In response to the ever-changing challenges of teaching the survey course, "Understanding the American Promise" combines a newly abridged narrative with an innovative chapter architecture to focus students' attention on what's truly significant. Each chapter is fully designed to guide students' comprehension and foster their development of historical skills. Brief and affordable but still balanced in its coverage, this new textbook combines distinctive study aids, a bold new design, and lively art to give your students a clear pathway to what's important.