Take a walk through the biggest events, the wars, the economic, political, and social forces, the presidents, and lesser-known personalities as well as the sports, music, and entertainment that created, changed, and built the United States! From Washington to the microchip, Columbus to modern terrorist threats, the Anasazi to the iPhone, The Handy American History Answer Book traces the development of the nation, including the impact of the Civil War, the discovery of gold in California, the inventions, the political and economic crises, and the technology transforming modern culture today. It answers nearly 900 commonly asked questions and offers fun facts about American, its history, and people, such as: What were the first crops developed by the early Indian cultures? What was the Lost Colony? When did the first Africans arrive in the British colonies of North America? What was the Stamp Act? Did the American colonies have the death penalty? Why did Elbridge Gerry, Edmund Randolph, and George Mason refuse to sign the Constitution? What were the Lincoln-Douglas debates? What Civil War nurse later founded the American Red Cross? Who were the robber barons? Who invented the sport of basketball? How bad was the San Francisco earthquake of 1906? What was the Harlem Renaissance? Who were the "Four Horsemen"? Was the U.S. mainland attacked during World War II? When did the Cold War begin and why? How was Earl Warren crucial to the Brown v. Board of Education decision? What caused the Vietnam War? What was Reaganomics? What impact did the Challenger disaster have on the U.S. space program? What record producer co-founded Def Jam? Who became the first space tourist? This handy primer is a captivating, concise, and convenient history of America and Americans.The Handy American History Answer Book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness.