America’s Last Days

As the United States moves beyond its 250th anniversary, questions about national identity, political cohesion and the future of the republic have become increasingly urgent. America’s Last Days argues that the tensions present since the nation’s founding have deepened into a profound crisis of unity. Tracing the historical forces that shaped the United States, Peter Laufer examines contemporary divisions rooted in politics, economics, culture, immigration and regional identity. Drawing on primary sources and original reporting, this book considers secession movements, border realignment proposals and growing challenges to the idea of a shared American project. Provocative and wide-ranging, it asks whether the United States can endure in its current form, or whether a different political future may emerge from its longstanding divisions and radical contemporary schisms.