This book is about American English, a textbook meant to be a relatively brief, highly teachable volume designed for undergraduate courses in the area. The Emergence and Development of American English (EDAE) is meant to be an all-in-one volume, and so it includes introductory treatment of basic terms and concepts for language study in the first two Appendices. EDAE takes a historical perspective in that it offers a set of chapters that bring readers from the origins of English up to the present day in America. It also has chapters that flesh out the modern situation for American English: regions, social groups including a separate chapter on African American English, heritage languages, and Standard American English. The book is meant for undergraduates who lack training in English language studies or training in linguistics but of course can also be used by people who have more training. EDAE is designed for global readers, with an awareness throughout of the global reach of American English. There is a strong demand for new approaches suitable for a wide range of faculty with some training in language studies who want more comprehensive modern coverage. These teachers will benefit from the structure of chapters, modeled after the structure in the Cambridge Introductions to the English Language series (CIEL). This book is a companion for The Emergence and Development of English in CIEL, a brief but general coverage of history of the English language, and EDAE provides more audio and computer opportunities for teachers and students.