The Transcontinental Railroad was built to provide a safer, faster route between the eastern and western areas of the United States. Learn how the Transcontinental Railroad helped shape the state of California and its people with this primary source reader! The use of primary sources like maps, letters, images, and photographs will engage students and help them look at the world and current issues with a historical lens. This nonfiction title builds...

The attack on Pearl Harbor is one of the most important moments in United States history. Everything changed after December 7, 1941, when Japanese fighter planes launched a surprise assault on American battleships and planes stationed at the naval base in Hawaii. The tragic day marked the end of America's debate about whether to fight in World War II.

No one really knows where Jem's beloved dog, Nugget, came from when Strike-it-rich Sam found him. Jem doesn't care; he just knows he loves his pup. But now "missing dog" posters are going up around town-and the dog looks just like Nugget! It turns out the pooch is a golden retriever, a brand-new breed that's very rare. A rich man from Scotland was visiting San Francisco when one of his dogs was lost in the mountains above Goldtown. There's a reward...

Seventeen-year-old Lovisa King leaves Missouri for the Oregon Territory in 1845. A Heart for Any Fate, based on the history of a company of real pioneers, tells the story of the King family, whose careful plans are challenged by the harsh, unforeseen realities of overland travel. The family makes the unfortunate decision to follow guide Stephen Meek, who leads them into blistering weather, drought, and treacherous river crossings along a shortcut...

In this authoritative guide, readers will examine the many aspects of the California Gold Rush and the event's larger role in westward expansion. Studying the forty-niners, the Native Americans of California, gold extraction techniques, and transportation west, readers will gain insight into how the gold rush changed the region and the many developments it led to. Accessible language clarifies advanced concepts, and engrossing sidebars feature additional...

Ellis the Elephant is back and ready for another adventure in American history! In From Sea to Shining Sea, the fourth installment of Callista Gingrich's New York Times bestselling series, Ellis explores the early years of the United States and heads west into uncharted territory with Lewis and Clark. In previous books, Sweet Land of Liberty, Land of the Pilgrims' Pride, and Yankee Doodle Dandy, Ellis learned about pivotal moments that have shaped...

When a 10-foot tall purported "petrified man" is unearthed from a backyard in upstate New York in 1869, the discovery immediately turns into a spectacle of epic proportions. News of the giant spreads like wildfire, and well over a thousand people come to view him in the first five days alone!Everyone has their own idea of his true origin: Is he an ancient member of the local Onandaga Indian tribe? Is he a biblical giant like Goliath? Soon the interests...

During the Civil War, Union forces blockade the port of Charleston so the Confederate army seeks a way to attack the Yankee ships. George Dixon is part of the group of men given the task of creating and building the 'fish boat,' a submarine. The H.L. Hunley ultimately sets out on its mission to sink Yankee ships, but fails to return, its whereabouts unknown. For more than 100 years, the mystery of the Hunley and the fate of its crew stayed buried....

In July of 1848, the fight for women's right to vote in the United States began with a bang. In this innovative play, readers will be transported to the birth of this crucial movement, the Seneca Falls convention. The play features a cast of important historical figures, including Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jane Hunt, Martha Wright, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and Frederick Douglass. Historical photographs illustrate the true story of these early...

Explores the Battle of San Juan Hill of the Spanish-American War. Authoritative text, colorful illustrations, illuminating sidebars, and questions to prompt critical thinking make this an exciting and informative read.