Illus. with black-and-white photos. This revised edition of the popular Random House Step Up(TM) Biography of the great civil-rights leader and advocate for peaceful resistance now includes new text and additional dynamic photos. Reading level: 2.2.

For over half a century, Landmark Books have been an important part of children's libraries. Hailed as the first historical series for kids, Landmark Books show us where we've been and where we're going.

When Abraham Lincoln was born, slavery was an everyday part of life. Even so, Abe didn't like it. As he grew older, he worked to aid his countrymen regardless of their color. As a surveyor, Abe helped people inspect their land. As a lawyer, he made sure people were treated fairly in court. But he wanted to do even more. After years of hard work, he became president of the United States and...

George Washington grew up in the English colony of Virginia. He was tall and strong, fair in judgment, and respected by his friends as a
good leader. As he grew older, George saw how England took advantage of the American colonies--and he didn't like it. When the colonies declared their independence, George was chosen to lead their army as its general. And when the colonies won their freedom, George was elected to lead the new nation as its first president.

How the Revolutionary War Began

The American colonists were fed up with British law. They refused to buy English goods. They formed a militia of tradesmen and farmers ready to fight at a moment's notice. Most importantly, they joined together. All 13 colonies sent representatives to decide whether they should form a new country. That group wrote the Declaration of Independence, the document that summed up a revolution.

In England in the early 1600s, everyone was forced to join the Church of England. Young William Bradford and his friends believed they had every right to belong to whichever church they wanted. In the name of religious freedom, they fled to Holland, then sailed to America to start a new life. But the winter was harsh, and before a year passed, half the settlers had died. Yet, through hard work and strong faith, a tough group of Pilgrims did survive. Their belief in freedom of religion became an American ideal that still lives on today.

James Daugherty draws on the Pilgrims' own journals...

Benjamin Franklin was one of the busiest men in the American colonies. He was a printer, a postmaster, an inventor, a writer, and a diplomat. When the Revolutionary War began, Ben supported America in the Continental Congress. Like the clever adages from his Poor Richard's Almanac, Ben Franklin still sets an example for Americans today.

Stories of magic, superstition, and witchcraft were strictly forbidden in the little town of Salem Village. But a group of young girls ignored those rules, spellbound by the tales told by a woman named Tituba.When questioned about their activities, the terrified girls set off a whirlwind of controversy as they accused townsperson after townsperson of being witches. Author Shirley Jackson examines in careful detail this horrifying true story of accusations, trials, and executions that shook a community to its foundations."