In the 2nd edition of this best-selling and authoritative work, American History, Volume 2 gives a wide overview of America’s history from the end of the Civil War era to the political and cultural struggles of contemporary times.

The second edition has been revised to include stories of the meatpacking industry in Kansas City, Missouri, the muckrakers, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, Fanny Crosby, Napolean Bonaparte Broward, Orville and Wilbur Wright, the flu of 1918, the Great Mississippi River flood of 1927, Robert Oppenheimer, Henry “Hank” Aaron, the beginning of Medicare, Johnny Cash, the formation of Microsoft Windows, the invention of air conditioners and the oil boom, the killing of Osama bin Laden, Hurricane Katrina, COVID-19, the election of Joe Biden, and the reelection of Donald Trump, among many others.

Thomas S. Kidd employs lessons learned from his own scholarly expertise and history classes to weave together a compelling narrative of the defeats and triumphs that have defined the American national experience. Unlike many textbooks of modern American history, religion and faith remain central aspects of the book’s coverage, through the reelection of President Donald Trump. It gives detailed treatment of episodes such as America’s military conflicts, the Civil Rights movement, its involvement in foreign affairs, and the culture wars of the past half-century. Professor Kidd also considers the development of America’s obsession with entertainment, from the rise of the first movies, to the social media age.

American History, Volume 2, 2nd Edition will help students wrestle with the political and cultural changes that have dramatically transformed contemporary American life.