10 Best Teen & Young Adult 19th Century United States History Books

A Young People’s History of the United States brings to US history the viewpoints of workers, slaves, immigrants, women, Native Americans, and others whose stories, and their impact, are rarely included in books for young people. A Young People’s History of the United States is also a companion volume to The People Speak, the film adapted from A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Beginning with a look at Christopher Columbus’s arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians, then leading the reader through the struggles for workers’ rights, women’s rights, and civil rights during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and ending with the current protests against continued American imperialism, Zinn in the volumes of A Young People’s History of the United States presents a radical new way of understanding America’s history. In so doing, he reminds readers that America’s true greatness is shaped by our dissident voices, not our military generals.

NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author James Swanson delivers a riveting account of the chase for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, CHASING LINCOLN’S KILLER is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.

Designed for middle-school history curriculum, independent study, or tutorial aid, the American History series provides 128 pages of challenging activities that enable students to explore history, geography, and social studies. Activities include critical thinking, writing, technology, and more! Vocabulary words, time lines, maps, and reading lists are also provided. It meets NCSS standards and is correlated to state, national and Canadian provincial standards. Topics in Industrialization through the Great Depression include early American factories, Morse code, Henry Ford, the roaring 20s, the New Deal program, and more! Mark Twain Media Publishing Company specializes in providing captivating, supplemental books and decorative resources to complement middle- and upper- grade classrooms. Designed by leading educators, the product line covers a range of subjects including mathematics, sciences, language arts, social studies, history, government, fine arts, and character. Mark Twain Media also provides innovative classroom solutions for bulletin boards and interactive whiteboards. Since 1977, Mark Twain Media has remained a reliable source for a wide variety of engaging classroom resources.

The spellbinding true account of the scientific competition to light the world with electricity. In the mid-to-late-nineteenth century, a burgeoning science called electricity promised to shine new light on a rousing nation. Inventive and ambitious minds were hard at work. Soon that spark was fanned, and a fiery war was under way to be the first to light―and run―the world with electricity. Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of direct current (DC), engaged in a brutal battle with Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, the inventors of alternating current (AC). There would be no ties in this race―only a winner and a loser. The prize: a nationwide monopoly in electric current. Brimming with action, suspense, and rich historical and biographical information about these brilliant inventors, here is the rousing account of one of the world’s defining scientific competitions. Christy Ottaviano Books

Unforgettable History! Great Battles for Boys is the bestselling history series that sends young readers “into the fight.” Boys learn about the military leaders, weapons, and strategies that won–or lost–history’s most important military battles. Want Boys to Read Books? Give them books they WANT to read! History leaps off the page through historic photographs, maps, and short, powerful chapters. Great Battles for Boys will capture the attention of even reluctant readers. The American Civil War More Americans died in this war than all other wars combined–more than 600,000 soldiers. But what REALLY happened? “In many schools these days, students aren’t being taught about the individual battles and struggles of our nation’s history, including Gettysburg.” 5 Stars, Amazon review Great Battles for Boys: The Civil War. From the first shots at Fort Sumter to the South’s surrender at Appomattox, young readers move chronologically through 20 crucial battles, covering all four years of the Civil War. They’ll discover which strategies, tactics, and weapons were used, and which military leaders won victory–or suffered defeat. Battle of the Ironclads: One of America’s deadliest naval battles, right off the coast of Virginia Vicksburg: Ulysses S. Grant bombs, terrorizes, and starves a southern city into surrender. Antietam: Robert E. Lee invades the North, and pays a terrible price Petersburg: The North literally blows a hole in the South–and still loses the battle. And more! Sherman’s March–who, what, when, where, and why Why was Robert E. Lee considered a military genius, even after he lost the war? What made Ulysses S. Grant such a powerful general–and a difficult man? Reviews of the Great Battles for Boys series “This book should be in school libraries everywhere. It is a treasure trove of information that is engagingly written that makes one feel they are in a great classroom with a great instructor sharing his knowledge in a fun way.” 5 Stars, Top 10 Hall of Fame Amazon Reviewer “My nine-year-old son absolutely love this book! Full of great facts and enjoyable to read! He finished it in two nights and was asking for another!” 5 Stars, Richard Dodson, Amazon