Books in American Story series

This book charts the course of colonial America from Christopher Columbus' "discovery" of the new world in 1492 to the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1775. Works and personal accounts by historical figures like John Smith and Benjamin Franklin provide students an understanding of topics like life in Jamestown and colonial education. In addition to learning about European settlers and explorers through primary sources, students will learn about the Native Americans who originally inhabited the country. Similarly, students will learn about African Americans who were forced into slave labor. Overall, students will gain an understanding of the colonies and how they became the United States of America.

"The Harlem Renaissance was an exciting period in American history, and readers are placed in the middle of this vibrant African American cultural movement through engaging main text, annotated quotations from historical figures and scholars, and carefully selected primary sources. Eye-catching sidebars and a comprehensive timeline highlight important artists, writers, and works from the Harlem Renaissance to give readers a strong sense of this essential social studies curriculum topic. The influence of the Harlem Renaissance can still be seen in the cultural contributions of African Americans today, making this a topic that is sure to resonate with readers"--

Bring history to life for students in grades 6 and up using U.S. History: People and Events (1865–Present)! This 128-page book provides a full-spectrum view of some of the most fascinating and influential lives and occurrences in U.S. history. It features biographical sketches and overviews from the end of the Civil War through Reconstruction, two world wars, and the Civil Rights movement up to the present! The book includes time lines and reinforcement questions and works perfectly as a full unit or classroom supplement. It supports NCSS standards and the National Standards for History.

The American colonists solidified their independence from England with the conclusion of the Revolutionary War in 1783. However, the new citizens of this new country called the United States of America still had to figure out their own way forward. Students will hear from Founding Fathers including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin about how the government was formed. Students will also learn about how the United States handled international and domestic affairs, about explorations of new territories, and about the day-to-day lives of early Americans, including Native Americans and enslaved Africans, through letters, speeches, legal documents, slave narratives, newspaper articles, and more. Students will gain a rounded understanding of the foundations of America.

The stock market crash of 1929 triggered the worst economic crisis in U.S. history, the Great Depression. After Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president in 1933, he implemented the New Deal, a series of federal programs designed to ease unemployment and bolster the economy. These programs received mixed responses. The U.S. economy would ultimately continue to suffer until World War II started in 1939, when American industries were revitalized as they produced planes, ships, and weapons. In this book, students will read primary-source materials about the crash, the struggles of the American people, and the programs that helped pull the country out of the Great Depression.

The Civil War is still one of the bloodiest wars in which Americans have fought. It not only split the country between North and South, but in many cases it also split families. Students will read speeches, newspaper articles, letters, and diaries entries from those both at war and on the home front. Through these primary sources, students will learn about the events that led to the Southern secession, the battles fought between the Union and the Confederate armies, and life in the midst of the conflict from the people whose lives were changed by it, including women and African Americans.

Thousands of American soldiers were dying and millions more combattants and civilians were perishing during World War II. Some of the world’s greatest scientists escaped their own war-torn countries and fled to the Unites States. These scientists discovered a possible way to end the war. Thus began the three-year experiment resulting in the production and use of the atomic bomb. In THE SECRET OF THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, author Doreen Gonzales examines the creation of this powerful weapon and its place in the history of World War II. She presents the political, scientific and social issues surrounding the bomb, and looks at today’s issues about living in a world with nuclear weapons.

For more than two hundred years, Americans have gathered every November to vote. The country has grown and changed during that time, and so has our Constitution, but the basic system of "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" remains the same. How do our leaders, from local mayors on up to Presidents and Supreme Court Justices, go about getting their jobs, and just what are their jobs? Learn what every good citizen needs to know about American democracy in action.

The Civil War takes readers on a chronological journey of the most important events of the conflict with action-packed illustrations by Mort Künstler?the most collected Civil War artist in the world?and inquiry-based text award winning historian and author James I. Robertson, Jr. With close readings of Künstler’s paintings, young readers can parse the details of key moments of the war, including the Battle of Bull Run, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Gettysburg Address, to learn how it really felt to be there. A timeline and short biographies of notable figures in the war, such as generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, provide excellent supplements to each narrative chapter.

The late Jackie Torrence, known to audiences nationwide simply as The Story Lady, had a way with words. These lively, engaging stories feature characters from folklore (Br'er Rabbit and Tar Baby) and from the Bible (Hosea and Gomer, the Lost Son), with a few of her family stories that have proven to be crowd pleasers ( Pa's Trip from Town: A Ghost Story, and The Strawberry Pie). The title essay encourages African-American youth to learn and preserve the stories of their people as a source of ....