Early America—Reading Assignments by Era

    European Exploration     Early Colonies     Revolutionary Period     Early Republic     Civil War Period     Progressive Era     Westward Expansion     American Indian



European Exploration—1000 to 1682

Voyage of Leif Ericson to La Salle explores Mississippi


Book Title
Selected Chapters (# chapters)

Core Reading Assignments *

Guerber - Story of the Thirteen Colonies   Our Country Long Ago to Nothing but Smoke (22)
Guerber - Story of the Thirteen Colonies   Down the Mississippi to La Salle's Adventures (2)
Marshall - This Country of Ours   The Vikings Find New Lands to Sir Walter Raleigh (12)

Supplemental Recommendations

Evans - America First—100 Stories from Our History   Leif, the Lucky to Sir Walter Raleigh (6)
Pratt - American History Stories, Volume I   Long Ago to Sir Walter Raleigh (8)
Hutchinson - The Men Who Found America    entire book
Imlach - The Story of Columbus    entire book
Upton - Erik the Red and Leif the Lucky    entire book
Morris - Historical Tales, Vol I: American   Vineland and the Vikings to Champlain and the Iroquois (3)
Morris - Historical Tales: American II   The Fountain of Youth to La Salle and the Mississippi (3)
Drake - Indian History for Young Folks   Early European Intercourse with the Indians (1)
Ober - Ferdinand De Soto and the Invasion of Florida    entire book

Also Recommended

Southworth - Builders of Our Country: Book I   Leif the Lucky to La Salle (18)
Abbott - The Adventures of Chevalier de la Salle    entire book
Ober - Columbus the Discoveror    entire book
Ober - Juan Ponce de Leon    entire book

I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep




Early Colonies—1585 to 1750

Lost Colony of Roanoke to Colony of Georgia


Book Title
Selected Chapters (# chapters)

Core Reading Selections

Guerber - Story of the Thirteen Colonies   Smith's Adventures to Two Wars with the French (26)
Marshall - This Country of Ours   Captain John Smith to The Mississippi Bubble (35)

Supplemental Recommendations

Evans - America First—100 Stories from Our History   Adventures of John Smith to Hannah Dustin (13)
Eggleston - Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans   The First Governor in Boston to Daniel Boone's Daughter (23)
Pratt - American History Stories, Volume I    entire book
Otis Kaler - Peter of Amsterdam    entire book
Otis Kaler - Ruth of Boston    entire book
Otis Kaler - Calvert of Maryland    entire book
Otis Kaler - Richard of Jamestown    entire book
Otis Kaler - Mary of Plymouth    entire book
Otis Kaler - Stephen of Philadelphia    entire book
Pumphrey - Stories of the Pilgrims    entire book
Burton - Massasoit    entire book
Stockton - Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coasts    entire book
Abbott - King Philip    entire book
Drake - Indian History for Young Folks   Virginia Colonized to French and Indian Wars (6)
Morris - Historical Tales, Vol I: American   Sir William Phips to How the Charter was Saved (3)
Morris - Historical Tales: American II   Lost Colony of Roanoke to Oglethorpe Saves Georgia (7)
Abbott - Miles Standish the Puritan Captain    entire book

Also Recommended

Perkins - The Puritan Twins    entire book
Morris - Heroes of Progress in America   Roger Williams to Alexander Hamilton (10)
Southworth - Builders of Our Country: Book I   John Smith and Pocahontas to Sir William Johnson (18)
Nye - Comic History of the United States   Thirteen Original Colonies to The Revolutionary War (14)

I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep




Revolutionary Period—1750 to 1788

French-Indian War to Constitutional Congress


Book Title
Selected Chapters (# chapters)

Core Reading Assignments

Guerber - Story of the Thirteen Colonies   Washington's Boyhood to Washington's Farewell (34)
Guerber - Story of the Great Republic   The Beginning of the U.S to The Constitution (4)
Marshall - This Country of Ours   A Terrible Disaster to A Turning Point (16)

Supplemental Recommendations

Evans - America First—100 Stories from Our History   Israel Putnam to Benjamin Franklin (32)
Pratt - American History Stories, Volume II    entire book
Baldwin - Four Great Americans    entire book
Otis Kaler - Stephen of Philadelphia    entire book
Burton - Four American Patriots    entire book
Barnes - The Hero of Stony Point    entire book
Russell - George Washington    entire book
Tappan - The Story of the Constitution    entire book
McSpadden - Thomas Jefferson    entire book
Morris - Historical Tales, Vol I: American   Franklin in Philadelphia to Marion, the Swamp Fox (12)
Morris - Historical Tales: American II   Boy's Holiday in the Wildwood to General Greene's Retreat (8)
Drake - Indian History for Young Folks   The "Old French War" to The Indians Join Britain against the Colonies (5)

Special Interest - Military

Sabin - Frontier Fighters   Attack on Logan's Station to Betty Zane's Powder Exploit (9)
Sabin - Boys' Book of Border Battles   Washington Stands Fast to Braddock's Bloody Field (2)
Sabin - Boy's Book of Indian Warriors   The Adirondack Champion to Cornstalk Leads the Warriors (9)
Fraser - Boys' Book of Battles   Bunker Hill to Yorktown (3)
Fraser - Boys' Book of Sea Fights   Commodore John Paul Jones (1)

I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep




Early Republic—1789 to 1850

Constitution ratified to Mexican-American War


Book Title
Selected Chapters (# chapters)

Core Reading Assignments

Guerber - Story of the Great Republic   The Beginning of the U.S to The Mexican War (25)
Marshall - This Country of Ours   Washington in War and Peace to The Finding of Gold (14)

Supplemental Recommendations

Evans - America First—100 Stories from Our History   Nolichucky Jack to Electric Telegraph (23)
Eggleston - Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans   Decatur and the Pirates to A Wonderful Woman (25)
Pratt - American History Stories, Volume III    entire book
Otis Kaler - Benjamin of Ohio    entire book
Otis Kaler - Hannah of Kentucky    entire book
Otis Kaler - Philip of Texas    entire book
Eggleston - Stories of American Life and Adventure    entire book
Baldwin - Conquest of the Old Northwest    entire book
Perry - Four American Indians    entire book
Perry - Four American Inventors    entire book
Sabin - Opening the West with Lewis and Clark    entire book
Sabin - With Lieutenant Pike    entire book
Morris - True Stories of Our Presidents   George Washington to Zachary Taylor (12)
Morris - Historical Tales, Vol I: American   Fate of the Philadelphia to The Electric Telegraph (3)
Morris - Historical Tales: American II   Eli Whitney and Cotton-Gin to Captain Lee and Lava-beds (6)
Drake - Indian History for Young Folks   The Backwoodsmen of Kentucky to War with the Seminoles of Florida (6)

Special Interest - Military

Seawell - Twelve Naval Captains    entire book
Fraser - Boys' Book of Sea Fights   Burning of the Philadelphia to The Strange Disappearance (4)
Sabin - Boys' Book of Border Battles   The Battle of Blue Licks to Resaca de la Palma (9)
Sabin - Frontier Fighters   Five Boy Captives to Through the Enemy's Lines (7)
Sabin - Boy's Book of Indian Warriors   Little Turtle of the Miamis to Strong Medicine of Konate (12)
Sabin - Into Mexico with General Scott    entire book
Ladd - The War with Mexico    entire book

Also Recommended

Southworth - Builders of Our Country: Book II   Chronology to Samuel F. B. Morse (11)
Morris - Heroes of Progress in America   John Adams to Horace Mann (20)
Nye - Comic History of the United States   The Revolutionary War to Befo' the Wah (11)

I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep




Civil War Period—1850 to 1877

Compromise of 1850 to End of Reconstruction


Book Title
Selected Chapters (# chapters)

Core Reading Assignments

Guerber - Story of the Great Republic   The Slavery Quarrel to Hard Times in the South (32)
Marshall - This Country of Ours   Union or Disunion to The End of the War (14)

Supplemental Recommendations

Evans - America First—100 Stories from Our History   Rescue of Jerry to Surrender of Lee (10)
Pratt - American History Stories, Volume IV    entire book
Marshall - Uncle Tom's Cabin    entire book
Hamilton - The Story of Abraham Lincoln    entire book
Morris - True Stories of Our Presidents   Millard Fillmore to Andrew Johnson (5)
Morris - Historical Tales, Vol I: American   The Monitor and Merrimac to Sinking of the Albemarle (4)
Morris - Historical Tales: American II   The Raccoon Roughs to Homecoming of Lee's Veterans (9)
Merriam - The Negro and the Nation    entire book

Special Interest - Military

Fraser - Boys' Book of Sea Fights   Monitor and Merrimac to Admiral David Farragut (2)
Wood - The Boy's Book of Battles   Gettysburg (1)
Fraser - Boys' Book of Battles   Gettysburg (1)
Hill - On the Trail of Grant and Lee    entire book
Barnes - Midshipman Farragut    entire book
Barnes - The Son of Light Horse Harry    entire book
McSpadden - Boy's Book of Famous Soldiers   Grant to Lee (2)

Also Recommended

Southworth - Builders of Our Country: Book II   Abraham Lincoln to David Glasgow Farragut (5)
Nye - Comic History of the United States   Befo' the Wah to Reconstruction Without Pain (7)
MacArthur - Harriet Beecher Stowe    entire book

I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep




Progressive Era—1869 to 1918

Transcontinental Railroad to The Great War


Book Title
Selected Chapters (# chapters)

Core Reading Assignments

Guerber - Story of the Great Republic   The Atlantic Cable to Two Presidents (22)
Marshall - This Country of Ours   The President is Impeached to The Great War (8)

Supplemental Recommendations

Evans - America First—100 Stories from Our History   Laying the Atlantic Cable to Sergeant York (11)
Meadowcroft - The Boys' Life of Edison    entire book
McSpadden - Theodore Roosevelt    entire book
Washington - Up From Slavery    entire book
Morris - True Stories of Our Presidents   Ulysses S. Grant to Theodore Roosevelt (8)
Morris - Heroes of Progress in America   Lucretia Mott to Booker T. Washington (16)
Morris - The Story of Mexico    entire book

Also Recommended

Southworth - Builders of Our Country: Book II   Cyrus McCormick to Andrew Carnegie (5)
Fraser - Boys' Book of Sea Fights   Dewey at Manila Bay to Battle of Santiago Harbor (2)
Brawley - A Short History of the American Negro    entire book

I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep




Westward Expansion—1770 to 1900

California Missions to Hawaii Becomes a Territory


Book Title
Selected Chapters (# chapters)

Highly Recommended

Otis Kaler - Seth of Colorado    entire book
Otis Kaler - Philip of Texas    entire book
Otis Kaler - Antoine of Oregon    entire book
Otis Kaler - Martha of California    entire book
Guerber - Story of the Great Republic   Early Times in California to Rush to California (3)
Cody - The Adventures of Buffalo Bill    entire book
Sabin - Boys' Book of Border Battles   The Battle of Adobe Walls to When Ghost Shirts Failed (7)
Sabin - Frontier Fighters   Hugh Glass and Grizzly Bear to The Sibley Scout (10)
Sabin - Boy's Book of Indian Warriors   Black-hawk the Sac Patriot to The Ghost Dancers (12)

Also Recommended

Howard - Famous Indian Chiefs I Have Known    entire book
Hudson - The Famous Missions of California    entire book
Sabin - Opening the West with Lewis and Clark    entire book
Sabin - With Lieutenant Pike    entire book
Sabin - Gold Seekers of '49    entire book
Eastman - Indian Heroes and the Great Chieftains    entire book
Morris - Historical Tales, Vol I: American   Alaska Gold, Furs, and Fish to How Hawaii Lost its Queen (2)
Drake - Indian History for Young Folks   Indian Wars to The Indians of the Present Day (6)
Grinnell - Trails of the Pathfinders    entire book
Abbott - The Adventures of Kit Carson    entire book
Fitch - Junipero Serra    entire book

I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep




American Indian—1540 to 1890

De Soto Expedition to Wounded Knee Massacre


Book Title
Selected Chapters (# chapters)

Core Reading Assignments

Drake - Indian History for Young Folks    entire book

Highly Recommended

Burton - Massasoit    entire book
Eastman - Indian Heroes and the Great Chieftains    entire book
Eastman - Indian Boyhood    entire book
Perry - Four American Indians    entire book
Sabin - Boy's Book of Indian Warriors    entire book
Sabin - Boys' Book of Border Battles   The Battle of Adobe Walls to When Ghost Shirts Failed (7)
Sabin - Frontier Fighters   Hugh Glass and Grizzly Bear to The Sibley Scout (10)
Schultz - With the Indians in the Rockies    entire book
Abbott - King Philip    entire book
Abbott - The Adventures of Kit Carson    entire book
Ober - Ferdinand De Soto and the Invasion of Florida   The Landing in Florida to Last Days of De Soto (14)
Ober - Juan Ponce de Leon   The Fount of Perennial Youth to Juan Ponce's Last Campaign (8)
Grinnell - Trails of the Pathfinders    entire book
Schultz - Bird Woman —Guide of Lewis and Clark    entire book

Also Recommended

Grinnell - Blackfeet Indian Stories    entire book
Grinnell - When Buffalo Ran    entire book
Howard - Famous Indian Chiefs I Have Known    entire book
Hudson - The Famous Missions of California    entire book
Eastman - The Soul of the Indian    entire book
Fitch - Junipero Serra    entire book

I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep