19th century

Provides insights to actions taken after the explosion of the USS "Maine" in 1898 in Havana Harbor, focusing on the key players at the time, Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, William Randolph Hearst, Thomas Reed, and William James.

The 1800 presidential election, the last great contest of the founding period, was so convulsive and so momentous for American democracy that Jefferson would later dub it "America's second revolution." America's first true presidential campaign gave birth to our two-party system and etched the lines of partisanship that have shaped American politics ever since. The contest featured two of our most beloved Founding Fathers, once warm friends, facing off as the heads of their two still-forming parties--the hot-tempered but sharp-minded John Adams, and the eloquent yet enigmatic Thomas Jefferson. Blistering accusations flew: Adams and his elitist Federalists would squelch liberty and impose a British-style monarchy; Jefferson and his radically democratizing Republicans would throw the country into chaos and debase the role of religion in American life. Historian Larson vividly re-creates the tension as Congress was forced to meet in closed session to resolve the outcome.--From publisher description.

"In the English countryside of the nineteenth century, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bront?--coping with an elderly father and a brother dedicated to drinking--find themselves confronting their family's stormy economic forturnes. And they do it their own way: overcoming difficulties and first failures with pride and courage; transforming their creative talents into a source of sustenance; and finally living lives of freedom"--Provided by publisher.

A brief biography of author Charles Dickens.

"Harriet Tubman became a celebrated leader in the fight to free people from slavery. Before that, she was a determined young girl who believed that everyone deserved to be free. Harriet Tubman bravely used the Underground Railroad--a network of secret routes and safe houses--to free herself and many other enslaved people. Explore how Harriet Tubman went from being a slave on a plantation in Maryland to one of the most important figures in American history"--Provided by publisher.

An account of how counterfeiter Benjamin Boyd's gang stole the body of Abraham Lincoln and demanded Boyd's release from jail and two hundred thousand dollars as ransom and the efforts of the Secret Service to recover the remains.

"This . . . study examines the truth behind the myths and misconceptions that defined the American Civil War, as portrayed through the popular literary works of the time. This book outlines . . . events and developments and provides context for the historical period and work, aligns with Common Core standards in English language arts and social studies, discusses six major writers of the Civil War Era, [and] gives readers insight into how literature and other art forms reflect the social conditions and are inspired by events of the time"--Provided by publisher.

Offers in-depth analysis of fifty-eight documents that provide a compelling view of slavery told through a variety of perspectives including the slaves themselves, abolitionists, social reformers, lawyers, reporters, judges, soldiers, politicians, and legislators.

"Sitting in the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture is a rough cotton bag, called 'Ashley's Sack,' embroidered with just a handful of words that evoke a . . . family story of loss and of love passed down through generations. In 1850s South Carolina, just before nine-year-old Ashley was sold, her mother, Rose, gave her a sack filled with just a few things as a token of her love. Decades later, Ashley's granddaughter, Ruth, embroidered this history on the bag--including Rose's message that 'It be filled with my Love always.' Historian Tiya Miles carefully follows faint archival traces back to Charleston to find Rose in the kitchen where she may have packed the sack for Ashley. From Rose's last resourceful gift to her daughter, Miles then follows the paths their lives and the lives of so many like them took to write a . . . history of the lived experience of slavery in the United States. The contents of the sack--a tattered dress, handfuls of pecans, a braid of hair, 'my Love always'--speak volumes and open up a window on Rose and Ashley's world. As she follows Ashley's journey, Miles metaphorically 'unpacks' the sack, deepening its emotional resonance and revealing the meanings and significance of everything it contained. These include the story of enslaved labor's role in the cotton trade and apparel crafts and the rougher cotton 'negro cloth' that was left for enslaved people to wear; the role of the pecan in nutrition, survival, and southern culture; the significance of hair to Black women and of locks of hair in the nineteenth century; and an exploration of Black mothers' love and the place of emotion in history"--Provided by publisher.