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.

Martin Eden

by Jack London

Publication year 1909

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Fate, Loneliness, Education, Self Discovery, Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, American Literature, Coming of Age, Arts & Culture, Social Class, Depression & Suicide, Education, Finance, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Poverty, Relationships, US History, World History, Classical Period, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

Martin Eden is a 1909 novel by American author Jack London. Known for his stories of adventure and use of naturalism and realism, London authored more than 50 books, including Call of the Wild and White Fang, before his untimely death at age 40. London wrote Martin Eden at the height of his literary career, inspired by his own disillusionment with fame and literary critics. Although the protagonist’s individualist principles are at odds with London’s... Read Martin Eden Summary

Mayflower

by Nathaniel Philbrick

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Indigenous Identity

Tags US History, Military & War, American Literature, World History

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War is a historical nonfiction narrative by New York Times bestseller Nathaniel Philbrick (Valiant Ambition). The book outlines the reasons for the Mayflower’s historic voyage and offers a realistic account of the Pilgrims' first 55 years in the New World. Perhaps most important, in Philbrick’s assessment, is the tenuous relationship between the Pilgrims and their Indigenous neighbors, and the text investigates superficial assessments of the Pilgrims, including the... Read Mayflower Summary

Me and the Mule

by Langston Hughes

Publication year 1959

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Race, Animals, Shame & Pride, Equality, Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, American Literature, African American Literature, Race & Racism, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Social Justice, US History

... Read Me and the Mule Summary

Miracle At Philadelphia

by Catherine Drinker Bowen

Publication year 1966

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Nation, Politics & Government

Tags US History, Politics & Government, American Revolution, American Literature, World History

Miracle at Philadelphia is a 1969 work of history by Catherine Drinker Bowen. It is a detailed account of the Constitutional Convention that took place from May to September 1787 in Philadelphia, resulting in the original drafting of the United States Constitution. It remains one of the most highly regarded popular accounts of the Convention, especially for its rich portraits of the delegates that provides a vivid sense of political debates and social life.This study... Read Miracle At Philadelphia Summary

Missoula

by Jon Krakauer

Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Crime & Law, Gender & Feminism, US History, Politics & Government, Journalism, True Crime, History, Sociology, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer is a work of narrative nonfiction that explores the pervasive issue of sexual violence within the context of a college town. Published in 2015, the book offers an examination of several cases of sexual assault at the University of Montana in Missoula, shedding light on the systemic failures of the justice system and the broader societal attitudes that often exacerbate the trauma... Read Missoula Summary

My Bondage and My Freedom

by Frederick Douglass

Publication year 1855

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Tags US History, Race & Racism, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

Frederick Douglass’s memoir My Bondage and My Freedom (1855), published a decade after the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845), is his revision of his original narrative. Written during a period after Douglass attained freedom, it is more revealing than his first memoir and more politically sophisticated. Douglass was older and better educated when he wrote this book. Conversely, he had composed his Narrative in response to a skeptical public, as proof of... Read My Bondage and My Freedom Summary

My Kinsman Major Molineux

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Publication year 1831

Genre Short Story, Fiction

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

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “My Kinsman, Major Molineux” was published in 1831. Hawthorne notes that it is set “not far from a hundred years ago” (1), suggesting the story takes place in the 1730s. It was first published in an annual collection titled The Token and Atlantic Souvenir. In the 1960s, New England poet Robert Lowell adapted it to stage.In the opening paragraph, the author provides context for the political climate in which the story is set. He... Read My Kinsman Major Molineux Summary

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

by Frederick Douglass

Publication year 1845

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Equality, Power & Greed

Tags American Literature, Race & Racism, US History, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is an autobiography by Frederick Douglass that was first published in 1845. Douglass escaped from slavery in 1838 and became a prominent abolitionist, orator, and writer. His autobiography describes his experiences under slavery and his eventual freedom. The book was widely read and influenced public opinion in favor of the abolition of slavery. It remains one of the most read memoirs from the antebellum period. The autobiography includes... Read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Summary

Necessary Trouble

by Drew Gilpin Faust

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Coming of Age, Femininity, Gender Identity, Race, Social Class, Education, Nation

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Gender & Feminism, Post-War Era, Southern Literature, Women`s Studies, World History, Biography

... Read Necessary Trouble Summary

Neither Wolf Nor Dog

by Kent Nerburn

Publication year 1994

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Language, Animals, Place, Colonialism, Nation, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Race & Racism, US History, Travel Literature, Creative Nonfiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, World History, Biography

Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder is a memoir by American author Kent Nerburn. The book describes a road trip Nerburn took with two Lakota men, weaving Nerburn’s personal experiences with lengthy speeches from the men on indigenous history and culture. Major themes in the book include The Role of Language in Oppression, The Lasting Trauma of America’s Violence Against Indigenous Communities at the hands of white colonizers, and The... Read Neither Wolf Nor Dog Summary