American Disasters

Disasters reveal something about the society in which they occur, and this book explores the lingering social and cultural impacts of American disasters. Chapters examine the immediate and long‐term responses to disasters throughout history, from hurricanes and British colonial society, through the 1909 San Francisco earthquake, the great Chicago fire, the Challenger disaster, and the Exxon Valdez oil spill, among others. Contributing authors highlight how Americans have understood and explained disasters and how our culture interprets and gives meaning to disaster response and recovery.