in a Nutshell

A concise, chronological outline of American development begins with prehistoric antiquities and archaeological eras, then proceeds through exploration, colonization, the colonial period, the growth of resistance and the Revolution, and the framing of national government. It continues with early presidencies and major nineteenth-century conflicts, examines the slavery controversy and the Civil War, and concludes with surveys of subsequent presidents, material and cultural progress in literature, the arts, science and invention, and political changes that shaped the nation.