Search Results: 165 books from 11 publishers. Learn more

Passing the Time: Entertainment in the 1800s

Zachary Chastain (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422296851

With a six day workweek, long hours on the job, and the hard labor required to keep house, leisure time was precious in the 1800s. Without recorded music, radio, movies, TV, video games, or the Internet, Americans had to make their own fun, and most of it was simple and very low tech - singing around the family piano, visiting with neighbors, or picnicking in the woods. In the bigger towns and cities, theaters offered live, professional entertainment ranging from classic plays to raucous minstrel shows. In the smaller towns and rural areas, people waited anxiously for those few times a year when a traveling show or circus might come through the area. As the 1800s progressed, leisure time and economic resources increased for many Americans and a more sophisticated public demanded new and more exciting amusements. Read all about America at play in the 1800s!

The Sweat of Their Brow: Occupations in the 1800s

Zachary Chastain (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422296820

America in the 1800s was a very hardworking society. Early in the century, farmers, craftsmen, and housewives worked very much the way they had for centuries - by their own physical labor and the sweat of their brow. The growing industrial economy brought millions of workers, people leaving their farms and new immigrants, into the factories and workshops of America, where the work was hard, the hours were long, and the pay was low. Women and children made up a large percentage of the industrial workforce, and conditions were often miserable and dangerous. Meanwhile, a small class of industrialists built vast fortunes. As the century progressed, improved technology, workers rights legislation, and the rise of trade unions helped to alleviate some of the misery of American workers, but for much of the 1800s, the lives of an average working class person was one of hard toil, limited opportunities, and the constant threat of poverty.

Scandals and Glory: Politics in the 1800s

Zachary Chastain (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422296837

With the principles of democracy firmly established after the War for Independence, Americans in the 1800s took their politics very seriously. As more and more male citizens gained the right to vote, elections became very public, hotly contested, and sometimes even violent. In the cities and towns of America, politicians courted political power and influence among new immigrant communities; buying votes and stuffing ballot boxes was shockingly common. While the major national political issues of foreign policy, taxation, the abolition of slavery, and states rights took center stage in Congress, Americans split along regional and party lines that still exist in the twenty-first century. Scandals over greed and corruption caused whole city governments to fall, but America also produced some of the greatest statesman and political leaders in its history. Former slaves, poor immigrants, and women demanded their right to vote.

Saloons, Shootouts, and Spurs: The Wild West In the 1800's

Kenneth McIntosh (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422296813

Life on the American frontier of the 1800s is the stuff of American myth and legend. It was here in the wide open spaces of the West that the rugged individualism of the American character was refined: in the strong but silent cowboy, the saloon girl with a heart of gold, and the sod busting pioneer. Faced with the incredible challenges of taming a wilderness, wresting the territory from the Native peoples, and dealing with the hardships of pioneer life, Americans were offered one of the richest opportunities in the history of human kind - the agricultural and mineral resources of a new land. The settling of this land is the story of America, a story of violence, wasted resources, and genocide, as well as heroism, freedom, and incredible opportunity. The Wild West of the 1800s remains for Americans a land of hopes and dreams.

America at War: Military Conflicts, Home and Abroad, and Daily Life in the 1800

Matthew Strange (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422296929

From an isolated and inward-looking new nation clinging to the East Coast, America in the 1800s grew in size, strength, and military might. From the War of 1812 to the century-long campaigns of conquest against Native American peoples, territorial expansion through war with Mexico to the great national tragedy that was the Civil War, American soldiers and sailors forged a tradition of pride and heroism that is part of our national heritage. Sometimes misguided, sometimes truly inspired, nineteenth century America produced some of the greatest military leaders and witnessed some of the bloodiest battles in our history. Behind the scenes, and often neglected in our official histories, the life of America's citizen soldiers was a tough and brutal one. Patriotism, heroism, and human folly all combine in the story of the roots of Americas rise to the status of world military power.

Buggies, Bicycles, and Iron Horses: Transportation in the 1800s

Kenneth McIntosh (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422296943

In today's world, where we routinely zip down the highway at 70 miles per hour and we can fly coast-to-coast in a matter of hours, it is hard to imagine the revolution in transportation that took place in the 1800s. From a world where most people rarely traveled faster than their legs could carry them or much beyond their home towns, the 1800s witnessed an amazing and rapid development of technology, improvements in infrastructure, and a national will to conquer the vast distances of a growing country. Through the work of inventors, individual entrepreneurs, and municipalities, Americans found new opportunities for traveling conveniently from place to place within their communities, and a frontier nation was unified by rail, by road, and by a sense of national identity. This is the story of nineteenth century America on the move!

Bleeding, Blistering, and Purging: Health and Medicine in the 1800s

Matthew Strange (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422296950

Medicine developed into a science in the 1800s, but it was a long evolution from folk remedies and superstition to a modern understanding of how the human body works and how disease is spread. Throughout much of the century, the life expectancy of the average American was decades shorter than it is now. A lack of understanding of simple hygiene contributed to the early death of many women after childbirth, and children routinely died of common childhood diseases like measles. An incorrectly treated broken arm could kill a healthy young man, and pain, disfigurement, and epidemic disease was the fate of many Americans. Traditional herbal remedies were sometimes the best treatments available, while patent medicines often contained toxic substances, and medical procedures were often painful, disgusting, and ultimately useless. The dedicated scientists and medical researchers of the 1800s made a tremendous contribution to the health and happiness of Americans.

Women Who Built Our Scientific Foundations

Kim Etingoff (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422289020

Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in building the foundation of our current scientific knowledge. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women who have changed our scientific understanding, from Marie Curie to Ellen Swallow Richards, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a leader in science. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women Who Built Our Scientific Foundations to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in science is something you want to do.

Women in Anthropology

Shaina Indovino (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422288931

Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of anthropology, the study of people. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in anthropology, from Jane Goodall to Zora Neale Hurston, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be an anthropologist. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Anthropology to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in anthropology is something you want to do.

Ancient Land with a Fascinating Past: The History of Mexico

Amy N. Hunter (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422286838

For thousands of years, humans have lived and worked in the land that today is known as Mexico. This book provides an overview of Mexican history, from the origins of its ancient civilizations, such as the Olmec and Maya, to the arrival and impact of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, to the struggles for Mexico to become a stable, modern, independent state during the 19th and 20th centuries. This book also examines the present-day issues that affect Mexico, including widespread poverty and economic inequality, as well as a brutal internal conflict between government forces and powerful drug cartels.

Famous People of Mexican History

Anna Carew-Miller (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422286807

The more than 3,800-year-old history of the land known as Mexico is populated with great military and political leaders, inspirational artists and writers, and extraordinary women. This book provides biographical information about some of the most important figures in Mexico's history, including the Aztec emperors Itzcoatl, Montezuma, and Montezuma II; the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés; the 19th century political leaders Agustín de Iturbide, Antonio López de Santa Anna, Benito Juárez, and Porfirio Díaz; the revolutionaries Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa; and artists like Diego Rivera, Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and Frida Kahlo. Their biographies show how the contributions of these famous people, and others, made Mexico the nation it is today.

Spirit of a Nation: The People of Mexico

Colleen Madonna Flood Williams (author)

Publisher: Mason Crest ISBN: 9781422286814

The land that today is known as Mexico has been inhabited for thousands of years. This book provides a historical survey of the major pre-Columbian civilizations, such as the Olmec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztecs. It examines how the population of Mexico was changed by the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, and their subsequent three centuries of rule over the country. And it provides demographic and cultural information about the more than 118 million people who live in Mexico today.

American History 1

Saddleback Educational Publishing (author)

Publisher: Saddleback Educational Publishing ISBN: 9781612476759

This two-part book program offers activities to supplement standard U.S. history classroom textbooks. Lessons can stand-alone or coordinate with any text. Activity pages include basic concepts, graphs, maps, vocabulary comprehension, and nonfiction informational excerpts that help make meaningful connections with historical concepts, facts, and ideas. Reproducible Books include table of contents and answer keys.

The Three Mile Island Nuclear Disaster

Marcia Amidon Lusted (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781614786122

This title examines an important historic event - the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster near Middletown, Pennsylvania. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the history of nuclear power in the United States, how a nuclear plant works, details of the emergency at Metropolitan Edison Company's nuclear power plant, handling of the disaster by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, President Jimmy Carter's visit to Three Mile Island, the investigation into the disaster, and the effects of this event on society. Features include a table of contents, glossary, selected bibliography, Web links, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and essential facts.

California's Gold Rush

Robert Grayson (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781614786078

This title examines an important historic event - the gold rush in California. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the first discovery of gold and the creation of boomtowns in the West, issues with the Mexican government, military desertion, expansionism, and the environmental consequences of mining, key characters such as John Sutter, Samuel Brannan, Colonel Richard B. Mason, and President James K. Polk, the roles of journalism, transportation, and racial discrimination, the development of mining technologies and entrepreneurship, and the effects of this event on society. Features include a table of contents, glossary, selected bibliography, Web links, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and essential facts.

The Hudson Plane Landing

Martin Gitlin (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781614786092

This title examines an important historic event - the Hudson River plane landing. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the men who safely executed a water landing for US Airways Flight 1549, Captain Chesley Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles, passenger accounts from that day, air traffic controller Patrick Harten who handled the flight, the first confrontation between airplane and bird by Orville Wright, culling of Canada geese near New York's LaGuardia Airport, details of the landing in the Hudson River, the rescue, and the effects of this event on society. Features include a table of contents, glossary, selected bibliography, Web links, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and essential facts.

The Global Financial Crisis

Holly Dolezalek (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781617878459

This title examines an important historic event - the modern global financial crisis. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the impact of the failing housing market and the credit crisis in the United States, the US government bailouts of banks, automakers, and other businesses, issues around financial regulation and the US Federal Reserve, the spread of financial problems to Europe, Japan, and China, and the effects of this event on society. Features include a table of contents, a timeline, facts, additional resources, Web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

Bleeding Kansas

Richard Reece (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781614786061

This title examines an important historic event - bleeding Kansas. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the history of America during this violent time period as territories entered the Union as free or slave states. Readers will learn about the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the man behind it, Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas, the signer of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, President Franklin Pierce, and the effects of this event on society. Also discussed are the abolition movement, Nat Turner's Rebellion, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Features include a table of contents, glossary, selected bibliography, Web links, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and essential facts.

The Orphan Trains

Kristin F. Johnson (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781614786108

This title examines an important historic event - the orphan train movement. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the history of the Children's Aid Society and the development of the Brace School, lodging houses, and industrial schools, the conditions that led to child abandonment in the 1800s, problems with institutional care and child labor laws, the roles the Civil War, the Great Depression, and people like Charles Loring Brace played, and the effects of this event on society. Features include a table of contents, glossary, selected bibliography, Web links, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and essential facts.

The Oregon Trail

Marcia Amidon Lusted (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781617878473

This title examines an important historic event - the Oregon Trail. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the history of the Pacific Coast and the expansion of the United States, the roles Manifest Destiny, transportation, mountain men, Native Americans, Mormons, and emigration societies played during this time, the challenges pioneers faced and experienced on the trail, and the effects of this event on society. Features include a table of contents, a timeline, facts, additional resources, Web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

The Scottsboro Boys

David Cates (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781614786115

This title examines an important historic event - the trials of the nine Scottsboro Boys that took place in Alabama. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the history of America at the time of the trials, the accounts of the nine men on trial regarding their train ride from Tennessee to Alabama, their sentences, and the effects of this event on society. Readers will learn about the Great Depression, the Jim Crow south, lynching, the Ku Klux Klan, and the black codes that were all part of the atmosphere at this time. Features include a table of contents, glossary, selected bibliography, Web links, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and essential facts.

The Fight for Women's Suffrage

Marcia Amidon Lusted (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781617878442

This title examines an important historic event - the women's suffrage movement. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the history of women's rights and the League of Women Voters, the roles the antislavery movement, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, and literature played in the movement, well-known figures such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, and Alice Paul, and the effects of this event on society. Features include a table of contents, a timeline, facts, additional resources, Web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

Tragedy in Tucson

Aimee Houser (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781614786139

This title examines an important historic event - the shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others in Tucson, Arizona. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the man behind the shooting, Jared Loughner, and his history of mental illness, the disease schizophrenia, Giffords rise in politics, the political climate in America, including the hot button issue of health-care reform, Giffords's fight for her life, and the effects of this event on society. Also discussed are the gun laws in America, the National Rifle Association's stand on gun control, new legislation introduced in Congress regarding gun control, and mental health policy and law. Features include a table of contents, glossary, selected bibliography, Web links, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and essential facts.

The Endurance Expedition

Sue Vander Hook (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781617840531

This title examines an important event in history- the Endurance expedition. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores events leading up to the expedition, how the men survived it, and Sir Ernest Shackleton and other key people involved. Features include a table of contents, a timeline, facts, additional resources, Web sites, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

The Cold War

Kayla Morgan (author)

Publisher: ABDO ISBN: 9781617873546

This title examines an important historic event - the Cold War. Compelling text explores the political climate leading up to the Cold War, the major confrontations, the aftermath, and the impact on the world today. Features include a table of contents, timeline, facts, additional resources, Web sites, glossary, bibliography, and index.