The authors in this collection show how, through a range of case studies, the creation of a collective memory of highly visible objects and landscapes is an ongoing struggle, their meanings always being constructed, changed, and challenged. The sites and symbols the authors address are nationally recognized and include a balance of places that illuminate class, ethnic, racial, and historical experiences. Focusing on material culture, they explore the tensions that exist among various groups - elite landowners, the National Park Service, preservationists, minority groups - who compete for control over the interpretation of American public history.

Introduction by: Paul A. Shackel
Foreword by: Edward T. Linenthal