America's climate and landscapes are as diverse as the 300 million people who live here, and choices about which region to live in are often determined by the cultures and traditions of its people. Most citizens have chosen to live in (or near) one of America's largest cities, where you will be exposed to the limitless diversity of races, cultures, art and architecture. Other people may prefer to live in much smaller cities or towns, where a culture may be more traditional and consistent. There are many Americans who prefer to live in more rural or private areas, such as remote mountains, isolated forests, or vast deserts. However, wherever a person lives in the United States of America, there will be a blending of heritages, a blending of traditions, and a blending of lifestyles. The immense combinations of people and cultures have been brought here from all over the world. From the beginning of the Spanish settlements in the West, to the first European colony in the East, America had a great mix of multicultural peoples living together. For example, the millions of "Native Americans" (living among their native cultures for thousands of years) were the first peoples/tribes encountered by the European inhabitants when they reached this continent (which later became the United States of America). This excessive gathering of different peoples in a new land, maintaining their own customs and cultures, created the America we know today. This combination of multicultural people formed together and later gained their independence through war and became a strong and powerful nation. The story of America's "mixed inhabitants" is complex but fascinating. America has been called 'The Melting Pot' of the world,......middle of paper......le of Spanish colonial architecture built in Santa Fe around 1610 is the historic Palace of the Governors which also has It is authentic Spanish adobe style and is the nation's oldest continuously occupied public building. It was home to 60 New Mexico governors and became a place of refuge for Spanish colonialists during the Pablo Indian Revolt of 1680. The long covered side walk serves as a market overlooking the plaza. There are several rooms recreated with furniture and artifacts from the original period. Robert Hughes uses clear but detailed information when describing Santa Fe's troubled history. His descriptions are expressive and confessing. Robert Hughes sees the history of American art as only an outsider would. Challenge our distorted notions of America's past while challenging the practice of seeing historic art and architecture with a renewed approach.