Books in America's Most Important Documents: Inquiry into Historical Sources series

This volume takes a fresh look at Common Sense, Thomas Paine's provocative pamphlet that roused the American colonists toward outright revolt against Britain. With ample use of primary sources, this book provides historical context and a feeling for the times. It explores why this document was pivotal in 1776 and how it still informs the United States' idea of itself and its government. Illustrations and quotations, plus interesting little-known facts, make this a fascinating book for readers grades 6 to 8.

Of all the documents in American history, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation ranks among the most important. It began the process of freeing four million Americans from slavery and led to constitutional amendments that ensure equal protections for all Americans. Drawing on primary sources, this book describes the economic and political conditions and thinking that led to the Emancipation Proclamation; the profound impact it had on the outcome of the Civil War and the period immediately following; and ways the document, through the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, continues to affect society today. This book also includes compelling images and little-known facts of interest.

Winning the American Revolution was the first step to starting the new nation of the United States. However, without a ratified constitution, the fledgling country was not completely united. This insightful book guides readers through the eighty-five essays that make up the Federalist Papers. It explores the notions that pushed the states toward ratification and promoted a solid federal government. It takes readers through the history of why these documents were necessary and the role they played, and shares insight on how the Federalist Papers, their authors, and the U.S. Constitution itself continue to play a role in American society.

John Adams said that the United States was a nation of laws. Of all the United States' laws, the legal principles laid out in the U.S. Constitution are the foundation of the country. The document defines the country's deepest ideals, its highest standards, and its wildest ambitions. The Constitution has served as the nation's guiding star for over two hundred years, with only twenty-seven amendments in all that time. Understanding it is the one sure way to understand the best of what the United States can be, which this book allows for your readers.

The Bill of Rights is one of America's most treasured documents. Most of the rights guaranteed in the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as many others, were introduced in America 150 years earlier, in the Massachusetts Body of Liberties. This 1641 document, composed by extremely strict Puritans, proclaimed that citizens were entitled to protections that were revolutionary for their time. How did men who frequently punished people arbitrarily and cruelly, for seemingly trivial offenses, write such a code? This book explains all of this, as well as why and how those liberties impact Americans today.

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most beloved of America's founding documents. This book offers a refreshing take on the history surrounding it. In addition to examining the circumstances and personalities that led to the drafting of the document, this book takes a close look at the wording and philosophy of the document itself, demonstrating how those ideas have defined our nation since. Readers will be surprised to learn that Thomas Jefferson initially included a passage calling for the abolition of slavery, and that the declaration provided much support for the U.S. suffrage and abolition movements that came later.

On August 6, 1945, the course of world history changed forever with the dropping of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Over half a century later, countries around the globe are still dealing with the lasting effects of this decision. Some of these are physical reminders of the chaos and destruction. Elsewhere, politicians, diplomats, and ordinary citizens continue to grapple with the issue of nuclear weapons and warfare. Through photographs, stories, and documents, this in-depth exploration of the order to drop the bomb offers a detailed look at the events that kicked off the nuclear age.

John Adams said that the United States was a nation of laws. Of all the United States' laws, the legal principles laid out in the U.S. Constitution are the foundation of the country. The document defines the country's deepest ideals, its highest standards, and its wildest ambitions. The Constitution has served as the nation's guiding star for over two hundred years, with only twenty-seven amendments in all that time. Understanding it is the one sure way to understand the best of what the United States can be, which this book allows for your readers.

This volume takes a fresh look at Common Sense, Thomas Paine's provocative pamphlet that roused the American colonists toward outright revolt against Britain. With ample use of primary sources, this book provides historical context and a feeling for the times. It explores why this document was pivotal in 1776 and how it still informs the United States' idea of itself and its government. Illustrations and quotations, plus interesting little-known facts, make this a fascinating book for readers grades 6 to 8.

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most beloved of America's founding documents. This book offers a refreshing take on the history surrounding it. In addition to examining the circumstances and personalities that led to the drafting of the document, this book takes a close look at the wording and philosophy of the document itself, demonstrating how those ideas have defined our nation since. Readers will be surprised to learn that Thomas Jefferson initially included a passage calling for the abolition of slavery, and that the declaration provided much support for the U.S. suffrage and abolition movements that came later.