"The America that Alexander Hamilton knew was largely agricultural and built on slave labor. He envisioned something else: a multi-racial, urbanized, capitalistic America with a strong central government. He believed that such an America would be a land of opportunity for the poor and the newcomers. But Hamilton's vision put him at odds with his archrivals who envisioned a pastoral America of small towns, where governments were local, states would...

"The fifth book in the Making of America series, Franklin D. Roosevelt examines the life of America's 32nd president: his birth into one of America's elite families, his domineering mother, his marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt, his struggle with polio, and his political career. A Democrat, Roosevelt (1882-1945) won a record four presidential elections and is the longest-serving US President. During his time in office, he led the country through the Great...