Showing titles in Historical

From slave to freedom fighter: that was the long and hard journey taken by Frederick Douglass. Douglass was America's first great civil rights leader, and he threw off the physical, mental, and legal chains of slavery to become one of Americaï¿¿ï¿¿s greatest champions for human rights. It was said that his life was proof that once black people could read and write about their injustices, they would have the power to end slavery.

What do libraries, streetlights, and fire stations have in common? What about bifocal lenses and the odometer? Sayings like "haste makes waste?" Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents: a scientist who experimented with electricity; a diplomat who served as envoy to France and negotiated peace with England; a mapmaker, printer, and writer famous for his Poor Richard's Almanack.

Beyond his on-stage magic, Houdini also made his mark as an airplane pioneer, movie star, and debunker of frauds. His renown extended from his childhood home in Appleton, Wisconsin to Europe to Sydney, Australia. Children will thrill as they read about his seemingly superhuman successes - including when Houdini, hanging by his ankles and wrapped in a straightjacket, managed to free himself in less than three minutes.

Young readers will find themselves enthralled by this biography of one of America's most popular leaders, which explores J.F.K.'s privileged childhood and tight-knit family; wartime heroism; and political accomplishments, which began in Congress and eventually led him to the U.S. presidency - the youngest man ever elected to the Oval Office.

A rogue, slave trader, and murderer, Jim Bowie would die a hero at the famous battle of the Alamo. In this purely American story of reinvention, Bowie leaves his comfortable life in New Orleans to help fight for Texas independence. His resilience and fortitude at the Alamo earned him the admiration of his fellow Texans, and, after his death, Bowie's legend would grow and serve as inspiration for generations to come.

"First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen" - and first in the minds of schoolchildren, who learn about George Washington as soon as they begin studying American history. From Washington's Virginia childhood, through his days as a soldier and general, to his inauguration as the first President of the brand-new United States, and into retirement, this biography captures the full breadth and achievements of his life.

Young people will be absorbed in this story about a Genoese-born navigator who sailed to Newfoundland in command of a British ship in 1497. One year later, he sailed again in search of the Northwest Passage to Asia but failed to return. An engaging tale, this biography of Cabot's life is filled with interesting details and firsthand accounts of the isolation of life at sea.

Nathan Hale was an American patriot and soldier. Educated at Yale, he volunteered for service in the Continental Army at the outbreak of the war for independence. He rose to the rank of captain, whereupon he volunteered for a mission to reconnoiter the British position on Long Island. He was captured by the British, quickly tried, and hanged. Before his hanging, he uttered the infamous last words, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

The controversial founder of Vermont, Ethan Allan's story unfolds on the backdrop of 18th-century life in the New England frontier. In intercolonial disputes over land grants, Allen took a firm stance against the powerful colony of New York. Later he led the Green Mountain Boys in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point. A hero to some, a traitor to others, Allen's story resonates with the military and political obstacles encountered by a colony and a nation fighting for freedom.

The famous "coonskin" politician was always more than the self-promoted backwoods Everyman. An astute and agile leader, Crockett would come of age during the Creek Wars, and die a hero at the battle of the Alamo in Texas. Today we can distinguish between the legend and the history of Davy Crockett, as we survey the facts of his life and the fantasies of more than a century of stories told in songs, films, and books.

Abigail Adams did not succumb to the limitations facing women in her day. She married John Adams in 1764 as an educated and influential woman. From the beginning of their relationship, John Adams took her counsel. Her vision of equality and justice informed and inspired the first rumblings of equal rights for women.

This audiobook mixes pirates, riches, and adventure with issues of slavery and the tumultuous politics of Elizabethan England to create a book that is as informative as it is colorful. Students will love reading about the explorer who began life as the son of a poor Devon farmer and became the first person to sail around the world.

"Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere." This opening line, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's tribute poem "Paul Revere's Ride", celebrates a highlight of this Boston-born folk hero's life and times. Like many of his contemporaries, Paul Revere was not only a businessman and family man, but also a soldier and spy. Minutemen were patriots ready at a moment's notice to serve the cause of the Revolution.

George Washington Carver began life as a slave in the tumultuous world of pre - Civil War Missouri. After the war, the orphaned Carver worked as a farmer, a hotel cook, and a laundryman while pursuing an education. As a professor at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Carver spearheaded the initiative to cultivate peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes to revive the South's dismal agricultural economy. He is most remembered for the invention of peanut butter.

Focusing particularly on George Washington's youth, Sterling North fully captures the spirit of the man as he examines his childhood in colonial Virginia, his early experiences as a member of the militia, and his many other adventures leading up to the Revolutionary War. The fully rounded person who emerges from this captivating portrait is uncomfortable with words, shy with women, totally at home in the outdoors, and deeply in love with the country he helped found.

Guided only by legendary stories and unfinished 15th-century maps, Henry Hudson set out to search for the sea route through what was thought to be a polar passage to Asia. An English navigator in search of the riches of the Orient for the Dutch East India Company, Hudson got more than he bargained for on what was to become his last voyage in 1610. Young people will enjoy this fascinating biography, complete with primary source quotations from Hudson's ship logs.

He was the first person to lead an expedition across the Pacific Ocean. Students will learn how the Strait of Magellan got its name in this audiobook about the man who began life as a page in King John's court and became one of the most famous explorers of all time.

Frederick Douglass was the foremost American abolitionist of the 19th century. From his 1847 founding of the North Star, the first African-American newspaper, to his term as U.S. minister to Haiti, the story of Douglass's life makes for inspirational reading. This compelling biography will give students a deeper understanding of how slavery shaped American history.

American women were first allowed to vote in 1920. The quest to secure that right began in 1848, when Elizabeth Cady Stanton and others held the Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Over the decades that followed, Stanton tirelessly wrote, petitioned, and lectured on behalf of securing not just the ballot, but also equality for women in the workplace, in schools, and within America's legal system.

As the seamstress of the American flag, an enduring symbol of liberty and democracy, Betsy Ross is an integral part of the fabric of American history. Her life story transcends that one great symbol, though. She was a mother, a businesswoman, and a contemporary of George Washington. This biography of Betsy Ross is a window not only into the life of a proud and courageous woman, but also into the early days of our nation.