The conflicts of the late 1960s and 1970s remind America of the divisions that opened up before the Civil War, but the boom of the 1980s heralds better times, with a confidence that mirrors the 1920s.

But “America: The Story of Us” does not seem terribly concerned about scholarship. At its best, it is history as streamlined storytelling; at its worst, it’s all about packaging.

Westward, with wagons, in Episode 3 of “America: The Story of Us,” a 12-hour History series that begins April 25. Experts include Donald J. Trump. Joe Alblas ...