Young America

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence knew they were taking a great risk. If the British triumphed in the upcoming Revolutionary War, they would probably be hanged. That didn't stop them. Who were these brave men? Some remain famous even to this day, such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Hancock, and perhaps above all, Thomas Jefferson. He was the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence. Others have been largely forgotten. This book looks at the lives of all 56 signers. Read about Caesar Rodney, who got out of his sickbed and rode all night to cast the deciding vote for independence for his Delaware delegation. Thomas Nelson Jr., who had a one-man version of the Boston Tea Party. George Wythe, murdered by a scheming grand-nephew.

Every year more than a million people troop into the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. to see the Declaration of Independence. It is perhaps this country's most famous document. Its 56 signers knew they were risking their lives by putting their names on it. But they believed so strongly in the cause of independence that they were willing to take the risk. Today's viewers may not be aware of the trials and tribulations that the document itself went through before arriving at its permanent home in 1952. It survived invasions, environmental dangers, even the threat of bombing. Now it serves as a constant reminder of the ideals that the United States is based on.

The year 1765 was an exciting time in the American colonies. The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, putting a tax on items ranging from newspapers to playing cards. This action infuriated the colonists. Patriot groups known as the Sons of Liberty rallied them against this Act. Angry mobs roamed city streets, trashing officials' houses and threatening stamp distributors. Delegates from several colonies met in New York for the Stamp Act Congress. The representatives at this Congress worked together to discuss how to oppose what they believed to be a British injustice toward them. They created a Declaration of Rights to express their complaints and concerns. The Stamp Act Congress was an important event in American history. It was the first of many steps that would lead to the American colonies declaring their independence from Great Britain.

"Fireworks! Parades! Shows! John Adams said that Americans should have all of these things to celebrate the Declaration of Independence. Adams was jubilant when the Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain. It had been a long journey for the Congress to agree to separate from their mother country. And it would be a still longer journey before the fight was over. Many of the most important decisions for the new United States of America were made by the members of the Second Continental Congress during the first eighteen months it met in Philadelphia. This is the story of that Congress."--Provided by publisher.

While the Revolutionary War began in a blaze of gunfire at dawn on April 19, 1775, its roots reached back more than 20 years. Increasing tensions since then between the British and the American colonists came to a head at the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord on that memorable day. The conflict dragged on for more than eight years, with many dark days for the Americans. But their victory at Yorktown in October, 1781 assured that they would finally become the free and independent states they wanted to be. In this book, you'll follow the course of those memorable events and meet the important personalities that led to the eventual triumph.

Starting in the early 1600s, some people in Europe, especially in England, wanted a better life for themselves. They chose to make the perilous crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and established 13 colonies in North America. These colonists had to adapt to a very different way of life than the one they had left behind. They also had to adapt to different conditions, depending on where they settled. But they were determined to succeed. This book examines the challenges the colonists faced and how they managed to overcome them to eventually form the United States of America.

Not long before American Revolution, the colonists fought another war in America, this one alongside soldiers from Great Britain. Known today as the French and Indian War, the conflict decided how much land the country of France would call its own in North America. If Great Britain had any say in the matter, it would surely not be much land at all--and as it happened, the Brits would in fact have a great deal to say about it. They emerged the victors after seven difficult years. This book examines primary sources from the era to tell the tale of how the first British war was fought on American soil.

When 56 colonial delegates assembled in Philadelphia in September, 1774, breaking away from their mother country, Great Britain, was the last thing on their minds. All that these brave and forward-thinking men wanted was for King George III to recognize their rights and lliberties and give them and their fellow colonists the same respect he gave to all English citizens. The king's refusal to stop exploiting the colonies set in motion events that changed the course of history. From this First Continental Congress were born the ideas, determination, and courage that eventually transformed 13 colonies into the United States of America.