John Brown joined the side of free-staters in the conflict in the Kansas Territory, fighting to have Kansas enter the Union as an anti-slavery state. History has shown that his actions and the reactions to them were among the most potent precursors of the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
Sojourner Truth lived a truly remarkable life. She had the ear of President Abraham Lincoln and fellow abolitionists Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and William Lloyd Garrison. One of the most persuasive and influential activists of her day, Truth was also an effective recruiter of African Americans into the Union army during the Civil War.
Born into slavery, Douglass became an eloquent spokesperson for both blacks and womens rights. During and after the Civil War, Douglass became a confidant of presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. Douglass also argued for African Americans to be allowed to join the Union army in the fight for their own freedom.
Following the passage of a law that made it a crime to aid in the escape of slaves, Stowe lent her actions and her words to the effort to help slaves and put an end to slavery. She actively aided fugitive slaves and, with the publication of the anti-slavery novel Uncle Toms Cabin, focused the nations consciousness on the inhumanity of slavery.
Why do people migrate to and settle in the places they do? Fascinating examples from history help explain the determining factors of migration. Readers will fascinated to read about the settling the Nile in ancient Egypt; the Industrial Revolution in Britain; the opening up of the American West; the Gold Rush; and the colonization of Australia.
With fossil fuels and water running out, and temperatures and sea levels rising due to climate change, whole communities will need to move and resettle. How will human migrations on this scale be managed in our modern world? This foreward-looking book explores these important issues as well as the solutions being put forward by politicians, experts, NGOs, and private citizens.
As our world becomes smaller, how do governments and citizens manage and react to migration and settlement? Themes explored in this intriguing book include: rights and lawsfreedom of movement across borders, human rights, seeking asylum, and immigration controls; the different types of migrantsasylum seekers, refugees, illegal immigrants, the undocumented labor force; coping with migrationmigrants need safety, schooling, health care, and housing.
Soil Erosion and How to Prvent It helps young readers see the real impact of erosion on all life. This intriguing book describes the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition, the impact of erosion on plants and animals, and kid-friendly steps to preventing erosion.
The natural movement of water has long been used to create energy. New forms of hydropower are being researched as alternative ways to create clean renewable energy. This remarkable new book describes how water flow is being used in tidal and wave energy farms, and how the oceans contain enough heat in the surface water to power the world! Case studies highlight the potential advantages and disadvantages of pursuing these different kinds of power.
The oldest and most important source of power for our planet is the Sun. This amazing new book explains why solar power is becoming a very real replacement for our current energy sources. Detailed images feature different types of solar collectors, solar thermal plants, and solar cells, and help explain how they are used. Special case studies identify areas where solar power is already in use around the world.
The need for safe sources of renewable energy has sent scientists underground to tap the natural heat produced by the Earth. Geothermal Energy: Using Earths Furnace describes the three different ways electricity is produced from geothermal energy. Young readers will discover how this clean, safe energy is currently being used in twenty countries including the United States, the largest producer of geothermal energy.
Green living means changing the way we live and use resources so that the environment is able to produce indefinitely the things we need to live. Building a Green Community walks young readers through a model community identifying green living practices at work, at home, on our highways, and at the store. This fascinating book also includes case studies of green communities around the world.
Because of global warming, nuclear energy is getting a second look. This important book discusses the benefits and drawbacks of this controversial, but clean and reliable, source of power. Case studies show how new technologies are helping make production of nuclear energy safer.
Reducing Your Foodprint teaches children that what they eat and how they eat is important to the environment. The further food travels to get to your table, the more harm to the environment. This enlightening new book explains how to adjust your diet to eat locally and responsibly.
Harnessing energy from water provides clean, available power that does not release harmful chemicals or carbons into the air. This interesting book explains how hydro turbines, transformers, and power lines work to bring light to the world and gives tips on how to conserve electricity and become more environmentally conscious.
Natural gas, oil, and coal are finite resources, and their use contributes to deadly smog and global warming. The Future of Fossil Fuels follows the world's dependence on these resources and shows how people are working to reduce their useand even make them more environmentally friendly!
In light of the devastating floods in 2010 in Pakistan, Brazil, the United States, and China, this informative book has been newly revised. Floods result from heavy rains and high winds that cause an overflow in water sources such as lakes, rivers, and oceans. Discover how monsoons differ from other storms and how people cope with their devastation.
This informative book has been newly revised in light of the massive eruption in Iceland in March 2010. The skies over a large part of the world were filled with volcanic ash, affecting weather and agriculture and disrupting travel for millions of people for several weeks.
This informative book has been newly revised in light of the devastating tornadoes that have swept across the United States over the last few years. 2008 was particularly fierce with clusters of tornadoes forming every month in the first half of the year.
In light of 2008's devastating cyclone in Myanmar (Burma) and hurricanes Fay, Gustav, and Ike in the U.S., this informative book has been newly revised. This book features the science behind these massive tropical storms and how societies around the world cope with their ferocity.
This informative book has been newly revised in light of the devastating earthquakes in 2010 in Chile, Haiti, Turkey, Mexico, and China. This book traces tremors and seismic waves and explains how we have prepared for the unexpected quakes that rock our cities and countryside.
In the days before performance-enhancing substances, the great Hank Aaron hit a career-record 755 home runs, a mark he held for 33 years. Hammerin' Hank began his baseball career in the Negro Leagues when black players were still banned from Major League Baseball. Hank played for 23 years in Milwaukee and Atlanta and made the All-Star team in both the National and American Leagues for 20 straight years.
Dolores Huerta grew up in a climate charged by political activism. Fueled by her own contact with migrant farm workers, most of them Mexican immigrants with virtually no access to the system of labor laws and conditions under which they lived and worked, Dolores became an outspoken activist and organizer. She founded the United Farm Workers in 1962 with legendary Mexican American labor leader Cesar Chavez, and also worked toward improving the lives of workers, voters, immigrants, and women.