A New Nation: The United States: 1783-1815 (American Story) [Hardcover]

Betsy Maestro (Author), Giulio Maestro (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: American Story

The American Story continues . . .

After many years of struggle and sacrifice, the American colonists had finally earned their freedom. It was now time to establish unity among the thirteen states and forge a new nation.

Our founding fathers wrote a Constitution and a Bill of Rights to set up a democracy, a government that would put the people first.

The country grew and flourished. With the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, the United States doubled in size. Lewis and Clark were sent to explore the west, and five more states joined the Union. But rising tensions with the British would create more challenges to overcome.

In this installment of the acclaimed American Story series, history lovers Betsy and Giulio Maestro tell the true story of the first thirty-two years of the United States, from the Treaty of Paris to the War of 1812.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—This book demonstrates the importance of many significant events of an often neglected era, such as the formation of the three branches of U.S. government; ongoing conflicts with France and Britain, including the War of 1812; the Louisiana Purchase; and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Giulio Maestro's pastel and watercolor illustrations are atmospheric and somewhat idealized. Every scene, from crowded city streets to busy ports, looks clean and pleasant. Soldiers killed in battle are scattered across fields in a way that makes them resemble toy soldiers more than wounded men. However, the pictures do provide a sense of period architecture and dress. The text is continuous, more like a story than a collection of dry facts, and will work as a read-aloud. On the negative side, the narrative focus spotlights the "Founding Fathers" rather than taking the more expansive view many modern history books adopt. The only women mentioned are Sacajawea, Abigail Adams, and Dolley Madison; the only references to African Americans are in the context of slavery, with no individuals mentioned by name. However, Native Americans do receive attention and Tecumseh is one of a group of leaders whose writings are included in a section of quotes. No bibliography or sources for further reading are listed. Because the book is not divided into sections or chapters, children may have difficulty extracting information for reports. While not a first choice for research, this book is successful in bringing history to life.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA END

About the Author

Betsy Maestro is the author of the "American Story" series, illustrated by her husband, Giulio. She has also written several other non-fiction picture books, including the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out science books How Do Apples Grow? and Why Do Leaves Change Color? The Maestros live in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Collins; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688160158
• ISBN-13: 978-0688160159
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Betsy Maestro is the author of the "American Story" series, illustrated by her husband, Giulio. She has also written several other non-fiction picture books, including the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out science books How Do Apples Grow? and Why Do Leaves Change Color?
The Maestros live in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a very well done history of the beginning of our country from the Treaty of Paris to the War of 1812! Huzzah, huzzah!, October 25, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A New Nation: The United States: 1783-1815 (American Story) (Hardcover)

On September 2, 1783, the American Revolution ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The war was over, but for some the work of creating a nation was just beginning. There would be no king, no queen and no royalty to be found anywhere. The United States would be a democracy that "put people first." The Northwest Territory needed to be dealt with and was quickly divided into five states. Currency, one of the most pressing problems, had to be created and backed up with gold and silver. Without a valid currency, there would be serious consequences. The "first order of business was to set the country on the road to financial strength." There was indeed a lot to do in our fledgling country.

Many people were "worried that the rights and freedoms they had fought so hard to gain would be lost" if the government proved to be too powerful." Delegates gathered in Pennsylvania to hammer out the details. This process took several months of hard work and compromise. Our central government came from the Virginia Plan and would create a "stronger central government" in order to "unite the states so that they could speak and act as one country." We would have three branches, the executive, legislative and judicial. The Constitution was carefully drafted. The delegates worked hard and at least nine states had to approve the Constitution before it became law. In this book, you will get a marvelous look at the beginnings of a new nation, beginnings that were often rocky and difficult.

This history is set up in a storybook format and carries the reader from the Treaty of Paris into the next thirty-two years. The "story" is tight and very well done. The watercolors are numerous and illustrate salient points in this mini history. There are several small maps included. There is a lot of history packed into this book, but the overview is excellent and would provide a nice stepping stone into a school report on a topic that struck the readers fancy. In the back of the book is a chronology, additional "important events," an index and portraits of several early prominent Americans and their quotations. This is one of several in "The American Story Series," a series you might just want to consider adding to your classroom or library shelves!