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In its second edition, Containing Multitudes: Voices from the American Past presents nearly two hundred primary documents illuminating the American past from the period before European contact to the present. Published in two volumes, this carefully curated collection—including letters, literature, journalism, and visual art—gives readers access to historical voices representing a wide range of perspectives and belief systems.

Designed for US history survey courses, this new edition expands the book’s scope with additional documents and revised contextual materials. Brief introductory essays and discussion questions accompany each selection, providing analysis and instructional support while encouraging student conversation and critical reflection. Together, these materials convey a rich and complex portrait of the American past while offering sustained insight into the many dimensions of the historian’s craft.

In its second edition, Containing Multitudes: Voices from the American Past presents nearly two hundred primary documents illuminating the American past from the period before European contact to the present. Published in two volumes, this carefully curated collection—including letters, literature, journalism, and visual art—gives readers access to historical voices representing a wide range of perspectives and belief systems.

Designed for US history survey courses, this new edition expands the book’s scope with additional documents and revised contextual materials. Brief introductory essays and discussion questions accompany each selection, providing analysis and instructional support while encouraging student conversation and critical reflection. Together, these materials convey a rich and complex portrait of the American past while offering sustained insight into the many dimensions of the historian’s craft.

“As is well known, Pete is an outstanding storyteller, and this book is no exception."
—Claire Strom, Journal of Southern History

In addition to chronicling significant exhibit work at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Curating the American Past, captures the excitement inherent in researching and writing history and Pete Daniel’s efforts to prevent diluted celebratory stories from replacing the red meat of the American past.

In Curating the American Past, Pete Daniel reveals how curators collect objects, plan exhibits, and bring alive the country’s complex and exciting history. In vivid detail, Daniel recounts the exhilaration of innovative research, the joys of collaboration, and the rewards of mentoring new generations of historians. In a career distinguished by prize-winning publications and pathbreaking exhibitions, Daniel also confronted the challenges of serving as a public historian tasked with protecting a definitive American museum from the erosion of scholarly standards. Curating the American Past offers a wealth of museum wisdom, illuminating the crucial role that dedicated historians and curators serve within our most important repositories of cultural memory.