North America has been inhabited by communities since prehistoric times. Some of the oldest communities are now today known as Native American nations, or tribes. This series takes a close look at the tribes that have influenced North America. Despite hardship and sorrow, these Native people have survived centuries and have passed down their beliefs, traditions, and practices through generations. This series celebrates each Native nation and aspires...

By ones, twos, and threes, in the years before the Civil War thousands of enslaved people slipped through the night on their way to freedom, riding the Underground Railroad. Hidden and hunted, the escape of southern slaves to the North remains a compelling event in American history. Within the pages of this book are documented, in prose and elegantly articulate photographs, examples of "stations" on the Railroad, along with images of the routes, lives,...

In 1839, persecuted Mormons fled Missouri, across the Mississippi River, seeking freedom from violence. They hoped to find a safe haven on the banks of the river in an Illinois city that they called Nauvoo, "the city beautiful." The Mormons did not flourish for long in Nauvoo. In neighboring cities some grew resentful of the prosperity that Joseph Smith and his people were enjoying. Religious misconceptions further fueled hostility toward the Mormons....

Founded as a humble trading post along the Mississippi River 250 years ago, St. Louis has since grown into a thriving metropolis. It appears to be a calm city, but like the mighty Mississippi, it has powerful undercurrents. Known as the "Gateway to the West," St. Louis was a port city and home to many manufacturing businesses making everything from shoes to ships. St. Louis, though, is perhaps best known for its breweries and distilleries. St. Louis:...

The low-lying prairie on which Champaign came to be established was once described as "one vast pond where the mud turtle and water moccasin luxuriated, the mosquito wound his bugle, and the frogs gave a rival symphony." From humble origins as a stop on the Illinois Central Railroad called West Urbana, the cluster of buildings quickly became a bustling town of square storefronts, with horses and wagons hitched along wood-plank sidewalks. Gradually...

Discusses the history, culture, beliefs, changing ways, and notable people of the Shawnee.

In Native American history, the Iroquois have earned their place as one of the most democratic alliances with some of the most formidable warriors. United by a language and a desire to improve their lifestyles, the Iroquois Nations helped shape United States history. This book details the story of the Five, and later Six, Iroquois Nations-the Cayuga, the Seneca, the Onondaga, the Oneida, the Mohawk, and the Tuscarora: who they were, how the Iroquois...