Books in Stories in American History series

Almost immediately, the Civil War transformed the way Southerners ate, devastating fields and food transportation networks. The war also spurred Southerners to canonize prewar cooking styles, resulting in cuisine that retained nineteenth-century techniques in a way other American cuisines did not. This fascinating book presents a variety of Civil War-era recipes from the South, accompanied by eye-opening essays describing this tumultuous period in the way people lived and ate. The cookbooks excerpted here teem with the kinds of recipes we expect to find when we go looking for Southern food: grits and gumbo, succotash and Hopping John, catfish, coleslaw, watermelon pickles, and sweet potato pie. The cookbooks also offer plenty of surprises. This volume, the second in the American Food in History series, sheds new light on cooking and eating in the Civil War South, pointing out how seemingly neutral recipes can reveal unexpected things about life beyond the dinner plate, from responses to the anti-slavery movement to shifting economic imperatives to changing ideas about women’s roles. Together, these recipes and essays provide a unique portrait of Southern life via the flavors, textures, and techniques that grew out of a time of crisis.

Cookbooks offer a unique and valuable way to examine American life. Their lessons, however, are not always obvious. Direct references to the American Civil War were rare in cookbooks, even in those published right in the middle of it. In part, this is a reminder that lives went on and that dinner still appeared on most tables most nights, no matter how much the world was changing outside. But people accustomed to thinking of cookbooks as a source for recipes, and not much else, can be surprised by how much information they can reveal about the daily lives and ways of thinking of the people who wrote and used them. In this fascinating historical compilation, excerpts from five Civil War–era cookbooks present a compelling portrait of cooking and eating in the urban north of the 1860s United States.

American Kids in History?(TM)Discover Life in America During World War II with Dozens of Exciting Projects, Games, Activities, and Recipes Travel back to 1942 and experience firsthand just how exciting and challenging life was for kids in America during World War II. Spend a year with the Donatos and the Andersens, two families working hard to make ends meet while still making time to have fun. Visit eleven-year-old Frank Donato in San Francisco and share in the thrilling sight of warships heading out to sea under the Golden Gate Bridge. Follow twelve-year-old Shirley Andersen through her family's wheat farm in southern Minnesota as they prepare for the autumn harvest. Eager to share the fun, adventure, and hard work of their daily lives, Frank and Shirley will show you how to play their favorite games, make cool toys and crafts, and cook up the yummiest recipes! Create a toy periscope out of a cardboard mailing tube and two small pocket mirrors, cook up a delicious Coney Island hot dog, play the exciting game of Sea Battle, and keep track of the weather with a 3-D cloud chart. Packed with entertaining and easy projects, games, and recipes, World War II Days will take you on an exhilarating adventure into one of the most fascinating periods in American history.

African American History traces the timeline of this proud culture from its origins and the American Civil War, to the Civil Rights movement, to the struggle for equality that continues today. The Civil Rights Movement discusses important events during the fight for human and civil rights. Short biographies of civil rights leaders, authors, artists, and other powerful African Americans are also included. Graphically gripping, this series draws in young readers with dramatic images, while providing a clear understanding of African Americans' past. Abdo & Daughters is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Bring history to life for students in grades 6 and up using U.S. History: Inventors, Scientists, Artists, and Authors! This 128-page book provides a full-spectrum view of some of the most fascinating and influential lives in U.S. history. It features biographical sketches of historical figures such as George Washington Carver, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Washington Irving, Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and Ernest Hemingway. 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.