1776
"1776 -- what an amazing year! By the end of it, many Americans were no longer loyal subjects of Britain's King George III. Instead, they were proud citizens of a new nation. Of course, this didn't happen in just 12 months. By 1776, Britain and 13 of its North American colonies had been arguing with each other off and on for many years. Still, when 1776 began, many colonists believed that the two sides . . . "

JEFFERSON
"Thomas Jefferson was a man of countless talents and interests. Best known for the many ways he served his country, Jefferson was one of the founders of the United States. He wrote our nation's first and perhaps most famous document - the Declaration of Independence. He served as governor of his home state of Virginia. He traveled to France to represent the new U.S. government, and in 1800, he . . . "

WASHINGTON
"When George Washington died in 1799, General Henry Lee summed up his many achievements in just a few words. Washington, he said, was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Most people remember Washington as the nation's first president, but he was also an outstanding military leader. He led the nation to victory in the American Revolution, an . . . "

AMERICAN REVOLUTION
"If you sometimes don't want to do what your parents tell you to do, you have an idea of how Great Britain's 13 American colonies felt in the 1770s. Since 1607, people had been leaving the motherland to come to America for a variety of reasons: religious freedom, economic gain, and a new life, among others. While many of these colonists had their differences with Britain, most still considered them. . . "

CONSTITUTION
“By 1787, many leaders feared that the new country would fall apart without a stronger Central government. They called for a meeting of delegates from all of the states. The goal was to make changes in the Articles of Confederation. But once the delegates had gathered, they realized that a bigger change was needed. They wrote a brand-new document. It is called the Constitution.”

REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN
"In 1775, Britain ruled 13 colonies, which stretched along the East Coast of North America from Massachusetts to Georgia. Many colonists were tired of British rule. They had quarreled with Britain for years about taxes and laws they considered unfair. Finally, in April 1775, fighting broke out between the colonists and the British army. The American Revolution had begun.”

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
“It’s hard to believe that just over a thousand words could change world history, but one document—only 1,337 words long—holds ideas more powerful than dynamite. This document’s ideas shook up the mighty British Empire. It launched a new nation. And it is still greatly admired today. What is this document? The Declaration of Independence, of course.”

CHILDREN'S BOOKS

• The Mayflower Compact (Cornerstones of Freedom, Second Series). By Melissa Whitcraft, Children's Press (CT), 2003.
• 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving. By Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac, National Geographic, 2001.
• Smallpox in the New World (Epidemic!). By Stephanie True Peters, Benchmark Books (NY), 2004.
• William Bradford: Plymouth's Faithful Pilgrim (Men of Spirit). By Gary Schmidt, Rebound by Sagebrush, 2001.
• Pilgrims. By R. Conrad Stein, Rebound by Sagebrush, 2003.
• Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636. By Paul Erickson, Clarion Books, 2001.

ADULT BOOKS

• The Times of Their Lives : Life, Love, and Death in Plymouth Colony. By James Deetz and Patricia Scott Deetz, W. H. Freeman, 2000.
• Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation (Time-Traveling Twins). By Diane Stanleyand Holly Berry, Joanna Cotler, 2004.

WEBSITES

• Colonial America Information, 1492-1763: www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/colonial

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

• Colonial Williamsburg (VA):
  www.history.org
• Historic Jamestown National Historic (VA):
  www.nps.gov/jame
• Plimoth Plantation (MA):
  www.plimoth.org
• Freedom Trail - The Paul Revere House (Boston):
  www.nps.gov/bost/Paul_Revere_House.htm