This is a useful study on the underpinnings of American social change from the Revolution period through the Civil War and the Reconstruction period. Clark analyzes elements such as the role of the family in society, the differences that existed among different geographic regions of the U.S., race and gender, the labor force and so forth to show how the U.S. was changing dramatically in some ways and in certain regions, but also how some things changed very little or very slowly, such as attitudes toward blacks, Indians, women and children in the household and the likes.

Look for great emphasis on the nature of the American family unit and the structures that existed within this unit and how that shaped society in a significant way. Clark also gives great attention to the nature of the Northern versus the Southern economies, what drove their economies and what groups were responsible for their developments (i.e. slave labor versus "free"labor). These themes will be quite familiar to most students of American history, but Clark's book is extremely useful in highlighting just what forces were shaping the country and leading it in the direction(s) it was heading.

The roles of commerce, slavery, westward expansion, migrations, religious revivalism, political parties and other such factors are touched upon to show the currents flowing in American society and how they affected peoples' lives, attitudes and beliefs. Clark's book doesn't provide a lot of new information, at least in my opinion, but it is nevertheless a thoughtful and eminently readable book on the social aspects of American history in this time period.