In a bid to reveal the essence of America, historian and journalist Jon Meacham documents the words and actions of presidents and other historical figures who helped shape the nation’s culture and politics, making the US the country it is today. The subject of race is at the core of Meacham’s treatise. He notes that in 1619, long before the nation was formed, a Dutchman brought 20 captive Africans to Virginia — the first chapter in the saga of American slavery. The book arrives at a time when much about the American political system seems broken. America’s greatness, Meacham believes, stems from the fact that “what Abraham Lincoln called "the better angels of our nature" have prevailed just often enough to keep the national enterprise alive.” Meacham believes the nation will move beyond Donald Trump because, in the end, Americans embrace their better angels. This book stands as a testament to that choice — a reminder that the country has a history of returning to its core values of freedom and equality.