This major new text presents a collection of recent writings on architecture and urbanism in the United States, with topics ranging from colonial to contemporary times. Drawing together 24 illustrated essays by major and emerging scholars in the field, it will appeal to students and faculty in college-level courses in the history of American art, architecture, urbanism, and material culture. In terms of content and scope, there is no collection, in or out of print, directly comparable to this one. The essays are drawn from the past twenty years' of publishing in the field, arranged chronologically from colonial to contemporary and accessible in thematic groupings. The editor provides a comprehensive introductory essay and sets the book's themes in context.