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Just like its people, American architecture is a melting pot. It derives from many influences and various architectural practices, making it quite unique. An early look at American architecture would leave one appreciating the aesthetics. But when someone looks closer and takes a look at the many years of architecture in the United States, there is much more than meets the eye. Dell Upton writes, "Architecture is an art of social storytelling, a means for shaping American society and culture and for annotating social action by creating appropriate settings for it" (Upton, 1998:11).