Story of America

Life in early America was not always easy, and this was especially true for the people brought to the country as slaves. Readers learn how the practice of slavery started in the American colonies and what daily life was like for a slave. They explore the hard work of the abolitionists to end slavery and discover how it ultimately took the Civil War to end the practice for good.

Many say that the American Revolution started long before the first shots of the war were fired. Readers will learn about the events leading up to the war and the many historic moments during this important period of United States history. From Lexington and Concord to Yorktown, readers will explore the battlefields where the United States earned its independence. Historical photographs show everything from the Boston Tea Party to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

People have been living in North America for at least 13,000 years. Readers explore the lives of the many different Native American tribes that inhabited what is now the United States, learning about their languages, foods, and spiritual beliefs. The trials that these people endured after the arrival of Europeans are also discussed. Historical images and interesting facts take readers into a time long ago, when North America was a very different place.

What was the first college built in America? Why did the Pilgrims come to the New World? Did Europeans come to America before Christopher Columbus? The answers to these questions and many more can be found here. Readers discover how the British colonies developed from their earliest days to the years right before the American Revolution. Fascinating facts, a timeline, and engaging images show what life was like for colonists, from days in school to years at war.

There were many reasons for Americans to move west in the 1800s. The gold rush, religious movements, new farmland, and even a transcontinental railroad brought people from across the country to settle. This valuable resource highlights the major causes and effects of America's push westward-from the Erie Canal to the rise of cowboys. With the help of detailed photographs, readers discover the events that expanded America from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

America grew from a small set of colonies to a world power because of immigration and migration. Readers discover just how important the movement of people to and across the United States has been throughout the nation's history. They see the hard work done by groups of people from many different places to build America into the country it is today. Helpful photographs, fact boxes, and a timeline bring all the aspects of immigration and migration in America into sharp focus-from the bustling days of Ellis Island to the current debates about these issues.