For this twelfth edition of The American Pageant, we have worked together closely to incorporate the most recent scholarship about American history, and to preserve the readability that has long been the Pageant's hallmark. We are often told that the Pageant is the sole American history text that has a distinctive personality -- defined by clarity, concreteness, a consistent chronological narrative, strong emphasis on major themes, avoidance of clutter, access to a variety of interpretive perspectives, and a colorful writing style leavened, as appropriate, with wit. - Preface.