Forgotten Founders: Black Patriots, Women Soldiers, and Other Thinkers and Heroes Who Shaped Early America

“[T]he cause is just, and readers will come away with a firmer understanding that, as the introduction has it, the story of this country’s founding is ‘everyone’s story.’”―Booklist
A Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
“This book will delight visual learners, history lovers, and trivia enthusiasts. It would also validate the diversity of the United States's heroes, encourage critical thinking, and inspire further research. A solid addition to any library or classroom.”―School Library Journal
The founding of America was not accomplished by a handful of people; it required the heart, soul, and grit of an entire nation. Today, we rightfully honor the efforts of the Founding Fathers, but what about everyone else who sacrificed for the cause?
Introducing Forgotten Founders, the inspiring book of stories about the heroic women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and others who played pivotal roles in America's birth. Make no mistake: these were no historical footnotes. These were brave men and women without whom the war simply could never have been won and the new republic never begun.
Readers will meet Sybil Ludington, the sixteen-year-old girl who rode all night to warn of a British attack Nancy Hart: the indomitable woman who captured six Loyalist soldiers Cuffee Wells Saunders, the talented physician who won his freedom and saved lives serving in the Continental Army Phyllis Wheatley, the gifted Black poet whose work was praised by Voltaire and George Washington Deborah Sampson, the colonial woman who dressed as a man to enlist in the Continental Army Peter Salem, the former slave who became the hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill and many more!
Read, learn, and discover in beautiful new ways that America's origin story really is everybody's story.\nFrom School Library Journal\nGr 2-5-Showcasing the diversity that has always been an integral part of America, this informative book introduces readers to some of the amazing men and women who helped shape a new nation. From the well-known Abigail Adams to the not-often-covered Crispus Attucks, the patriots who comprised America's early population including enslaved people, indentured servants, women, and Indigenous people. The introduction takes on the problem of historical contradictions and asks readers to consider the gaps between the ideals of a young country and the reality. This informative introduction also includes a condensed history of colonial America's involvement in the Revolutionary War and a time line of slavery in America, setting the tone for a continued investigation into the featured brave and industrious individuals. Each of the historical figures receives a spread that details the date and place of their birth and death, ethnicity, gender, unique background, and the contributions they made. Sidebars include fun facts and "Think Deeper" questions that challenge readers to contemplate and problem-solve historical situations. Examples of primary source documents are displayed along with Luong's engaging character portraits. The author's frequent explanatory footnotes add to the conversational tone of the text which contains the vocabulary, content, and length appropriate for the intended grade level. The absence of an index is inconsequential, as a detailed table of contents serves as a guide to the book. VERDICT This book will delight visual learners, history lovers, and trivia enthusiasts. It would also validate the diversity of the United States's heroes, encourage critical thinking, and inspire further research. A solid addition to any library or classroom.-Lynne Stoverα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.