Throughout the country, historic preservation has become a veritable industry. In New York City alone, the preservation movement has acquired a great deal of power, saving numerous edifices from the wrecking ball. New York is not alone, across the country, grassroots movements to preserve various aspects of the nation's past-Indian burial grounds, slave quarters and deco buildings. In this volume, some of the best figures in the field have come together to write on preservation movements Giving Preservation a History also touches on the European roots of the historic preservation movement; on how preservation movements have taken a leading role in shaping American urban space and urban development; how historic preservation battles have reflected broader social forces; and what the changing nature of historic preservation bodes for the effort to preserve the nation's past.