Making of America

Through vintage photos, maps, and vignettes, the Making of America history book series explores the rise and development of the cities, towns, landmarks, and events that shaped our country. Learn how the Erie Canal led to Buffalo’s unprecedented growth, and how Lake Martin evolved from a battlefield to a vacation site in Alabama. Dive into Detroit’s motor history, stroll through Flatbush, the heart of Brooklyn, or join the gold boom at Cripple Creek, Colorado. From Pennsylvania Dutch Country to Las Vegas before the glitz and glam, witness the making of America for yourself. [View all Making of America books]
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Williamsport:
Williamsport:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Portsmouth:
Portsmouth:
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Memphis:
Memphis:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Columbia River Gorge:
Columbia River Gorge:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Putney:
Putney:
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Freehold:
Freehold:
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Monterey:
Monterey:
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Girard:
Girard:
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Flatbush:
Flatbush:
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Buffalo:
Buffalo:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The White Mountains:
The White Mountains:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Chico:
Chico:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Orlando:
Orlando:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Williamsport:

9780738524382

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Nestled at the foot of the Appalachian mountains and divided by the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, Williamsport's striking landscape provided inspiration as well as protection even before the town's inception in 1796. What was once the beacon of a thriving lumber industry and in time became the cradle of our nation's pastime with baseball's Little League World Series, has evolved into a city with a dynamic story rich in culture and tradition.
Williamsport:

Portsmouth:

9780738524276

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From Strawbery Banke to the Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth has always been the economic, cultural, and political hub north of Boston. Brightly-colored saltbox homes and towering lighthouses line the churning currents of the Piscataqua, and narrow lanes echo with the footsteps of John Paul Jones, the Reverend Joseph Buckminster, and centuries of hunters, lumberjacks, merchants, and tourists.
Portsmouth:

Memphis:

9780738524412

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With a reputation as wide open as the waters of the Mississippi flowing past its bustling downtown district, Memphis is a city of contrasts and contradictions. From the darkness of epidemics and racial tension to its beacons of music and entreprenurial success, Memphis is a reflection of the true American experience. For many years it was a community functioning almost as two separate societies, yet the ties between the two create one resolute and dynamic city as it begins this new century.
Memphis:

Columbia River Gorge:

9780738524320

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Lying in the shadows of Mt. Hood and the Cascade peaks, Columbia River Gorge is as rich in history as the bounty its fertile soils provide. From the numerous native tribes, Lewis & Clark, and famed botanist David Douglas to a guru's siege at Antelope and the modern Gorge's reputation for world-class windsurfing, its stories shape the area into a thriving chain of distinctive communities. The Gorge meshes its vibrant past with a stunning physical backdrop to provide the perfect vista for all who are curious about this alluring region.
Columbia River Gorge:

Putney:

9780738524306

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Putney, Vermont owes much to its early farming settlers who established the town's spirit of hard work and ingenuity, and to its mill workers whose labor sustained the town's economy for over 200 years. Agricultural advances, social experiments, and a devout commitment to education and artistry helped this community earn world renown with such institutions as the Putney School, America's first co-ed boarding school; Landmark College, the only U.S. two-year college devoted to students with learning differences; the Yellow Barn, an international music school with a famous annual music festival; and the Experiment in International Living. Putney celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2003, marking a tradition of overcoming internal strife and economic hardship to prosper through innovation and industry.
Putney:

Freehold:

9780738524184

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Lenni Lenape tribes once foraged where Freehold Raceway and development and rejuvination efforts flourish today in Freehold, seat of Monmouth County. Following European colonization in the mid-seventeenth century, this enterprising community perservered through a major battle and countless skirmishes in the American Revolution, immersion in the Civil War, rapid industrialization, and municipal reorganization. The residents overcame social and political strife, preserving spirit and courage to unify both borough and township for generations to come.
Freehold:

Monterey:

9780738524238

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Monterey, California conjures images of a coastal city rimmed by crystal clear waters and bolstered by tourism; yet these edenic views belie the community's often turbulent history, originating with the Native Americans who lived here for a millennium and Hispanic exploration and colonization. At each stage in the growth of this city, residents have successfully overcome the division of multiple rule, diverse nationalities, and fledgling identities to fashion a homeland in the western landscape of America that is deservingly proud of its character and history.
Monterey:

Girard:

9780738524542

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Born at the dawn of America's great canal era, Girard thrived on the streams of commerce and life flowing through Pennsylvania on the Erie Canal. Home also to the nation's first Civil War monument and one of the few banks to remain open during the Great Depression, the town stayed in the mainstream of history even after the canals dried up and time passed on.
Girard:

Flatbush:

9780738524535

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The cultural and ethnic flavors of Flatbush, Brooklyn have changed over these many years, from seventeenth-century Dutch to eastern European and Jewish, and the present Caribbean influence. Over time, small, rich farms run by Patrician families gave way to the dignified garden homes of Victorian Flatbush when the economy could no longer support farming. Through annexation by Brooklyn, development of the railroad and trolleys (which inspired the name of baseball's famed Trolley Dodgers), and the drain of suburban flight, Flatbush residents actively sought to keep their town a place to call home.
Flatbush:

Buffalo:

9780738524498

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Buffalo, New York owes much of its fame to the Erie Canal, which ushered in unprecedented growth and prestige to what was at its peak the nation's eighth largest city. Burgeoning railroads and grain, coal, and lumber exports dominated this industrial giant through the dawn of the twentieth century, culminating in the city's crowning moment of glory, the Pan American Exposition of 1901. As industry declined and residents fled to the suburbs, perceptive citizens recognized Buffalo's vast architectural treasures and rescued many landmarks with the intention of preserving the community's heritage.
Buffalo:

The White Mountains:

9780738524337

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This fabled district-America's first tourist playground- boasts the highest peaks in the Northeast and the world's worst weather. Rising above the forests, lakes, and rivers of northern New Hampshire and western Maine, this storied range is the centerpiece of the 770,000-acre White Mountain National Forest. These mountains have witnessed centuries of change, from Native Americans through early European settlers, the arrival of railroads and automobiles, and the rise of the grand hotels during the region's heyday.
The White Mountains:

Chico:

9780738524467

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In what has emerged as one of the most desirable places to live at the turn of this new century, the journey of Chico since its inception is one of growth as well as remembrance. A rich cultural heritage is as responsible for development of this diverse community as its fertile soils were in creating an economic stronghold. From the traditions and teachings of the Mechoopda Indians to its present day reputation as an educational bastion, Chico serves as a backbone of the budding Central Valley.
Chico:

Orlando:

9780738524429

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Emerging as Florida's largest inland city, Orlando in its infancy more resembled the Old West than the Old South-a frontier town born in the days of the Seminole Wars. The free-spirited early years of cattle ranching and cowboys on the palmetto prairie gave way to a series of booms throughout the city's history. Whether it was railroads, real estate, citrus, or tourism, Orlando has been a community able to cultivate growth through big dreams and an ambitious attitude.
Orlando: