Timely Take-aways for Life Long Learning: American History

From the Revolutionary War era to the San Francisco Earthquake, several works of adult nonfiction explore topics related to American History.

1789: George Washington and the Founders Create America by Thomas Allen

Overview: Learn how the United States federal government was brought into being through the leadership of George Washington and the Founders.

Take-aways: The logistics of establishing the federal government and implementing the Constitution are often overlooked in history textbooks. 

ARC courtesy of Roman & Littlefield Publishers.

American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860 by Edward L. Ayers

Overview: Explore 19th century voices that defied the status quo and challenged traditional practices.

Take-aways: Use these visionaries to explore the role of dissent and importance of diverse perspectives during the decades following the American Revolution.

ARC courtesy of W.W. Norton & Company.

Flee North by Scott Shane

Overview: Tells the story of abolitionist Thomas Smallwood who bought his freedom, then led hundreds of enslaved people to new lives in the North.

Take-aways: Use this lesser-known abolitionist to help students understand the role of satirical newspaper columns in documenting mass escapes and mocking slaveholders.

ARC courtesy of Celadon Books, an imprint of Macmillan

The Iron Dice of Battle: Albert Sidney Johnston and the Civil War in the West by Timothy B. Smith

Overview: Tracing the life of the highest-ranking American military officer to die in combat during the Civil War, this new biography explores both the man and the soldier.

Take-aways: Since he died early in the war, the impact of Johnston’s death on Confederate leadership is often overlooked. Use this recent scholarship to update course materials.

ARC courtesy of LSU Press.

The Last Outlaws: The Desperate Final Days of the Dalton Gang by Tom Clavin

Overview: Tells the true story of four brothers and their gang who moved from horse thieves to bank and train robbers in the late 19th century.

Take-aways: True crime is always popular with students. Use the story of the Dalton Gang as a reflection of the final years of the Wild West.

ARC courtesy of St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan.

The Longest Minute: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 by Matthew J. Davenport

Overview: Drawing on a wide range of primary source documents, learn about one of the most devastating disasters in American history.

Take-aways: Students are fascinated by natural disasters. Use this combination of history and science to build an interdisciplinary approach that shares the devastating impact of the earthquake and fire on the largest city in the American west at the time.

ARC courtesy of St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan.

***

Whether helping educators keep up-to-date in their subject-areas, promoting student reading in the content-areas, or simply encouraging nonfiction leisure reading, teacher librarians need to be aware of the best new titles across the curriculum and how to activate life-long learning. - Annette Lamb