From the arrival of English settlers in the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies, American society was rooted in British Puritanism. Although whispers of that earlier Puritanical society remain, today’s American culture is dramatically different. This volume traces the events that led to these societal changes, discussing such occurrences as the American Revolution, the California Gold Rush, the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, spikes in immigration, and the devastating world wars of the twentieth century. This book includes an in-depth look at the way specific groups define themselves, how those definitions have evolved over time, and how these evolving ideas shape the nation as a whole.