Designed as a text for the second half of the U.S. history survey course, "The Human Tradition in America from 1865 to the Present" is a collection of the best biographical essays from several volumes in SR Books' popular "Human Tradition in America" series. Like all books in the series, this text presents history from the "bottom up" by chronicling the lives of ordinary Americans. These brief biographical sketches stress to students that history is created by people, making the subject appealing and vibrant in a way that just names and dates in a standard textbook cannot. Capturing the rich diversity of the United States, "The Human Tradition in America from 1865 to the Present" includes the stories of a variety of Americans of different races, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, religious affiliations, and genders from many different regions of the country. For this reader, series editor Charles Calhoun has carefully selected biographies of individuals whose lives highlight important themes from this dynamic period of history. The essays included here are sure to engage students, provoke lively classroom discussion, and promote critical thinking.