North America History

Presidents’ Day celebrates the birthdays of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and all U.S. presidents. Some people go to parades, visit historical sites, or read books about presidents. Others dress up in costumes. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Five years after the Civil War, North Carolina Republican state senator John W. Stephens was found murdered inside the Caswell County Courthouse. Stephens fought for the rights of freedpeople, and his killing by the Ku Klux Klan ultimately led to insurrection, Governor William W. Holden's impeachment, and the early unwinding of Reconstruction in North Carolina.

Did you know there were several women and girls who worked as spies during the Civil War? Thanks to the voluminous hoop skirts and petticoats they wore, their clothing made it very easy to hide messages and smuggle them to the soldiers. Take a look at some of the women who served as Civil War spies!

It is the early twentieth century and the spiritualism movement is soaring in America. World War I and an influenza pandemic have killed hundreds of thousands. People are desperate to communicate with their dead loved ones, so they seek the help of mediums, psychics, and fortune tellers. The mourners don’t realize they’re being deceived by frauds. But famed magician Harry Houdini isn’t fooled. He knows that these scammers’ methods are no more than conjurer’s tricks. Houdini and his team of investigators, led by detective Rose Mackenberg, set out to expose the ghost hoaxes.

In a time where thousands pushed westward to find their fortune, Stephen Austin went west to found a colony. The fierce struggle between Austin's settlers and the Mexican government would lead to the birth of Texas and countless stories of heroes and heroism. Jailed by Mexican authorities, Austin fought a long, bitter struggle for the survival of Texas. Many may not know that Austin's dream almost did not come true.

Jabari Asim goes beyond what's taught in the classroom and tells a fact-filled history of African Americans through politics, activism, sports, entertainment, music, and much more. You'll follow the road to freedom beginning with the slave trade and the middle passage through the abolitionist movement and the Civil War where many African Americans fought as soldiers. You'll learn how slave songs often contained hidden messages and how a 15-year-old Jamaican-born young man named Clive Campbell helped to create hip-hop in the early 1970's.

In September 1620, 102 brave travelers and their crew stepped upon a ship called the Mayflower in England. Most were members of a religious group now known as the Pilgrims. They were bound for North America to start a new life. They endured many hardships and made many tough choices. Now the choices are yours. Would you rather suffer from seasickness or from skin sores caused by scurvy? Would you rather have been a crew member navigating the ship in stormy seas or cramped into the living quarters just along for the tumultuous ride? It's your turn to pick this or that!

In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh attempted to found the very first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The initial settlement—called the Lane colony—failed due to extremely low supplies and a hostile relationship with the Native American people who were already living on the land. Despite this miserable first attempt, Raleigh decided to establish another settlement. Over one hundred people agreed to join this new colony on Roanoke Island, just off the coast of what is now North Carolina.

From Gold Star father and beloved Democratic National Convention speaker Khizr Khan comes a book for young people about the Constitution - what it says and why it matters for everyone. Our Founding Fathers created the US Constitution and Bill of Rights as a blueprint for American government and the rights of American citizens. This document is not merely a piece of parchment but a living, breathing promise of our deepest democratic values.

Follow the true stories of heroes on the day that changed America forever: September 11, 2001. This riveting series takes listeners into the lives of heroes, from medics and firefighters to everyday people, who faced terrible danger and showed true courage. Hear first-hand accounts of those who stepped up when others needed them most and celebrate the heroes of our nation. This volume includes Tale of Two Marines and The Doctor Saves the Day.

Follow the true stories of heroes on the day that changed America forever: September 11, 2001. This riveting series takes listeners into the lives of heroes, from medics and firefighters to everyday people, who faced terrible danger and showed true courage. Hear first-hand accounts of those who stepped up when others needed them most and celebrate the heroes of our nation. This volume includes Fighting in Flight and Guiding Light.

The United States was founded on freedom. The many symbols that represent this liberty build patriotism and a sense of community. This introduction for young listeners explains the meaning, history, and importance of these symbols that celebrate the freedom of the United States.

The Early Explorers Book 1 includes biographical sketches of some of the first explorers that penetrated the American mainland, both South America and North America. The history of Colonial America would not be complete without biographical information on some of the explorers of North America. These New World adventurers laid the foundations of the future United States and Canada, as pioneers followed after them building settlements as they colonized the interior.

Did you know that a newly-designed boat helped win World War II? Learn about Andrew Higgins and his amphibious boat design that revolutionized the war effort. See how Higgins adapted his boat design to help carry soldiers and supplies onto Normandy Beach on D-Day. His craft was amphibious—it worked on land and water. See how one American's invention helped changed the tide of the war.

From Massachusetts to Florida to Washington to California, 50 Great American Places takes you on a journey through our nation's history. Sharing the inside stories of sites as old as Mesa Verde (Colorado) and Cahokia (Illinois) and as recent as Silicon Valley (California) and the Mall of America (Minnesota), each essay provides the historical context for places that represent fundamental American themes.

On the morning of January 10, 1917, thirteen determined women stood at the gates of the White House and held banners reading “HOW LONG MUST WOMEN WAIT FOR LIBERTY?” They were there to force President Woodrow Wilson to take notice of their demand for the right to vote.

This powerful YA memoir-manifesto follows journalist and LGBTQ+ activist George M. Johnson as they explore their childhood, adolescence, and college years, growing up under the duality of being black and queer. From memories of getting their teeth kicked out by bullies at age five to their loving relationship with their grandmother, to their first sexual experience, the stories wrestle with triumph and tragedy and cover topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, inequality, consent, and Black joy.

The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series. This audiobook teaches important lessons about resilience, doing what you love in the face of injustice, and the fight for Native American representation in sports.

This groundbreaking study of agriculture's role in the war defies long-held notions that Northern industrialization and urbanization led to clashes between North and South. Huston argues that the ideological chasm between plantation owners in the South and family farmers in the North led to the political eruption of 1854-1856 and the birth of a sectionalized party system.

Since the regiment’s creation in 1899, the men of the 65th have proudly served the US through multiple wars, despite facing racial discrimination. Their courage, loyalty, and patriotism earned them hundreds of accolades, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.