Charles is a young boy sold into servitude when his parents die coming to America. He befriends a slave, Henry, and together, they learn the value of sacrifice for that which they value most—their own freedom. A sailor, Adam, risks his freedom to help them achieve theirs.
Declaring Our Independence depicts the formation of the important document, the Declaration of Independence, through the sometimes nervous eyes of one of its originators, Roger Sherman. Sherman, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, and many others risk treason in order to write a document that declares freedom to the citizens of a new government.
John Smith is in shackles in Work or Starve: Captain John Smith and the Jamestown Colony, but how can that be if he is to lead the colony? The colonists won’t listen to him until there is trouble! With the men and boys dying and the food nearly gone, Smith embarks on a bold journey that nearly costs his life. His relationship with Pocahontas, and her father, Powhatan are essential to the survival of the colonists.
In The Reveres: A Family Forced Apart, Paul Revere, Jr. must defend his home while his mother and sisters flee Boston and join his father who is in exile after warning Hancock and Adams of the approaching British. The young Paul, and his friend, Thomas hunt squirrels and scare away intruders. They must be brave and resourceful, and when their families return, it is clear that they have become young men.
Charlie dreams of becoming president and living in the White House. So, to quickly make that dream real, he decides to build his own White House tree house. With the help of his friends, Charlie discovers all there is to know about becoming president and living in the White House during this adventure.
This story takes the class on a camping trip with a group of children. Realizing that they need a set of rules to govern themselves, they refer to the best example: the United States Constitution. After discovering the reasons that the Constitution was written, what it means for democracy in our country, and how it gives citizens rights, laws, and freedoms, the children decide to create their own supreme law by making an unbreakable camping constitution.
Coming to America is the story of a family of immigrants who are eager to come to America. After traveling from their homeland and arriving in America, they find that they cannot keep their eyes off the Statue of Liberty with its promises and hopes for the future. Certain that they will have a better life in America, the family finds the Statue of Liberty to be a symbol of their dreams.
This is the story of Bosley Bear and his travels to Washington, D.C. After working hard at Mt. Rushmore, Bosley decides to take a much needed vacation. With the help of his presidential friends on Mt. Rushmore, he decides to travel to Washington, D.C., where he discovers the monuments that help him to understand what America is all about.
John Russell is a young man who enters the highly guarded Pennsylvania State House just as the delegates are debating about a Constitution for the United States. John Russell’s story is told in The Constitution of the United States: The Foundation of Our Government, where he is given the opportunity to assist the delegates. George Washington praises him for the work he does, and James Madison gives him a very special gift.
In Patriots in Boston, children and families witness and participate in the events leading to the “tea party” in Boston. As taxes and new laws are forced on the colonists, they know they have to take action to preserve their freedoms. With leadership from Samuel Adams, families disguise the men as Indians, who dump the tea into the Boston Harbor, creating a pivotal moment in American history.
While America was expanding westward, some Nez Perce Indians signed a treaty with the United States that placed them on a reservation. In this story, the U.S. cavalry pursues resisting Nez Perce Indian tribe members until a battle ensues at Bear Paw Mountain that produces a victory, but no satisfaction for either side.
Three women’s rights activists disagree on the steps necessary to change the law in America so that women can vote, but all three demonstrate that they are willing to make great sacrifices to fight for this important right.
