Books on U.S. History

Explore national history with this collection of study guides for fiction and non-fiction texts covering events, key figures, and viewpoints that have shaped the United States over the centuries. A sampling of topics within this collection includes the Puritans, Indigenous peoples, the successes and failures of the country's founders, U.S. presidents, war, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and more.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

by Harriet Jacobs

Publication year 1861

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Inspirational, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, US History, African American Literature, American Civil War, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

The memoir Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) is an account of the life of Harriet Ann Jacobs, who calls herself “Linda Brent” in the narrative. It is a key text in the slave narrative genre, which were first-person narratives written by formerly enslaved people that hoped to convert readers to the abolitionist cause. While most slave narratives were written by men, such as The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1791), Narrative of... Read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Summary

In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd

by Ana Menéndez

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Family

Tags US History, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd is Ana Menéndez’s 2001 collection of eleven linked short stories, largely set in Miami, which revolve around the experiences of Cuban immigrants and their American-born children. The New York Times named the collection a Notable Book of the Year, and the title story was awarded the Pushcart Prize for short fiction. The collection includes a diverse mix of realistic fiction, magical realism, and allegory; it explores themes of... Read In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd Summary

Indian Captive

by Lois Lenski

Publication year 1941

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Community, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Life-Inspired Fiction, US History, Colonial America, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

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Indian Givers

by Jack Weatherford

Publication year 1988

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Indigenous Identity

Tags US History, Race & Racism, Anthropology, Anthropology, World History

Published in 1988 and written by anthropologist Jack Weatherford, Indian Givers: How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World traces the substantial and often over-looked contributions of American Indians to modern society. Despite his lack of formal training as a historian of American native cultures, Weatherford’s anthropological rigor shines through: Indian Givers has been widely praised for its insight, though occasionally criticized for relying too heavily on secondary literature. This study guide refers to... Read Indian Givers Summary

Interior Chinatown

by Charles Yu

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Nation, Justice

Tags Realistic Fiction, Symbolic Narrative, Race & Racism, Arts & Culture, Diversity, US History, Asian Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Humor

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In the Heart of the Sea

by Nathaniel Philbrick

Publication year 2000

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Animals, Perseverance, Economics

Tags US History, Action & Adventure, World History, Travel Literature, Biography

While many know the story of the sinking of the Titanic, fewer have heard the story of the Essex, a whaling ship that was sunk after being repeatedly rammed by an enormous whale during a whaling expedition in 1820. At one time, however, the story of the Essex was the most famous story of maritime tragedy in the United States, even inspiring certain aspects of Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick. Nathaniel Philbrick’s account of the journey... Read In the Heart of the Sea Summary

Ironweed

by William Kennedy

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fate

Tags US History, American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Published in 1983, Ironweed is the third entry in William Kennedy’s cycle of historical fiction set in Albany, New York; it garnered critical acclaim and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award. The novel details a few days in the life of Francis Phelan, a drifter long estranged from his family, upon his return to Albany in 1938, taking his story as a chance... Read Ironweed Summary

Isaac's Storm

by Erik Larson

Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Science & Nature, US History, World History, Biography, Action & Adventure

Isaac's Storm is a nonfiction book published in 2000 by the American author and journalist Erik Larson. Subtitled A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Storm in History, the book chronicles the events surrounding the September 9, 1900 Galveston, Texas hurricane which killed between 6,000-10,000 people, making it the deadliest natural disaster in US history. The story is largely told through the experiences of Isaac Monroe Cline, a meteorologist who led the US Weather Bureau... Read Isaac's Storm Summary

jasper texas 1998

by Lucille Clifton

Publication year 1998

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Death, Safety & Danger, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Race, Justice, Good & Evil, Hope

Tags Lyric Poem, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Black Lives Matter, US History, African American Literature

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Jesse

by Gary Soto

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Loneliness, Masculinity, Race, Family, Friendship, Community, War, Art, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Social Class

Tags Realistic Fiction, Arts & Culture, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Agriculture, Social Class, US History, Poverty, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Vietnam War

... Read Jesse Summary