From the end of the War of Independence through the administration of William McKinley, this book relates the history of the United States of America through the 19th century. The struggles of the new nation under the Articles of Confederation, the rise of the need for a new form of government, the Constitutional Convention, the administration of Washington and other presidents through the 19th century, the exploration of the American continent, the westward expansion, the relationship of the United States with European nations and world politics and events, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the rise and influence of American ingenuity, technology, and society are some of the subjects covered. People discussed include Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Stephen Decatur, Elbridge Gerry, Francis Scott Key, Tecumseh, Andrew Jackson, Marcus Whitman, Noah and Daniel Webster, Sam Houston, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Sitting Bull, and many more.

Customer Review

 
Sarah S. from Texas wrote the following on 05/22/2009:
These books are at about a 3rd-6th grade reading level with the advanced vocabulary expected of children that age a hundred years ago. They take a little getting used to for that reason, but after a few chapters, don't be surprised if your children start to sound smarter when they speak! The information contained in this series is detailed enough for adults (moms and dads who are learning with their children, or just ahead of them!) or high schoolers (I have my high schooler read them as a supplement to his history studies), but the writing style is a narrative style geared for much younger children. There are beautiful black and white pictures throughout. These books also address moral issues in history from the Christian worldview that prevailed at the time they were written. (For example, if someone is assassinated, that issue is usually addressed from both a historical and moral perspective in the narrative.) Both my children (a 5th grade girl and a 10th grade boy, whose learning styles are like night and day) appreciate these books, and both learn quite a lot from them. Of course, what a highschooler gleans from them will be a bit quainter, perhaps, than it would for a child within the targeted age. Also, these books are very gentle in their narrative style, rather than swashbuckling. I would recommend these to supplement whatever history curriculum you choose, but they could be the foundation of an elementary history study almost by themselves (especially if Bible history were added at the beginning and modern history at the end). This series concludes at about 1900 A.D. Using these books by themselves would not cover all of world history. It would mostly ignore the Far East and Africa, not to mention the Ancient Americas, in large part. It would also depart from European history and transition to American history toward the end of the Renaissance Period, when the American colonies were established. (Which actually makes it completely in line with History for Little Pilgrims, if you are using that book for your 1st-2nd graders.) However, I know of no other single series which covers western history so well for this age level. One more note about the Nothing New editions of Guerber’s books: Christine Miller has made some very welcome changes to the older text, as well as added some other helpful features. I don’t usually prefer updated editions over originals, but in this case I really appreciate having the racist language of the time (red skins, white skins, savages, etc.) changed to language that I would not object to as part of my child’s vocabulary. Also, I love the new indexes (very, very helpful when coordinating other reading with these books), the timelines, the recommended reading lists which are keyed to the chapters in each book, and the updated accounts of the origins of peoples, which are now in line with evidence and Scripture, rather than the mistaken but prevailing view of Guerber’s day. In short, I have always loved Helene Guerber’s history books, and these new versions have all the changes I would have made to them myself if I’d ever had the time, yet they leave in all the parts that shouldn’t be changed. I recommend them all, but the Ancients, Middle Ages, and Renaissance books in this new series are especially worth the expense (over just finding old or online editions of Guerber’s non-updated works) because Christine Miller interweaves various of the older books into one complete, smooth-flowing narrative in each of these three new books.