America has long prided itself on being a meritocracy in which people have access to the same opportunities and resources in their efforts to build rewarding and financially secure lives for themselves and their families. However, the USA has historically been a nation in which some sectors of the population have enjoyed advantages over others by virtue of their favored race, ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, physical attributes, or socioeconomic background. How impactful have those privileges been in shaping current cultural, political, educational, and economic environments in the USA? This book explores that question and many more, using an approach that studies the question of privilege from a variety of illuminating perspectives. The book's opening chapters summarize the social, political, and economic evolution of privilege in the USA and discuss flashpoints of controversy and debate. Additional chapters provide personal essays from scholars and historically disadvantaged Americans, a selection of informative primary sources, an annotated bibliography of sources for further study, and a glossary of terms.