The Pilgrims braved stormy seas on the Mayflower to make a life in a new land, America. Primary sources help teach the truth about the difficulties that drove them to a promised land to practice their religion freely. Though peril plagued the ship's voyage, the danger on land from disease and starvation was just as great. Without the assistance of American Indians, the colonists would have perished that first year. Instead they survived to leave behind the Thanksgiving tradition for future generations. Readers delve into the dramatic tale of a band of stalwart Pilgrims in this compelling, vividly illustrated narrative.

One of America's earliest books and one of the most important early Pilgrim tracts to come from American colonies. This book helped persuade others to come join those who already came to Plymouth.

In the spring of 1621, Plymouth Colony sent STEPHEN HOPKINS to make the first visit to Wampanoag sachem Massasoit to present a red horseman’s coat as a gift and sign of friendship. For most ordinary Englishmen, venturing off into the depths of unexplored America would have been a once in a lifetime adventure: but not for Stephen. By the time he turned forty, he had already survived a hurricane, been shipwrecked in the Bermuda Triangle, been written into a Shakespearean play, witnessed the famine and abandonment of Jamestown Colony, and participated in the marriage of Pocahontas. He was once even sentenced to death! He got himself and his family onto the Pilgrims’ Mayflower, and helped found Plymouth Colony. He signed the Mayflower Compact, lodged the famous Squanto in his house, participated in the legendary Thanksgiving, and helped guide and govern the early colonists. Yet Stephen was just an ordinary man, with a wife, three sons, seven daughters, a small house, some farmland for his corn, and cows named Motley, Sympkins, Curled, and Red. These are the extraordinary adventures of an ordinary man.

America's greatest shame has been its enslavement of millions of African Americans prior to their emancipation at the end of the Civil War in 1865. The experience of these individuals included backbreaking labor, cruel punishments, poverty, lack of education, and the separation of family members. From the beginning of their bondage in Africa, the lives of enslaved Africans is chronicled through books, drawings, advertisements, political cartoons, song lyrics, and more in this thought-provoking guide to a difficult time in the nation's past.

The era of Reconstruction followed the long, bloody Civil War, and became one of the most important in the nation's history. It set guidelines for race relations and the federal government's involvement in them. From black codes to voting rights for black men, Reconstruction was an active, but contentious period. Documents such as amendments to the Constitution and speeches from the nation's leaders are examined along with text that provides the necessary context to fully understand the volatile issues debated. This fully illustrated volume highlights the people and their works with a clear and authoritative voice.

The Pilgrims braved stormy seas on the Mayflower to make a life in a new land, America. Primary sources help teach the truth about the difficulties that drove them to a promised land to practice their religion freely. Though peril plagued the ship's voyage, the danger on land from disease and starvation was just as great. Without the assistance of American Indians, the colonists would have perished that first year. Instead they survived to leave behind the Thanksgiving tradition for future generations. Readers delve into the dramatic tale of a band of stalwart Pilgrims in this compelling, vividly illustrated narrative.