Adopted at over 250 colleges and universities in its First Edition, Inventing America broke new ground by integrating the cultural, social, and political dimensions of the American story around the unifying theme of innovation—the pragmatic forward-looking direction of American history, the willingness of Americans to find new solutions in the face of challenge and change. For the Second Edition, the authors have expanded and strengthened the innovation theme and pared some supporting detail to create a more concise and effective teaching text.