In the early 1800s, many black slaves in the southern states began to risk their lives to gain freedom in the North. They escaped from plantations with no money to buy food and no maps to help them find their way. They could travel only at night. If runaway slaves were caught, they could be beaten to death. Still, many slaves tried to flee. Slave catchers chased them, but the runaways seemed to disappear into thin air―or through a secret underground escape route. So how did slaves escape from their masters? Where did they hide? How did the slaves communicate with each other and the people who were helping them? Discover the facts about the brave men and women who formed the Underground Railroad. Learn how their secret work changed the lives of thousands of slaves.

On a cold evening in December 1773, a group of men climbed aboard three ships docked in Boston Harbor. Armed with hatchets, the men began breaking into the ships’ valuable cargo―342 crates of tea. They dumped the tea into the black water of the harbor and then marched back home through the city streets. This “Boston Tea Party” was a bold act of protest by American colonists against British rule. It pushed the colonies and Great Britain a step closer to war. But who were these protestors? Why would they risk angering the powerful British government? And how did the British respond? Discover the facts about the Boston Tea Party and the colonists’ struggle for independent rule.

In the spring of 1843, nearly one thousand people gathered in Independence, Missouri. They came from all over the eastern United States, and many had to sell most of their possessions to afford the trip. Yet their journey was just beginning. The group set out for Oregon Country, a four- to six-month trek across plains, mountains, valleys, and rivers. Not everyone survived the difficult trip. Still, before the end of the 1800s, many more wagon trains would travel the Oregon Trail to reach what became the western United States. So why were Americans moving west? What hardships would they face on the journey? And who blazed the Oregon Trail? Discover the facts about this important trail west and how it affected U.S. history.

In June 1776, colonial delegates to the Continental Congress began writing a document to set up a new country―with a government independent from Britain. The Articles of Confederation created a limited centralized government, with states keeping most of the power. After sixteen months of debate, delegates finally passed the Articles on November 15, 1777. But afterward, many conflicts arose. It became clear that the country needed―but also feared―a stronger central government. The states sent delegates to another meeting called the Constitutional Convention, out of which came the U.S. Constitution. So who attended the Continental Congress? How did the Articles of Confederation hold the country together during the Revolutionary War? What was Shay's Rebellion? Discover the facts about the Articles of Confederation and learn how this document influenced the formation of the U.S. government.

In the early 1800s, many Americans living in the eastern states wanted to explore the western frontier. Vast amounts of land and resources lay to the west―but the Appalachian Mountains formed a huge wall stretching from Canada to Georgia. How could Americans cut through it? Who could create a workable plan? What overwhelming challenges did the workers face? Discover how the Erie Canal opened the passage to the West, bringing people new opportunities for trade and expansion.

In September 1774, American colonial leaders gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From New Hampshire to Georgia, colonists were angry about the taxes they were forced to pay to Great Britain. But Britain’s King George III and the British government refused to listen to the colonists. Decisionmakers from each American colony held a congress―a formal meeting―to discuss what the colonies should do. Some leaders wanted to make peace with Britain. Others wanted to break free of British rule―even if that meant going to war. In the spring of 1776, the members reached a decision. They wrote, voted on, and issued the Declaration of Independence. This important document announced that the newly united American states were no longer a part of Great Britain. So why were many colonists against paying taxes to Great Britain? Who actually wrote the Declaration of Independence? Why do we celebrate on July 4? Discover the facts about the Declaration of Independence and learn about its place in American history.

In the late 1400s, Christopher Columbus was sure he could find a trade route from Spain to the Far East by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. On his first voyage, he landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea. He soon realizedn that this was not Asia and returned to Spain for more supplies. Even after three more attempts, Columbus never found a westward route to Asia. But his discoveries forever changed European views of the world and led to settlement in the Americas. So why did Columbus want a route to the Far East? How did he get his idea to sail west? What challenges did he and his crew face? Discover the facts about Columbus' voyages and how they changed the world.

By the mid-1800s, thousands of white settlers were traveling westward through the Great Plains. Pioneers built farms and ranches, and companies laid railroads and dug mines. But the plains were the homeland and hunting grounds for many Native Americans. To protect their traditional lands, Native American warriors attacked white homes and settlements. The U.S. government tried to keep the peace by promising to keep white settlers and soldiers out of Native American territories. But the government broke its promise in treaty after treaty. The conflict between the U.S. Army and Native American nations peaked in 1876 in Montana at the Battle of Little Bighorn―the last great battle of the American West. So what Native American groups were involved in the battle? Who led the U.S. soldiers? How did the battle change life for Native Americans living on the Great Plains? Discover the facts about the Battle of Little Bighorn and learn more about the westward expansion of the United States.

William Penn was only twenty-two years old the first time he went to prison. He had attended a meeting of the Quakers, people who practiced a religion forbidden in Britain during the 1600s. Despite the dangers, Penn became a Quaker leader, and he dreamed of a place where people could freely practice religion. Britain's king later gave Penn one of the British colonies in North America. In Pennsylvannia, Penn organized a new kind of government―a place where people had individual rights, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and trial by jury. So why was the Quaker religion forbidden? How did William Penn get so much land from the king? What was Penn’s "holy experiment"? Discover the facts about the beginnings of Pennsylvania and learn about its importance to what later became the U.S. government.

On May 26, 1838, U.S. soldiers surrounded Cherokee villages across Georgia. The soldiers came to force Cherokee families to move to a new territory in Oklahoma. The Cherokees had little time to gather their belongings before being herded into camps. From there, 13,000 were forced on the thousand-mile journey to Oklahoma. They had little food and no shelter from the weather. Many―especially children―grew sick and died. The forced march became known as nunna-dual-tsuny ―the Trail of Tears.