Book excerpt: This volume, rich with primary sources, traces the story of the United States from the first contact between Europeans and Native Americans to the American Revolution and through the gold rush. This is a history often characterized by conflict and violence. It is the story of the religious hysteria and violence of the Salem witch trials, the gradual expansion of the country across the continent, the ill treatment of Native Americans, and slavery. It is about how the values of the Founding Fathers laid down in the Bill of Rights have made for a more peaceful and fair country, but one that has not always lived up to its promises and ideals.