Using the political history of the nation as the framework on which social, economic, and cultural developments depend, co-authors Carnes and Garraty describe how the voices and actions of many peoples have produced a particular political structure-the United States, a single nation-and how that nation has in turn influenced the lives of everyone. Long-renowned for its elegant narrative style, The American Nation in this Twelfth Edition retains its most significant strength-its rich and memorable prose.

In this revision, the authors have revised each chapter to incorporate recent research and scholarship, refined the prose style, greatly expanded the number of maps, selected many new illustrations to engage students visually, and written informative, new captions to encourage students to reflect on the information conveyed in the illustration. In each chapter, a new feature, "Debating the Past" presents the varying views of historians on a question related to the chapter content. The final chapter (33) carries the story of the American nation to the present with coverage of the war in Iraq and the election of 2004.