Ultimate Guide to Early US History Resources

August 8, 2012 By 33 Comments

Ultimate Guide to Early US History

 

As a child in school, History was one of my least favorite subjects.  Memorizing dates and trying to learn about people who once lived…just did not appeal to me.  As a Mom of three children witnessing a dramatic shift in our American culture and a desire to grow my children’s interest and love for History, I have spent the last few years seeking resources to truly pull them in and help them larn our true American Heritage.

It has been a fun endeavor and I am so happy to begin sharing a lot of it with you.

Reviewing and renewing my mind and my thoughts based on American History has enlightened me of the true meaning behind the quote by  George Santayana:  “Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  

Based on that, it is my desire to provide you with a great list of resources for your home that provide good, accurate information based on American History or rather, the History of the United States of America.


Signing of the Mayflower Compact

 

MayFlower Compact

Mayflower Compact

The Mayflower Compact was written by the Puritans/Pilgrims in order to create a contract that would bring good social order and survival.  They knew that God had created a Covenant with His people, and they believed it was their duty to create a document bringing each person who was part of the Mayflower group…into a covenant with one another.

Here are two lessons about the Mayflower Compact that explains the document and the thoughts of those involved with the document in full detail:

Books for the Mayflower Compact on the Public Domain

 

Founding Fathers

 

Founding Fathers

America’s founding fathers were a group of individuals who were highly educated in scripture.  They understood the importance of obedience, self-control and moral citizenry.  While they were not perfect, they strove to live their lives in a way that would glorify God and be of service to others, not for their own desire for power or prosperity, but for the betterment of all man-kind.

Here is a list of unit studies, books, websites, etc for American Founding Fathers.  I know they will be beneficial to you and your family.

Various

George Washington

Benjamin Franklin

Patrick Henry

 

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

 

Declaration Of Independence

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was written by the founding Fathers of America to ensure the world understood why The United States was declaring Independence from Great Britain.  Within the document, a list of 27 grievances is provided that fully explain why Independence was declared.  Below, you will find a list of posts with videos explaining the Declaration of Independence…I know you will enjoy all of them.

 

 Books (and other media) for the Declaration of Independence

 

Signing of the United States Constitution

 

Constitution Of the United States of America

US Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America was adopted as the Supreme Law of the Land on September 17, 1787.  It is the oldest written national constitution in use and provides guidance for the United States of America in law and its political culture.

Here are some links with great information and insights for US Constitution.

 

  Books, Documents and Other Media for the Constitution of the United States of America:

National Treasures

Homeschool Curriculum

GeoMatters – Trail Guide To Learning Series

Founders Academy

Bright Ideas Press:

Books and Book Series For Your Home

 

Learn US History With American Girl Dolls

Pictures of American History and Government

Current Events

Receive updates for current American events

It is so important to understand History, as it will repeat it’s self.  It’s part of the human way….  These sites will help you identify current events and how to apply the historical context of our country into them.

Read other Ultimate Guides HERE
Rebecca sig

 

 

 

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you to the Public Domain and Clippix for photographs within this post.

Filed Under: History

Comments

  1. Lynda says:
    August 8, 2012 at 9:38 pm

    I cannot tell you how wonderful this post is. You have just saved me hours (days, weeks, and months) of searching through resources. THANK YOU!!!

    Reply
    • MomRebecca says:
      August 8, 2012 at 9:47 pm

      Lynda, you are welcome – I’m sure I’ll add more to it as I am able….I’ll keep the button on my side bar…and that’s why I did it…it has been on my heart for a while. And I’m sure….I’ll write more later about History beyond these years….It’s my pleasure to provide and help others!!!! I think you will find…most of the books are from the archives…and now you can teach this to your children and others for free! (some books may be purchased, but are not necessary)

      Reply
  2. Patti says:
    August 8, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    What a FANTASTIC resource! Thank you from a homeschool mom heading into teaching early American history this year!

    Reply
    • MomRebecca says:
      August 9, 2012 at 6:16 am

      Patti, I pray that this will encourage and not discourage. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and I wanted to provide just enough….to get everyone started. I’m sure this will grow as I countinue my own research…this is our second year in American History and I’m considering a third….

      Reply
  3. Jamie says:
    August 8, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    Love it!

    Reply
  4. Michelle says:
    August 8, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    This is so perfect for this school year and the elections! You have some really unusual links and books. We really believe in talking about current events and how they fit into past history–really appreciate those current events resources. It’s so important to understand what happened in the past and how it shapes the present and future. Rumor last year was that NC was not covering US history up to and through the revolution. Don’t know if that ever came to fruition, but that made us more determined to cover that part of history thoroughly. Thanks for sharing all of this. (the photos are great!!) Love ya!

    Reply
    • MomRebecca says:
      August 9, 2012 at 6:18 am

      Michelle
      History and Science both have been heavy on my heart and my husband’s. He has been so supportive in giving me time to research and learn with me. We stay up late at night watching videos, discussing books and truly sitting in unbelief, as we identify how little true American History is being taught today. And Thank you! You have been a true inspiration for me!

      Reply
  5. Linda says:
    August 9, 2012 at 12:02 am

    This is timely since we are planning to study American History this year. This will save me so much time. Thanks!!!

    Reply
  6. Dawn @ The Momma Knows says:
    August 9, 2012 at 1:04 am

    I will echo Lynda and say THANK YOU! We are doing US history over the next two years and I’m sure a lot of these resources will come in handy! (Pinning!) :)

    Reply
    • MomRebecca says:
      August 9, 2012 at 6:22 am

      Dawn, Thank you for dropping by. This list/guide will continue to grow….and if you find anything that needs to be added, please let me know!

      Blessings!
      Rebecca

      Reply
  7. Jennifer says:
    August 9, 2012 at 1:51 am

    I love your comprehensive list. We have a few of these books, but many are new to me.

    Reply
  8. Michelle says:
    August 9, 2012 at 9:00 am

    We’re starting Am History this year (this month, actually), so this is going to be a HUGE help. Thanks for the amazing list!

    Reply
  9. lori says:
    August 9, 2012 at 9:23 am

    I’m about to tackle homeschooling for the first time this fall. 1st grade and 3rd grade with two preschoolers (age 1 and 2) running around the house! I’m so thrilled to have been directed to your site. Huge help with the US history and LOADS of encouragement and resources. I could spend hours just reading your blog. Thanks! and blessings to you!!

    Reply
  10. Jarm Del Boccio says:
    August 9, 2012 at 10:07 am

    What an amazing list! We will be studying this in our homeschool in the
    Fall, so I will be bookmarking it. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  11. Carrie says:
    August 9, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    Wow, Rebecca! You did all the hard work for me! This resource list will prove invaluable to me – I’ve chosen to study United States history all year long with my children. I recently purchased a history book from AiG which covers America’s exceptionalism beginning at Creation! I’m super excited to get it. I’ve also been slowly accumulating some of the resources you mentioned. I highly recommend the HBO series, John Adams (for adults and older kids). This series truly captivated me. Thanks for sharing you list!

    Reply
  12. Amy says:
    August 9, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    This has come at a great time, as I have just recently decided to stop using our current US History curriculum, because my son found it too boring, and start doing my own. Thank you for the wonderful resources and ideas.

    Reply
  13. Rana says:
    August 9, 2012 at 5:41 pm

    I’m giddy! You should see the smile on my face right now. I am studying the ancients with my kiddos right now, but I am doing personal “Classical Mom Schooling” of the Early Modern History 1600-1900′s on my own. Right now I’m reading a book called 1776 by David McCullough and I’ve been on the hunt for more info. This post is seriously the “Ultimate”. Thank you for sharing these resources. I can’t wait to share all of this with my kids when they are at this point.

    Reply
  14. Judy @ Contented at Home says:
    August 9, 2012 at 10:22 pm

    Two of my children are studying American history this year, so this will be perfect for us! I especially love the picture resources that you shared!

    Reply
  15. Kela says:
    August 10, 2012 at 12:35 am

    You know that I’m thankful for these resources! We’ll be using All American History II, Founders Academy (courtesy of you), Heritage History and lots of your other listed resources!

    Thanks girl!!

    Reply
  16. Cindy says:
    August 10, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    Thanks for this great resource, Rebecca!! Pinning it now!

    Reply
  17. Carol S. says:
    September 5, 2012 at 9:29 pm

    WOW!! We’re starting a two-year study of American history (plus studying the 50 states) this year and this is so incredibly timely. I can’t tell you how excited I was to find this absolute treasure chest of resources! I’ll be eagerly diving into all of this. Thank you for all of your hard work—you just saved the rest of us from having to do so much of this on our own. Many blessings to you!

    Reply
  18. Sara R says:
    November 10, 2012 at 10:28 am

    This is wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to put it together and to share it with others.

    Reply
    • MomRebecca says:
      November 10, 2012 at 10:32 am

      Sara,

      You are welcome! This was a fun project and one that is near/dear to my heart. I have a series that you can use in your home- that is specific to our Constitution, Mayflower Compact and a few more topics (that include videos and work sheets). Some are embedded in this list… many are not. Here is the link for the main page. Feel free to share with anyone. FREE HISTORY LESSONS

      Reply
  19. Jen says:
    December 27, 2012 at 7:08 am

    Hi there,

    What a wonderful resource you have created. I have taken the liberty of putting a link to it on my site which aims to provide free open education resources to home educating parents like myself. if you have an objection please let me know and i will remove the link immediately. :-)
    http://openeducationsource.weebly.com/supplemental-history-resources.html

    Thanks again for a wonderful page.
    Jen

    Reply

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