Reveals the stories behind the many symbols, landmarks, and documents that have shaped American history, including Plymouth Rock, the White House, Ellis Island, the flag, Uncle Sam, the National Anthem, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

"Popular narratives of American history conceal as much as they reveal. They present a national identity based on harvesting the treasures that lay in wait for European colonization. In Whose Ruins tells another story: winding through the US landscape, from Native American earthworks in West Virginia to the Manhattan Project in New Mexico, this history is a tour of sites that were mined for an empire's power. Showing the hidden costs of ruthless economic...