Buildings and Landmarks of 20th- and 21st-Century America: American Society Revealed

Elizabeth B. Greene · Edward Salo

Sep 2018 · ABC-CLIO

About this ebook

This engaging book uses buildings and structures as a lens through which to explore various strands of U.S. social history, revealing the connections between architecture and the cultural, economic, and political events before and during these American landmarks' construction.

During the 20th and 21st centuries, the United States became the dominant world power. The tumultuous progression of our nation to global leader can be seen in the social, cultural, and political history of the United States over the last century, and the country's evolution is also reflected in major buildings and landmark sites across the nation.

Buildings and Landmarks of 20th- and 21st-Century America: American Society Revealed documents how the construction, design, and function of famous buildings and structures can inform our understanding of societies of the past. Its text and images enable readers to get a deeper understanding of the buildings themselves as well as what happened at each structure's location and how those events fit into our nation's history. Through the study of specific buildings or types of buildings that influenced the cultural, social, and political history of the nation, readers will explore monuments to presidents, learn about how the first tract home neighborhoods came into existence, and marvel at the role of buildings in helping us get to the moon, just to mention a few topics.

Provides readers with an understanding of the various political and cultural factors and historical happenings that played important roles in the construction of major buildings in the 20th and 21st centuries in the United States

Covers buildings and landmarks as diverse as the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Watergate Complex, the World Trade Center, and Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural masterpiece, Fallingwater

Examines the rise of entertainment in the United States and how powerful of an influence it became on American society

Presents historical information in an engaging, informative manner that encourages interactive learning and critical thinking

About the author

Elizabeth B. Greene is author of Buildings and Landmarks of 19th-Century America: American Society Revealed and an interior designer at the College of Staten Island.

Edward Salo, PhD, is assistant professor of history at Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR.