America Through Time · Ten chapters
A country of stories.
One chapter at a time.
Discover American history through everyday life, familiar foods, makers and memories. Begin with colonial America, or choose a chapter that catches your curiosity.
Follow the timeline
Where will you begin?
Read in order or step into a favorite period. Chapters overlap because everyday life does not fit neatly between dates.
- 1607–1783
Colonial America & Independence
- The nineteenth century
Westward Expansion & Frontier Life
- 1861–1865
A Nation Divided: The Civil War
- About 1865–1914
Main Street & the General Store
- 1914–1918
World War I & a Changing America
- 1920–1933
Prohibition & the Roaring Twenties
- Focus: 1929–1939
The Great Depression & Making Do
- 1939–1945
World War II: Front Lines & Home Front
- About 1945–1975
Postwar America & the Open Road
- 1976 & memories that continue
The Bicentennial & American Memories
Keep exploring