The idea of America, and the American identity, has been central to this country’s cultural conversation and debate since its inception. America — past, present, and future — is an ongoing experiment in free will and liberty for all who reach its welcoming shores, plow its fertile soil, and raise their children to achieve that great promise of the American Dream. In The American Experiment, photographer Brandon Ralph presents an exploration of the patriotic symbols, the vast and varied landscape, and the tapestry of humanity that poses the question anew: What makes an American?

The result is a finely wrought collection of moments and Americans captured in time, separated by decades and by state lines, by events of national significance and by the invisible routines of day-to-day life. In Ralph’s starkly beautiful and unwaveringly sensitive images, there is a sense of timelessness that speaks to our collective nostalgia, our unflagging optimism, and our unending pursuit of freedom for all people.