Books in Six Questions of American History series

In the early 1800s, many black slaves in the southern states began to risk their lives to gain freedom in the North. They escaped from plantations with no money to buy food and no maps to help them find their way. They could travel only at night. If runaway slaves were caught, they could be beaten to death. Still, many slaves tried to flee. Slave catchers chased them, but the runaways seemed to disappear into thin air―or through a secret underground escape route. So how did slaves escape from their masters? Where did they hide? How did the slaves communicate with each other and the people who were helping them? Discover the facts about the brave men and women who formed the Underground Railroad. Learn how their secret work changed the lives of thousands of slaves.

When President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803, the size of the United States almost doubled. Suddenly, the country stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Rocky Mountains. But no one knew much about the new territory. Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore it and report on what they found. What would they need for their journey? How would they cross high waterfalls, snowy mountains, and raging rivers? Who would help them speak and trade with Native Americans along the way? Discover how Lewis and Clark overcame these and other challenges while collecting important scientific information and carefully mapping unknown lands. Find out how their courageous expedition opened the West for expansion, trade, and development.

In the spring of 1843, nearly one thousand people gathered in Independence, Missouri. They came from all over the eastern United States, and many had to sell most of their possessions to afford the trip. Yet their journey was just beginning. The group set out for Oregon Country, a four- to six-month trek across plains, mountains, valleys, and rivers. Not everyone survived the difficult trip. Still, before the end of the 1800s, many more wagon trains would travel the Oregon Trail to reach what became the western United States. So why were Americans moving west? What hardships would they face on the journey? And who blazed the Oregon Trail? Discover the facts about this important trail west and how it affected U.S. history.

In May 1787, men from all over the United States arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on serious business. Just eleven years earlier, colonial leaders had met in Philadelphia to declare their independence from Great Britain. But now the young country was in trouble. The U.S. government was weak, and its guiding document―the Articles of Confederation―was failing. Throughout the summer of 1787, state representatives and leaders argued, shouted, and wrote and rewrote articles. By September, they had produced a new document, the U.S. Constitution. The Convention became a turning point in American history. But what were the new country’s problems? Who came up with the solutions? How did the states work out disagreements to create a new system of government? Discover the facts about the 1787 Convention and the writing of the Constitution.

In December 1620, a group of English settlers stepped out of their boats and climbed up the shore to a point overlooking a small harbor. Known as the Pilgrims, they had traveled far on the Mayflower. Behind them was the vast Atlantic Ocean. Before them was the wilderness of North America. They called their new home the Plymouth Colony. But who were the Pilgrims? Why had they left England? And what lay ahead for them over the long winter in Plymouth? Discover the facts about the Pilgrims and their struggle to build a colony in the New World.

When Abraham Lincoln became president in March 1861, the United States was on the brink of the Civil War. Six states had already left the Union. The North and the South fought over the question of slavery. More than anything, Lincoln wanted to reunite the states. He refused to recognize the Confederacy as a separate country. Yet the Constitution didn’t give the president the power to end slavery. But what could Lincoln do by law? Why was slavery so important to the southern states? How would Lincoln manage to keep the Union together? Discover the clever plan behind Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and learn how it freed the first slaves.

In September 1774, American colonial leaders gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From New Hampshire to Georgia, colonists were angry about the taxes they were forced to pay to Great Britain. But Britain’s King George III and the British government refused to listen to the colonists. Decisionmakers from each American colony held a congress―a formal meeting―to discuss what the colonies should do. Some leaders wanted to make peace with Britain. Others wanted to break free of British rule―even if that meant going to war. In the spring of 1776, the members reached a decision. They wrote, voted on, and issued the Declaration of Independence. This important document announced that the newly united American states were no longer a part of Great Britain. So why were many colonists against paying taxes to Great Britain? Who actually wrote the Declaration of Independence? Why do we celebrate on July 4? Discover the facts about the Declaration of Independence and learn about its place in American history.

In the early 1800s, many black slaves in the southern states began to risk their lives to gain freedom in the North. They escaped from plantations with no money to buy food and no maps to help them find their way. They could travel only at night. If runaway slaves were caught, they could be beaten to death. Still, many slaves tried to flee. Slave catchers chased them, but the runaways seemed to disappear into thin air―or through a secret underground escape route. So how did slaves escape from their masters? Where did they hide? How did the slaves communicate with each other and the people who were helping them? Discover the facts about the brave men and women who formed the Underground Railroad. Learn how their secret work changed the lives of thousands of slaves.

In December 1606, three ships carrying 105 men and boys set sail from Dover, England. The ships headed for the eastern shores of North America. There the men planned to establish a new colony known as Virginia. Sailing into the Chesapeake Bay, the settlers excitedly observed a vast wilderness of thick grasses, green forests, and wide rivers. But as the newcomers built their settlement, they struggled with disagreements, hard labor, food shortages, illness, and uneasy relations with the region’s Native Americans. Yet the settlers persevered and established Jamestown―the first permanent English colony in North America. So what was the Virginia Company? Why did settler John Smith spend most of the voyage from England under arrest? Who was Pocahontas? Discover the facts about the Jamestown settlement and learn about its place in early U.S. history.

In December 1606, three ships carrying 105 men and boys set sail from Dover, England. The ships headed for the eastern shores of North America. There the men planned to establish a new colony known as Virginia. Sailing into the Chesapeake Bay, the settlers excitedly observed a vast wilderness of thick grasses, green forests, and wide rivers. But as the newcomers built their settlement, they struggled with disagreements, hard labor, food shortages, illness, and uneasy relations with the region’s Native Americans. Yet the settlers persevered and established Jamestown―the first permanent English colony in North America. So what was the Virginia Company? Why did settler John Smith spend most of the voyage from England under arrest? Who was Pocahontas? Discover the facts about the Jamestown settlement and learn about its place in early U.S. history.

On May 26, 1838, U.S. soldiers surrounded Cherokee villages across Georgia. The soldiers came to force Cherokee families to move to a new territory in Oklahoma. The Cherokees had little time to gather their belongings before being herded into camps. From there, 13,000 were forced on the thousand-mile journey to Oklahoma. They had little food and no shelter from the weather. Many―especially children―grew sick and died. The forced march became known as nunna-dual-tsuny―the Trail of Tears.

By the mid-1800s, thousands of white settlers were traveling westward through the Great Plains. Pioneers built farms and ranches, and companies laid railroads and dug mines. But the plains were the homeland and hunting grounds for many Native Americans. To protect their traditional lands, Native American warriors attacked white homes and settlements. The U.S. government tried to keep the peace by promising to keep white settlers and soldiers out of Native American territories. But the government broke its promise in treaty after treaty. The conflict between the U.S. Army and Native American nations peaked in 1876 in Montana at the Battle of Little Bighorn―the last great battle of the American West. So what Native American groups were involved in the battle? Who led the U.S. soldiers? How did the battle change life for Native Americans living on the Great Plains? Discover the facts about the Battle of Little Bighorn and learn more about the westward expansion of the United States.