 Cover of American Nations | |
| Author | Colin Woodard |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Published | 2011 |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| ISBN | 978-0-670-02296-0 |
| Website | colinwoodard |
American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America is an American non-fiction book written by Colin Woodard and published in 2011. Woodard proposes a framework for examining American history and current events based on a view of the country as a federation of eleven nations, each defined by a shared culture established by each nation's founding population.
Noting that the original thirteen colonies were established at different times and by different groups with different goals and values, Woodard shows how these colonies both cooperated and competed from their founding. The principles held dear by each colony often conflicted with those of other colonies, and those conflicting agendas shaped the founding and growth of the United States. As the country expanded, the populace that moved into the new territory brought with it the culture of the society from which they came, resulting in nations – a group that shares a common culture and origin – divorced from legal state and international boundaries. American Nations argues that the contrasts between regional cultures, as opposed to state or national borders, provide a more useful and accurate explanation of events and movements.
Woodard has written two sequels: American Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good (Viking, 2016) and Union: The Struggle to Forge the Story of United States Nationhood (Viking, 2020). He has referred to them as an "informal American Nations trilogy."[1]
- ^ Woodard, Colin (April 9, 2012). "World Wide Woodard: Presenting the (slighty [sic] revised) American Nations map". World Wide Woodard. Retrieved July 2, 2021.