The Handy American History Answer Book (Paperback)

Early civilizations, Native Americans, the English colonies, slavery, the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights begin the journey and lay the foundation for the United States of today. "The Handy American History Answer Book" takes a walk through the economic, political, social forces and military conflicts that created, changed, and built the United States. It explains the impact of the biggest events, the wars, the presidents, lesser known personalities and figures, sports, music, and much more. This handy primer is a captivating, concise, and convenient history of America and Americans.
"The Handy American History Answer Book" is a resource for learning--for brushing up on the events, terms, and history-makers many of us remember but somehow can't always neatly define. This book is not intended to be a comprehensive work on American history; that can't be done in a single volume. Still, the minds that conceived of it thought that reasonably intelligent people ought to have a convenient place to go to look up those devilish questions that have a way of cropping up in everyday conversation and reading.
From Washington to the micro-chip, Columbus to modern terrorist threats, the Anasazi to the iPhone, "The Handy American History Answer Book" traces the development of the nation, including the impact of the Civil War, the discovery of gold in California, the inventions, the political and economic crises, and the technology transforming modern culture today. It answers nearly 900 commonly asked questions and offers fun facts about American, its history, and people, such as:
What were the first crops developed by the early Indian cultures?
Why does controversy surround Christopher Columbus?
What was the Lost Colony?
When did the first Africans arrive in the British colonies of North America?
What was the Stamp Act?
Who was Thomas Paine and why were his philosophies important to the American Revolution?
What was the significance of Valley Forge?
Did the United States colonies have the death penalty?
Why did Elbridge Gerry, Edmund Randolph, and George Mason refuse to sign the Constitution?
What were the Lincoln-Douglas debates?
What Civil War nurse later founded the American Red Cross?
What were robber barons?
Who invented the sport of basketball?
How bad was the San Francisco earthquake of 1906?
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
Who were the "Four Horsemen"?
Who was "Pretty Boy Floyd"?
Was the U.S. mainland attacked during World War II?
When did the Cold War begin?
Whatever happened to Gary Powers?
How was Earl Warren crucial to the Brown decision?
What caused the Vietnam War?
What was Reaganomics?
What was the most successful spin-off of "All In The Family"?
What impact did the Challenger disaster have on the U.S. space program?
What record producer co-founded Def Jam?
President Bush named the first two African-Americans in history to serve as Secretaries of State. Who were they?
Who became the first space tourist?
How many states recognize same-sex marriages?
Is there an American poet laureate?