LINCOLN
"As a young 'un, Abe Lincoln wasn't the sort of fellow you'd think would grow up to become president. Sure, he was a hard worker when he had to be. But give him a few minutes of free time, and he had his nose in a book. If he wasn't reading, he probably was delighting a willing audience with a knee-slappingly funny story. But young Abe was anything but aimless. With a few deeply held beliefs and a . . . "

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 . . . "

TEDDY ROOSEVELT
"Teddy! Energetic, enthusiastic, determined, childlike--these are the words people used to describe Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States. When Roosevelt took office in 1901, some people were delighted. Others were disappointed. He always spoke his mind, and he always did what he thought was right. It was hard to predict just what he would say or do."

HOW AMERICA WORKS
"There are three different levels of government. The federal (national) government deals with matters that affect all people in the U.S., such as printing money and establishing post offices. Each state government takes care of matters that affect people in that state, such as issuing driving, hunting, and fishing licenses. Local government deals with matters that affect the local community, suc. . . "

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. . . "

BEN FRANKLIN
"Young Ben Franklin wanted to be a sailor and see the world beyond colonial Boston. Instead, he learned the printing trade and became the most famous American of his day-the best-known writer, scientist, and inventor in the New World. Europeans admired Franklin, too. "

COLONIAL AMERICA
"Picture yourself on the dock of Plymouth, England, a green and pretty port town. It's the year 1620. You are waving good-bye to your friends and relatives. Most likely, you'll never see them again. Like many Europeans of your day, you are boarding a ship for the New World. Your ship is called the Mayflower, and you will travel on it for two long months.Instead of sleeping on your soft bed, you sleep. . . "

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.”

PRESIDENCY
"The Constitution provides for a government of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch carries out the laws. The legislative branch (Congress) passes laws. The judicial branch (the courts) decides if the laws are being carried out fairly. The president is the head of the executive branch. But, as you will discover, the president is much more."

CHILDREN'S BOOKS

• George Washington: An Illustrated Biography. By David A. Adler, Holiday House, 2004.
• George Washington: First President 1789-1797 (Getting to Know the Us Presidents). By Mike Venezia, Children's Press (CT), 2004.
• George Washington: Father of the Nation (Primary Sources of Famous People in American History). By Tracie Egan, Rosen Central, 2003.
• The George Washington You Never Knew (You Never Knew). By James Lincoln Collier, Children's Press (CT), 2003.

ADULT BOOKS

• His Excellency: George Washington. By Joseph J. Ellis, Knopf, 2004.
• When Washington Crossed the Delaware : A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots. By Lynne Cheney, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2004.
• Washington's Crossing (Pivotal Moments in American History). By David Hackett Fischer, Oxford University Press, 2004.
• The Road to Valley Forge : How Washington Built the Army that Won the Revolution. By John Buchanan, Wiley, 2004.

WEBSITES

• White House - George Washington: www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gw1.html
• Mount Vernon: www.mountvernon.org
• The Papers of George Washington at the University of Virginia: www.gwpapers.virginia.edu
• George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress: www.memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwhome.html

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

• Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon, VA):
  www.mountvernon.org
• George Washington's Birthplace (Colonial Beach, VA):
  www.nps.gov/gewa