Examines the period when the United States and the Soviet Union opposed each other for influence over the smaller nations of the world and how this struggle expressed itself in the arms race and in Korea and Vietnam. Also discusses the conflicts such as the civil rights movement that occurred within the U.S. during the same period.

Descriptive text, photos, sidebars, and biographical profiles chronicle the political and cultural events that shaped the U.S. from the 1970s through 2000; also includes a time line, a glossary, a bibliography, and a list of Web sites.

Tells the story of a people who left poverty and a homeland split by civil war and revolution in order to achieve their hopes for riches and freedom. From their backbreaking efforts building railroads and overcoming discrimination to their success in all avenues of U.S. society.