Words That Shaped America

"Four score and seven years ago..." "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." The words of American presidents have comforted and challenged Americans since the country's earliest days, and readers discover the riveting stories behind the most powerful presidential words in this unique look at American history. Filled with memorable quotes, detailed sidebars, graphic organizers, and historical and contemporary images, this reading experience expands on common social studies curriculum topics in creative ways.

For hundreds of years, newcomers to the United States have dreamed the "American Dream," hoping for prosperity and freedom. This valuable volume highlights important quotes about the American Dream, from the past to the present. Readers will learn the significance of each quote, its historical context, and all about its speaker. Engaging historical text and authentic photographs will give readers a dynamic learning experience and open their eyes to the profound hope that lies within the great American Dream.

The Civil War was one of the darkest times in the history of the United States. From the new nation's very beginning, slavery was a battle between the country's economy and its morality. The "slavery question" was argued in courts, in Congress, in homes, in newspapers, and eventually on the battlefield. Through this striking volume, readers will come to understand the powerful statements that drove a country into war. Through simple, accessible text and photographs, young historians will feel themselves moved by those same words that nearly tore apart the United States.

From slogans in pamphlets to speeches at the gallows, phrases from the American Revolution still echo throughout our culture. The ideas shared by colonists, soldiers, and spies inspired rebellion and shaped a new nation. Today, they inform our views of America's promise and principles. Young historians will learn about the lives of the people who coined certain famous and influential phrases. This beneficial book, a welcome addition to any social studies collection, will also explore the historical background of certain powerful words and the reasons why they are still so potent today.

From Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech to today's discourse on social media, Americans have used their words as tools to fight for civil rights. This beneficial book introduces students to words that defined a movement and the notable leaders behind them. Written to support social studies curricula, this volume presents history through the perspectives of the people who were there. Readers learn about the civil rights movement, historical and contemporary leaders, and the impact they have had on society. Primary source images, compelling quotes, and significant sidebars and fact boxes create a comprehensive reading experience.

Today, women can have careers in fields such as medicine, engineering, and politics, but it wasn't always that way. Women couldn't even vote when the United States was founded. Readers of this powerful volume will discover the history of women's rights through the words of women who fought for them, including Abigail Adams urging her husband to "Remember the Ladies," Elizabeth Cady Stanton's "Declaration of Sentiments," Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, and the contemporary #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Vivid images support this empowering narrative, and sidebars, fact boxes, and a graphic organizer enhance the reading experience.