The four volumes of The Story of America are structured around twenty-six significant episodes in American history. Each chapter describes a particular noteworthy period in American history by focusing on a single event - for example, the Boston Massacre in the case of the Revolutionary period, or Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight for the 1920s. Concentrating on a single event has allowed us to describe settings, characters, and the routines of daily life during unfamiliar previous ages.