This book provides a detailed and richly illustrated overview of the lives of the first Americans from their earliest migrations over the Bering land bridge to their initial encounters with European explorers. It traces the settlement of these early nomadic peoples across North America—the evolution of tools, the establishment of agriculture, and the rise of elaborate regional cultures. Styles of shelter, modes of travel and transport, and the prevalence of art and ornamentation suggest remarkable creativity and human ingenuity. Tribal beliefs, habits, practices, and unique structures of various tribal societies are discussed. The last third of the book documents European "discovery" of the New World, the often brutal rivalries among European colonizers, and the savage treatment of native peoples. Challenging review questions encourage meaningful reflection and historical analysis. Maps, tests, answer key, extensive bibliography, and bonus timeline are included.

Welcome to the fascinating world of early North America — the land that once was home to mastodons, mammoths, and the hunters who followed the herds. The activities in this book provide an overview of life in North America beginning with the first migrations of people across the Bering land bridge during the last Ice Age. The eight full-color transparencies at the back of the book (print books) or the included PowerPoint slides (eBooks) can be used alone or with specific activities listed in the table of contents. For a print book with the PowerPoint presentation instead of transparencies, please see MP8823.

Unlike most books that chronicle the history of Native peoples beginning with the arrival of Europeans in 1492, this book goes back to the Ice Age to give young readers a glimpse of what life was like pre-contact. The title, Turtle Island, refers to a Native myth that explains how North and Central America were formed on the back of a turtle. Based on archeological finds and scientific research, we now have a clearer picture of how the Indigenous people lived. Using that knowledge, the authors take the reader back as far as 14,000 years ago to imagine moments in time. A wide variety of topics are featured, from the animals that came and disappeared over time, to what people ate, how they expressed themselves through art, and how they adapted to their surroundings. The importance of story-telling among the Native peoples is always present to shed light on how they explained their world. The end of the book takes us to modern times when the story of the Native peoples is both tragic and hopeful.

The U.S. Constitution traces the complicated evolution of our nation's most important document. From its roots in English political history through the Magna Carta and the writings of John Locke to early colonial treaties such as the Mayflower Compact and the Articles of Confederation, this volume vividly documents the challenges and difficulties in securing the "blessings of liberty." Challenging review questions encourage meaningful reflection and historical analysis. Tests, answer key, bibliography, and bonus timeline included.

"The American Colonies" provides a detailed and richly illustrated overview of the trials of Europeans in the New World. From the earliest primitive encampments on the Atlantic seacoast to the settled societies of the later colonial period, this book vividly describes the disastrous first years, the strained reliance on native peoples, the horrors of the African slave trade, and deteriorating relations with England, which stand in marked contrast to the hope, strength, resilience, and determination with which colonialists carved a nation out of the North American wilderness. Challenging review questions encourage meaningful reflection and historical analysis. Maps, tests, answer key, and extensive bibliography are included.

One of the 19th century's most adventurous travel writers offers vivid accounts of her journeys through Canada and the United States, from scenic vistas to dark encounters with cholera and slavery.

• A New Republic Best Book of the Year • The Globalist Top Books of the Year • Winner of the Maine Literary Award for Non-fiction Particularly relevant in understanding who voted for who during presidential elections, this is an endlessly fascinating look at American regionalism and the eleven “nations” that continue to shape North America According to award-winning journalist and historian Colin Woodard, North America is made up of eleven distinct nations, each with its own unique historical roots. In American Nations he takes readers on a journey through the history of our fractured continent, offering a revolutionary and revelatory take on American identity, and how the conflicts between them have shaped our past and continue to mold our future. From the Deep South to the Far West, to Yankeedom to El Norte, Woodard (author of American Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good) reveals how each region continues to uphold its distinguishing ideals and identities today, with results that can be seen in the composition of the U.S. Congress or on the county-by-county election maps of any hotly contested election in our history.