Chronicles the growth of America and the dynamic individuals who invoked noble principles to justify an agressive pursuit of a coast-to-coast domain, examining the roles of Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, James Polk, and Teddy Roosevelt.

"Examines the 12 most amazing facts about the Louisiana Purchase. Full-color spreads provide information about the event's critical moments, key players, and lasting effects paired with interesting sidebars, questions to consider, and a timeline." -- Amazon.com.

"John Hay, famous as Lincoln's private secretary and later as secretary of state under presidents McKinley and Roosevelt, and Samuel Langhorne Clemens, famous for being 'Mark Twain,' grew up fifty miles apart, on the banks of the Mississippi River, in the same rural antebellum stew of race and class and want. This shared history helped draw them together when they first met as up-and-coming young men in the late 1860s, and their mutual admiration...

Explores the role of rivers as roads in the exploration and westward expansion of America since precolonial times, discussing the histories of the Hudson, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, and Colorado rivers, the Rio Grande, and the Erie Canal.

The rise and fall of ancient Rome has been on American minds from the beginning of our Republic. Depending on who's doing the talking, the history of Rome serves either as a triumphal call to action, or a dire warning of imminent collapse. Esteemed editor and author Murphy ventures past the pundits' rhetoric to draw nuanced lessons about how we might avoid Rome's demise. Working on a canvas that extends far beyond the issue of an overstretched military,...

"Uses primary sources to tell the story of Westward Expansion in the United States"--

"When he died in 1838, Seminole warrior Osceola was the most famous Native American in the world. Born a Creek, Osceola was driven from his home to Florida by General Andrew Jackson where he joined the Seminole tribe. Their paths would cross again when President Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act that would relocate the Seminoles to hostile lands and lead to the return of the slaves who had joined their tribe. Outraged Osceola declared war. This...