Books in Landmark books, 58 series

Author Linda Lowery chronicles the extraordinary—but little-known—life of black pioneer Aunt Clara Brown. Aunt Clara bought herself out of slavery, crossed the country on foot to reach the frontier, became a wealthy entrepreneur, aided other freed slaves, and eventually tracked down her lost daughter, sold away from Clara 47 years before. An inspiring piece of history that all Americans should know!

The book is illustrated by Douglas Gorsline. George Washington Carver (1964 - 1943), was an African American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. Carver's reputation is based on his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes, which also aided nutrition for farm families. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops both as a source of their own food and as a source of other products to improve their quality of life. The most popular of his 44 practical bulletins for farmers contained 105 food recipes using peanuts. He also developed and promoted about 100 products made from peanuts that were useful for the house and farm, including cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline, and nitroglycerin. He received numerous honors for his work, including the Spingarn Medal of the NAACP.

Young Benjamin Franklin could do almost anything. At the age of 12, he worked at a print shop. By 15, he had started writing in his brother’s newspaper. His funny writing and clever advice became famous all over the colonies. Ben invented the lightning rod, a new kind of stove, and many other things that improved people’s lives. When the colonies rebelled against England, Ben helped write the Declaration of Independence and the new Constitution. One of the most respected men of his time, Benjamin Franklin remains a role model for Americans to this day.

Beginning with Thomas Edison’s childhood, when he set up his first laboratory in his basement as a 10-year-old, and following through his many jobs before he was able to support himself as an inventor, this is the true story of the man who brought the world the phonograph, motion pictures, and even the electric light bulb—revolutionary inventions that forever changed the way people live. “One of the most critically acclaimed, best-selling children’s book series ever published.”—The New York Times Margaret Cousins is also the author of the Landmark Book Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia.

On January 24, 1848, James Marshall discovered a small nugget of gold in a stream near Sutter's Mill, California. Though he tried to keep it a secret, word spread through the country like wildfire. Before the year was out, the great American Gold Rush had begun. Here's a true-life story that re-creates a time when people from all walks of life dropped what they were doing and headed west with picks and shovels in the hope of finding riches--and added a brand-new chapter to our country's history.