This second entry in the new Great Events from History -- American History series picks up where the first entry left off, spanning the years of the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation, and ultimately the Constitution, as well as the nation’s further expansion, Manifest Destiny and relations with Native Americans, relations with foreign nations, the politics of slavery and abolition, and the War of 1812.

Also examined is the shifting culture of the time, including early American publications, religious movements, musical and artistic movements, and the growth of American enterprise.

Political turmoil is also put into context, with the birth of the Republican Party, presidential elections, and rebellions and conspiracies of the time.