本书按年代顺序分十章介绍从殖民地时间到二十一世纪美国社会和历史的演变,每章都配有相关年代美国的社会简介,并精先四五篇文章介绍美国历史上的重大事件、热点话题和知名人物,以帮助读者进一步了解每一历史时期的政治、经济和文化背景。读者通过阅读本书,能理清美国历史发展的脉络,获得对美国历史全景式的认知,从而能更好地了解美国这个社会和文化多元的**。
为使读者更好地理解和掌握各章的**和难点,每章末尾还附了练习题和思考题。本书所选部分材料和文章都在相当程序上反映西方学者对美国的认识,希望读者对其思想内容持客观和公正的批判态度。

Part one The Colonial Period(1607—1776)
Section A Texts
I . The European Explorers
II. The British Colonies
Section B Supplementary Readings
Passage one Native Americans and Euopena?
Passage Two Why Did They Come to America?
Passage Three Life in Colonial America
Passage Four The Evolution of Thanksgiving
Section C Exercises
Part Two The Revolutionar Period(1763—1789)
Section A Texts
I. Conflict Between the American Colonies and the Mother Country
II. War for Independence
III. The New Constitution and Government
Section B Supplementary Readings
Passage one A Century of Imperial War
Passage Two The Issue of Rpresentation
Passage Three Thomas Paine
Passage Four James Madison’s Contribution to the Constiution
Section C Exercises
Part Three The Young Republic(1790—1828)
Section A Texts
Section B Supplementary Readings
Section C Exercises
Part Four Western Expansion and Reform(1829—1859)
Section A Texts
Section B Supplementary Readings
Section C Exercises
Part five The Civil War and Reconstruction(1860—1887)
Section A Texts
Section B Supplementary Readings
Section C Exercises
Part six The Gilded Age(1865—1900)
Section A Texts
Section B Supplementary Readings
Section C Exercises
Part Seven The Progressive Era and World War I(1890—1917)
Section A Texts
Section B Supplementary Readings
Section C Exercises
Part Eight Prosperity and Depression(1918—1933)
Section A Texts
Section B Supplementary Readings
Section C Exercises
Part Nine The New Deal and Wolrd War(1993—1945)
Section A Texts
Section B Supplementary Readings
Section C Exercises
Part Ten The Modern Era(1946—Present)
Section A Texts
Section B Supplementary Readings
Section C Exercises
Appendixes
Bibliography

本书每章都配有相关年代美国社会简介,并精选四五篇文章介绍美国历史上的重大历史事件、热点话题和知名人物。