From the guidebook. Throughout most of world history, nearly everyone has been poor, life expectancy has been short, and famine has been a frequent visitor. Today, many parts of the world are so wealthy that they regard poverty not as normal but as a special problem that ought to be eliminated. The single great cause of this increase in wealth has been industrialization. We know now beyond question that industrial societies generate wealth, which...

In this course, historian Patrick N. Allitt investigates the American character by introducing notable Americans from all eras of the nation's history, from Thomas Jefferson to Al Capone, whose lives speak on the qualities that make one truly American. The figures in these lectures led fascinating lives, helping one to gain a deeper understanding of the trends and ideas that shaped America and that continue to influence American society today.

Whether you are searching for the past or want to better understand the world as it is today, travel-even virtually, from the comfort of home-offers a unique opportunity to see the world in new ways. Wander the streets of cosmopolitan London, roam the 1,000-year-old campuses of Oxford and Cambridge, or tour world-famous museums like the Tate Modern and the National Railway Museum. Or maybe you are aiming for a more pastoral adventure, like an expedition...

Chronicles the history of the United States from colonial origins to the beginning of the 21st century.

Chronicles the history of the United States from colonial origins to the beginning of the 21st century.

Chronicles the history of the United States from colonial origins to the beginning of the 21st century.