American history has been shaped by numerous debates over issues far ranging in content and time. This series, Shapers of the Great American Debates, examines many of these debates--from those between Native Americans and European settlers to those between "natives" and "newcomers." Each volume focuses on a particular issue, concentrating on those men and women who shaped the debates. The authors pay special attention to fleshing out the life histories of the shapers, considering the relationship between biography or personal history and policy or philosophy. Unlike other works that emphasize end results, the books in this series devote equal attention to both sides, to the "winners" and the "losers." Taken together, the books in this series remind us of the many ways that class, race, ethnicity, gender, and region have divided rather than united the inhabitants of the United States of America. Each study reminds us of the frequency and variety of debates in America, a reflection of the diversity of the nation and its democratic credo. All of the works are written with the needs of college and advanced high school students in mind. They should prove valuable both as sources for research papers and as supplemental texts in both general and specialized courses. The general public should also find the works an attractive means toward learning more about many of the most important figures and equally as many seminal issues in American history.