Happy 4th of July!

The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock

Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple

Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott

New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton

Youngster Revolutionaries

A few weeks ago there was a blog entry that made the circles through the internet and I thought that in light of what is going on in Washington, DC, it may be a good time to share it. Watching the grownups in our nation's capital refusing to make concessions, reach agreement, or compromise can be discouraging so let's turn back the clock to the very beginning of our history as a nation and take a closer look at the founding fathers. Did you know that when our country declared its independence from England on July 4, 1776, many of these "founders" were barely out of their teens? And many of the people who would play key roles in the Revolutionary War were even younger? 

Todd Andrlik compiled a list of the ages of significant players in our revolution and discovered the following: "As it turns out, many Founding Fathers were less than 40 years old in 1776 with several qualifying as Founding Teenagers andTwentysomethings. And though the average age of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was 44, more than a dozen of them were 35 or younger!"

Here's the ages of some of the youngest revolutionaries in 1776:

• Andrew Jackson, 9
• Deborah Sampson, 15
• Marquis de Lafayette, 18
• James Monroe, 18
• John Trumbull, 20
• Aaron Burr, 20
• John Marshall, 20
• Nathan Hale, 21
• Alexander Hamilton, 21
• Robert Townsend, 22
• George Rogers Clark, 23
• David Humphreys, 23
• Gouveneur Morris, 24
• Betsy Ross, 24
• William Washington, 24
• James Madison, 25
• Henry Knox, 25
• John Andre, 26
• Thomas Lynch, Jr., 26^
• Edward Rutledge, 26^
• Abraham Woodhull, 26
• Isaiah Thomas, 27
• George Walton, 27
• John Paul Jones, 28
• Bernardo de Galvez, 29
• Thomas Heyward, Jr., 29
• Robert R. Livingston, 29
• John Jay, 30

While those figures represent the youngsters of the group, many were also middle aged: 

• Abigail Adams, 31
• Elbridge Gerry, 31
• Thomas Jefferson, 33
• Benedict Arnold, 35
• John Hancock, 39
• Thomas Paine, 39
• Patrick Henry, 40
• John Adams, 40
• Paul Revere, 41
• George Washington, 44
• Martha Washington, 45
• John Witherspoon, 53
• Samuel Adams, 53

Benjamin Franklin, at 70, was clearly the oldest of the group. For the entire list, click here. I definitely found it surprising that twelve of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were under the age of 35! Maybe it's all those paintings of them wearing white wigs and looking very serious that made me assume they were older. Either way, I find it encouraging that a group of men representing such a wide swath of age and experience were able to come together and form an entirely new government and nation. Maybe our representatives in Washington should take a pause and consider these men and their willingness to work together to establish something greater than themselves. 

To learn more about the Revolutionary War, check out our study guides on Early American History.

A Literature Approach to Early American History for grades K-3

A Literature Approach to Early American History for grades 4-6

A Literature Approach to Early American and World History for grades 7-9

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A Child's First Book of American History

We are pleased to announce that A Child's First Book of American History is at the printers! We know many of you have been waiting for a long time and after a year-long process, it's going to be arriving soon. When we first undertook the project of bringing this book back into print we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into! Rea has been working on this book for over a year, tweaking color adjustments, redoing the entire text layout, and dozen other things. 

And now for a sneak peak into this beautiful book. Click on any picture to enlarge. 

This is America! and this is its glowing, epic story, from the days of the Viking expeditions to the birth of the Atomic Age. Here are the explorers, the Indians, the settlers and fur trappers, the soldiers, the statesmen, the men and women who have shaped our country and its destiny. It is a continuous tale of adventure, of wars, of industry and invention, of hardship and growth; it is an unparalleled tale of courage, high ideas, hard work–and a precious thing called Freedom.

Perhaps more happened, faster, in the history of this country than in any other. Earl Schenck Miers tells its story as it should be told: in terms of the great moments and events, and through the lives and experiences of individuals.

Among the fifty chapters: the faith and longing for freedom of worship that brought the band of Pilgrims to Plymouth's shores, James Smith's own account of his capture by the Indians in 1755, excerpts from Davy Crockett's diary telling of the last days of the Alamo, a young Southern girl's description of the burning of Columbia, South Carolina in the Civil War, the story of the transcontinental railroad, and much much more. Miers has unforgettably recreated the hardships of a cattle drive, the the inspiring story of Booker T. Washington's fight to overcome great obstacles, the suspense that held America under its spell in 1927 when a young man named Lindbergh flew to Paris all by himself.

This telling of the American story is dramatic, ever engrossing–and it is based on careful scholarship. The more than 200 illustrations by James Daugherty–most of them in color–are an integral part of the book. A great artist and a superb scholar-storyteller have joined forces to produce a memorable record–an instructive, immensely readable and heart-warming book about the country we love.

About the Author: 

Earl Schenck Miers was an American historian (1910-1972), who wrote over 100 books, mostly about the Civil War. In the words of another notable historian–Paul Angle, Miers was one "who stressed the essential drama of events and brought the human beings of the past back to life." Despite struggling with cerebral palsy from birth, which made even holding a pen or pencil nearly impossible, Miers began writing as a youth, by carrying a typewriter to school each day. He attended Rutgers University where he studied journalism and founded the Rutgers University Press. Some of his more popular children's works include the We Were There series published by Grosset & Dunlap. 

About the Illustrator:

James Daugherty, an illustrator and author (1889-1974), was passionate about the American story and believed it ought to be told through vigorous illustration and spirited text.He is best known for his folksy all-American retelling of the fable of Androcles, in Andy and the Lion, which earned the author/illustrator the Caldecott Honor Medal in 1938. In Carl Sandburg's Abe Lincoln Grows Up, a perfect marriage blended Sandburg's lyrical prose with Daugherty's tender yet powerful sketches of Abe as he grows from a boy to a young man. In The Magna Charta, Daugherty tells the often humorous, yet inspiring story of one of Western civilization's most significant milestones in the progress of civil liberty–the signing of the Magna Charta by King John at Runnymede in 1215. Of Courage Undaunted brings Daugherty's manly illustrations to full flower in the adventure of Lewis and Clark's remarkable exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. Poor Richard captures the essential nature of Benjamin Franklin with energetic and dramatic three-color lithographs that reveal the witty and ever-genial printer, inventor, statesman, diplomat, and brilliant Founder. Beautiful Feet Books is honored to be providing a number of Daugherty's works to a new generation of young Americans.

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Thanksgiving Resources

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is uniquely American (well, Canada also celebrates it making it uniquely North American!), and I am excited to be spending Thanksgiving stateside for the first time in several years. Celebrating with fellow Americans while abroad was always a special time and it made me very aware of how meaningful this day truly is. Our nation, through presidential proclamation, sets aside one day each year to express thanks to God. While it may have become nothing more than an opportunity to overeat and watch football for many, it is still a time for many people to come together and recognize the incredible blessing we have been given by our Creator.

While the setting aside of a day for thanksgiving had been a tradition in many states, particularly in New England, it was Lincoln who declared that it be made into a national holiday. Here is is proclamation:

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

You'll notice that this was established in 1863, the same year that President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The country was bitterly divided by a civil war and of all the times to give thanks, this probably wouldn't be the most apparent. Yet, it is telling that in a time of national suffering and trial, there was a recognition that gratitude was still in order. What a fitting reminder for our nation now coming on the tails of a divisive electoral season. 

In order to help you learn about the establishment of Thanksgiving, I want to share some excellent resources for you and your family to explore together. 

The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh

The Thanksgiving Story "is the only really distinguished book we have on that holiday. Miss Dalgliesh has told the Pilgrim story simply from the point of view of the Hopkins family whose little Oceanus was born on the Mayflower; and Miss Sewell has made wonderful full-color pictures. A beautiful book." -The Horn Book

The Pilgrims of Plimoth by Marcia Sewall

When the pilgrims set out for America, they brought with them a dream for the future. Sickness, hardship, and heartache stood in the way of that dream. But the pilgrims worked hard, keeping their dream close to their hearts, until they were finally able to make it come true. Marcia Sewell's text draws on journal entries from the Pilgrims and recreates their lives in striking detail. Beautiful illustrations accompany the text.

The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty

In England in the early 1600s, everyone was forced to join the Church of England. Young William Bradford and his friends believed they had a right to belong to whichever church they wanted. In the name of religious freedom, they fled to Holland, then sailed to America to start a new life. But the winter was harsh, and before a year passed, half the settlers had died. Yet through hard work and strong faith, a tough group of Pilgrims did survive. Their belief in freedom of religion became an American ideal that still lives on today. Based mainly on William Bradford's personal diary, this is a must-read for all who are interested in knowing more about the Pilgrims.

Pilgrim Stories by Margaret Pumphrey

This 1910 publication has been newly edited and expanded to include a horizontal history of the world of the Pilgrims of the early 17th century. This replaces the formerly titled Stories of the Pilgrims used in our Early American History Primary Study Guide. Now children will learn not only the faithful saga of the Separatist's struggle for religious freedom, but also that young Rembrandt was just learning to walk when the Pilgrims arrived in Leiden, that Galileo was fighting his own battle for religious and scientific freedom, and that William Brewster served as clerk to Queen Elizabeth's secretary until the ill-fated execution of Elizabeth's half sister, Mary. Historical figures from around the world will see the Pilgrim's heroic struggle in a more meaningful context. With whimsical illustrations by Christen Blechschmid, children and parents alike will see the world as the Pilgrims saw and lived it.

Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla

An ideal introduction to this important segment of the Pilgrim story, This account is among the best we've seen it tells the amazing story of Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe, who went to London with some of the first English explorers, was sold into slavery in Spain, and finally returned to America where he befriended the Pilgrims when they landed.

Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness

A beautifully illustrated book which relates the personal story of the Allerton family from the perspective of young Bartholomew, Mary and Remember. These elaborate watercolors with detailed maps, time lines and tender depictions of Pilgrim life will be a treasured addition to your family library.

One tradition my family has included in our past Thanksgiving Day celebrations is the reading of the poem Five Kernels of Corn. Each person would receive five kernels of corn on their plate and we would take a moment to read through the poem and consider the depravation the Pilgrims experienced during that first winter in the New World. During that period half of the Pilgrims died from starvation, exposure, and disease. It was following this terrible period of tragedy that they gathered together to give thanks. Reading this poem before Thanksgiving dinner is a meaningful way to mark the history represented by the meal you're about to partake of. 

Five Kernels of Corn

by Hezekiah Butterworth

'Twas the year of the famine in Plymouth of old,

The ice and the snow from the thatched roofs had rolled;

Through the warm purple skies steered the geese o'er the seas,

And the woodpeckers tapped in the clocks of the trees;

And the boughs on the slopes to the south winds lay bare,

and dreaming of summer, the buds swelled in the air.

The pale Pilgrims welcomed each reddening morn;

There were left but for rations Five Kernels of Corn.

Five Kernels of Corn!

Five Kernels of Corn!

But to Bradford a feast were Five Kernels of Corn!

"Five Kernels of Corn! Five Kernels of Corn!

Ye people, be glad for Five Kernels of Corn!"

So Bradford cried out on bleak Burial Hill,

And the thin women stood in their doors, white and still.

"Lo, the harbor of Plymouth rolls bright in the Spring,

The maples grow red, and the wood robins sing,

The west wind is blowing, and fading the snow,

And the pleasant pines sing, and arbutuses blow.

Five Kernels of Corn!

Five Kernels of Corn!

To each one be given Five Kernels of Corn!"

O Bradford of Austerfield hast on thy way,

The west winds are blowing o'er Provincetown Bay,

The white avens bloom, but the pine domes are chill,

And new graves have furrowed Precisioners' Hill!

"Give thanks, all ye people, the warm skies have come,

The hilltops are sunny, and green grows the holm,

And the trumpets of winds, and the white March is gone,

Five Kernels of Corn!

Five Kernels of Corn!

Ye have for Thanksgiving Five Kernels of Corn!

"The raven's gift eat and be humble and pray,

A new light is breaking and Truth leads your way;

One taper a thousand shall kindle; rejoice

That to you has been given the wilderness voice!"

O Bradford of Austerfield, daring the wave,

And safe through the sounding blasts leading the brave,

Of deeds such as thine was the free nation born,

And the festal world sings the "Five Kernels of Corn."

Five Kernels of Corn!

Five Kernels of Corn!

The nation gives thanks for Five Kernels of Corn!

To the Thanksgiving Feast bring Five Kernels of Corn!

I have heard of some people using the kernels to add additional meaning to the meal. You can pass a cup around the table and as it passes by each person they add one kernel to the cup and list something for which they are thankful. The cup is passed around until everyone has added all their kernels. 

Do you have any special Thanksgiving traditions? I would love to hear about them. Share them with our readers in the comment section below! 

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What order do I use BFB?

This is one of the most common questions we are asked when it comes to using our curriculum. As we are not based on the four year cyclical "classical" model, this can create some confusion for people considering using our study guides. 

First, it is important that you understand our philosophy of teaching history and why we do not advocate teaching history in a chronological sequence from the very beginning. There are many contributing factors to our decision to begin with American history. First, the literature choices are much better for younger students. It is very difficult to find excellent ancient literature for students in grades K-3, where as there is an abundant wealth of excellent literature available for American history. This is so fundamental to a Charlotte Mason approach in building your curriculum around the best children's books available and so it makes sense to be guided by the literature.

Secondly, we believe that youngsters find the history of their country more relatable. They have a familiarity with the Pilgrims, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln. Student can take field trips to experience the history of their area, where as for most families a trip to Cairo is simply impossible. By building on the familiar, you can create a curiosity that will extend beyond the student's immediate experience. Some argue that beginning with American history can lead to a close-minded view of the world, but our experience has been the exact opposite. By encouraging a student's natural curiosity of the world around her and providing her with well-written and beautifully illustrated literature, her inquisitive nature will be fostered and as her experience grows, she will have the tools and abilities to seek out the world beyond her own borders. To read more about our philosophy, click here. You can also read an article by Rea Berg on when to teach ancient history by clicking here.

As with our study guides, there really is no set order in which a family should complete our curriculum. This may be frustrating for parents and teachers who want a definite plan but we very firmly believe that educational choices should be driven by factors outside of what a curriculum company prescribes as the best and proper order or sequence. These factors include student ability and interest, family structure (having multiple students study the same time period can be an enriching and bonding experience), teaching styles, and much more. So to honor that, we have created the following "guide" for choosing BFB curriculums. But remember, this is just a guide to help provide some structure for those of you looking for a bit more guidance. 

Primary K-3rd Grade

Early American History (K-3rd grade)
History of the Horse (2nd-6th grade)
Teaching Character/Primary (K-3rd grade)
History of Science (3rd-6th grade)
Geography through Literature (3rd-6th grades)

4th Grade

Early American History (Primary or Intermediate)
Ancient History/Intermediate (4th-8th grade)
History of the Horse (2nd-6th grade)
History of Science (3rd-6th grade)
Geography through Literature (3rd-6th grade)
History of Classical Music (4th-8th grade)
History of California (4th-6th grade)Semester program
Teaching Character Through Literature/Intermediate (4th-6th grade)
The History of Western Expansion (4th -7th grade) Semester program

5th-6th Grade

Early American History Intermediate (5th-6th grade)
Ancient History/Intermediate (4th-8th grade)

Medieval History (5th-8th grade)
History of the Horse (2nd-6th grade)
History of Science (3rd-6th grade)
Geography through Literature (3rd-6th grade)
History of Classical Music (4th-8th grade)
History of California (4th-6th grade)Semester program
Teaching Character Through Literature/Intermediate (4th-6th grade)
The History of Western Expansion (4th-7th grade)Semester program

Junior High 7th-8th Grade

Early American and World History (7th-9th grade)
Ancient History Jr. High (4th-8th grade)
Medieval History (5th-8th grade)
History of Classical Music (4th-8th grade)
The History of Western Expansion (4th-7th grade)Semester program

Senior High 9th-12th Grade

Early American and World History (7th-9th grade)
Medieval History Sr. High (9th-12th grade)
Ancient History (10th-12th grade)
US and World History Sr. High Pt I & II (10th-12th grade)
US and World History Sr. High Pt III & IV (10th-12th grade)

If you have used BFB in an order that has worked for your family and would like to share that, please leave a comment below! And feel free to ask questions and interact in the comments section–we love hearing from our readers.

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Author Feature: Albert Marrin

This blog has featured many of the authors we publish but we haven't talked a lot about Albert Marrin. We first discovered this talented writer's historical books over a decade ago and have had the privilige of bringing six of his title back into print. 

Dr. Albert Marrin was born in New York City in 1936. As a junior high social studies teacher he learned about the power of stories, the ability of a well-told tale to draw youngsters attention and light up that spark of curiosity. That story-telling ability has propelled him into a career as a prolific writer. He's written over 40 books for young adults as well as four academic titles and has won many awards including Washington Post Childrens' Book Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, the James Madison Award for Lifetime Achievement, several Horn Book awards by the Boston Globe. He consistently appears on the best book of the year lists of the American Library Association, and receives frequent recognition by Book Lists, and the Western Heritage Award for best juvenile nonfiction book presented at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame among others. Winner of the 2008 National Endowment for Humanities Medal for his work, which was presented at the White House, was given "for opening young minds to the glorious pageant of history. His books have made the lessons of the past come alive with rich detail and energy for a new generation."

We couldn't agree more! Marrin also served as professor of history and chairman of the history department at Yeshiva University until he retired to become a full time writer. It was at this point that he was able to devote his energies to making history come alive for millions of young people. 

Here at Beautiful Feet Books, we have been able to reprint six of his titles on American history. 

America and Vietnam

Fought in a small Asian country unfamiliar to most Americans at the time, the Vietnam War became a cause that divided the nation and defined a counter-culture. The first televised war, newscasters became a force creating the greatest anti-war movement in history, while American boys suffered and died in jungles and rice paddies against guerilla soldiers they rarely saw face to face. As Marrin does so well, he brings an objective look at the complex issues that brought America into this war, that compelled her to stay there, and that prevented her from pursuing a definitive conclusion. Beginning with a history of Vietnam from ancient times, readers will understand the cultural, religious, and geo-political forces that made Vietnam a desirable territory conquered again and again by rival nations. They will learn how America's initial efforts to support anti-communist forces led to greater and greater involvement eventually spanning the administrations of Eisenhower, Kennedy, LBJ, and Nixon. Through photographs, perceptive epigraphs and first-person accounts, Marrin puts a human face on a multifaceted war. As Everett Alvarez, the longest-held POW in Vietnam, says of this book, "One of the book's strong points is that it portrays the war the way the men who fought remember it."

Hitler

"Marrin writes insightfully about the life of Adolf Hitler and attempts to ascertain the reasons for his fanaticism, as well as the motives of those who blindly followed him. The author forgoes sensationalism, and his matter-of-fact writing style and recitation of events are more than adequate to chronicle the horror. Step-by-step, he describes how Hitler, a seemingly shy, insecure young man was able to inspire a defeated nation that saw the extermination of many of its citizens as it salvation." - Booklist

School Library Journal: Best Book of the Year

Adolf Hitler—der Fuehrer—rose from a childhood of obscurity to wield more power than probably any person in history. His control over his subjects was so complete that he literally shaped every aspect of their lives—the slightest defiance of his authority meant torture and death. Marrin carefully traces the forces that framed Hitler's fanaticism; readers will learn of his hardhearted and abusive father and his doting and indulgent mother who continually schooled Adolf in his superiority over other children. When he is twice rejected at a prestigious art school in Vienna, Hitler's delusional thoughts of himself seek a scapegoat for his seething anger. This was the genesis of Hitler's raging anti-Semitism that would play out in the deaths of over six million. Hitler's path to power included a heroic career as an infantryman in World War I where he earned six medals for bravery, including the Iron Cross. But Germany's surrender plunged him into a dark depression. In this state he began to believe he was called by God to "right Germany's wrongs, rebuild her armies, and punish the traitors." The rest is history, and Marrin brings the tragedy of Hitler's dark reign to the young adult reader in a manner that is honest, forthright and sobering. Illustrated with maps and photographs.

Stalin, Russia's Man of Steel

School Library Journal "Best Books of the Year"

When Joseph Djugashvili was born the son of a poor shoemaker, few suspected he would rise to become one of the twentieth century's most ruthless and powerful dictators. Enamored as a young man with the revolutionary politics of Lenin, he joined the underground Marxist Party and began his pursuit of power by leading strikes and demonstrations. Six times he was exiled to Siberia for his illicit activities, escaping many times despite below freezing temperatures and on one occasion an attack by a pack of wolves. His instinctive ability to command authority and divide the opposition through lies and deceit set him on a path he would follow to become Russia's most absolute dictator. He was never reticent to shed innocent blood in the pursuit of his own ends, and he carefully orchestrated demonstrations that brought about massacres that he then used to his own revolutionary ends. His vision was far reaching, and while his initial purpose was to establish a Soviet socialist state his larger goal was world domination. Ultimately responsible for the deaths of over 30 million—13 million alone in the Ukrainian famine he caused—Stalin's life is a sober and heartbreaking account of the reign of terror suffered by countless millions at the hands of one man. Illustrated with photographs.

Victory in the Pacific

Victory in the Pacific covers events from the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor through the battles of Midway, Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands, Savo Island, the Doolittle raid on Tokyo, Corregidor Island, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima , and Okinawa. In each case, readers see the battles through the eyes of the men who were there, landing on the beaches, running raids in PT boats, dodging kamikaze bombers, and flying missions over Japan. In an easily accessible style, Marrin relates not only the important details of these conquests but also explains the military strategies of both the Allied forces and the Japanese. Readers get an overarching view of the war that helps to bring understanding especially as American forces drew increasingly closer to Japan and the Japanese grew ever more determined to fight to the bitter end. Marrin helps readers to understand the Japanese mindset that made surrender impossible and ultimately led to the decision to drop the atomic bomb in the interests of saving millions of lives. For the young adult reader, or even an adult unfamiliar with this period of WWII history, this book provides a sobering but inspiring look and the men and women , the nations and ideologies, that battled over half a century ago in the Pacific theater. Illustrated with diagrams, maps and photographs.

Virginia's General, Robert E. Lee and the Civil War

Portraying the sterling character of this admired hero, Marrin paints a complete picture of this complex man. Divided between his dislike of slavery and his loyalty to his beloved Virginia, Lee rose from an impoverished and tragic childhood to become one of the greatest military minds America has ever known even while being lauded for his kind, generous leadership. Marrin writes of Lee while including the stories of the ordinary soldiers, the Johnny Rebs and Billy Yanks. The victories, defeats, successes and failures of each side are portrayed in vivid and personal detail. Used in the Literature Approach to U.S. and World History, from the Civil War to Vietnam study guide.

All of the above titles are available on our website and we're offering a discount when you purchase more than one! Save $13.00 when you purchase all six in our Albert Marrin Collection, a Cathy Duffy Top 100 Pick for Homeschool award winner! Or save $9.00 when you purchase any four!

You can read reviews from other parents and readers at the links below:

Diane Allen Homeschool Reviews

Worthwhile Books reviews Hitler

Megan reviews The Yanks are Coming

Warning Books are Dangerous

And as a little bonus, you can watch Albert Marrin read from his book Flesh & Blood So Cheap, a finalist for the National Book Foundation Young Person's award. 

To learn more about Albert Marrin, visit his website.