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Historical Fiction Book Collection on Epic

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View the Historical Fiction collection on Epic plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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Map of 1821 US Slave states vs. Free states

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Map of 1821 US Slave states vs. Free states

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Mentor Text - Read Aloud

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Orange

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Black

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Titanic Artifact Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images

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Find the perfect Titanic Artifact stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Select from premium Titanic Artifact of the highest quality.

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Kids learn about the timeline of World War II in history. Major events leading up to and during the war. Battles, alliances, and treaties.

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Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (full audiobook)

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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Fight for the Right: 100 Years of Women Voting

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Fight for the Right: 100 Years of Women Voting

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Ratification of the 19th Amendment brought the single largest extension of democratic voting rights in American history. But still not everyone could vote. Native Americans got the right to vote in U.S. elections in 1948, Asian immigrants in 1952. Black voters in southern states finally got access to the polls with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Today, the fight goes on to adequately register voters, provide equal access to polling places, and increase representation in government. Dreaming big and taking action, California women continue to pave the way for future generations.

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Fight for the Right: 100 Years of Women Voting - Google Arts & Culture

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Ratification of the 19th Amendment brought the single largest extension of democratic voting rights in American history. But still not everyone could vote. Native Americans got the right to vote in U.S. elections in 1948, Asian immigrants in 1952. Black voters in southern states finally got access to the polls with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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Educational Videos for Students (Cartoons on Bullying, Leadership & More)

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Frederick Douglass for Kids(Cartoon Biography) Educational Videos for Students (Black History Month)

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Sadako, the tale based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, by Eleanor Coerr. This only a book trailer created to promote the book in a classroom setting. Created for my Literature in Childhood Ed course, Fall 2012.

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Information on the Japanese Internment Camps

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Information on the Japanese Internment Camps

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History >>World War 2 for Kids

Japanese Internment Camps

After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor the United States declared war on Japan and entered World War II. Not long after the attack, on February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed an executive order that allowed the military to force people of Japanese ancestry into internment camps. Around 120,000 Japanese-Americans were sent to the camps.

Dust storm at Manzanar War Relocation Center
Source: National Archives

What were internment camps?

Internment camps were sort of like prisons. People were forced to move into an area that was surrounded by barbed wire. They were not allowed to leave.

Why did they make the camps?

The camps were made because people became paranoid that Japanese-Americans would help Japan against the United States after the Pearl Harbor attack. They were scared that they would sabotage American interests. However, this fear was not founded on any hard evidence. The people were put in the camps based only on their race. They had not done anything wrong.

Who were sent to the internment camps?

It is estimated that around 120,000 Japanese-Americans were sent to ten camps spread out around the Western United States. Most of them were from west coast states like California. They were divided into three groups including the Issei (people who had immigrated from Japan), the Nisei (people whose parents were from Japan, but they were born in the U.S.), and the Sansei (third generation Japanese-Americans).

An evacuee with family belongings
en route to an "assembly center"
Source: National Archives

Were there children in the camps?

Yes. Entire families were rounded up and sent to the camps. Around a third of the people in the camps were school aged children. Schools were set up in the camps for the children, but they were very crowded and lacked materials like books and desks.

What was it like in the camps?

Life in the camps wasn't very fun. Each family typically had a single room in tarpaper barracks. They ate bland food in large mess halls and had to share bathrooms with other families. They had little freedom.

Were Germans and Italians (the other members of the Axis Powers) sent to camps?

Yes, but not at the same scale. Around 12,000 Germans and Italians were sent to internment camps in the United States. Most of these people were German or Italian citizens who were in the U.S. at the start of World War II.

The Internment Ends

The interment finally ended in January of 1945. Many of these families had been in the camps for over two years. Many of them lost their homes, farms, and other property while they were in the camps. They had to rebuild their lives.

The Government Apologizes

In 1988, the U.S. government apologized for the internment camps. President Ronald Reagan signed a law that gave each of the survivors $20,000 in reparations. He also sent each survivor a signed apology.

Interesting Facts about the Japanese Internment Camps

Despite the unfair and harsh treatment, the people in the camps were fairly peaceful.

After being freed, the internees were given $25 and a train ticket home.

The camps have been called by a number of names including "relocation camps", "internment camps", "relocation centers", and "concentration camps."

People at the camps were required to fill out a "loyalty" questionnaire to determine how "American" they were. Those that were determined to be disloyal were sent to a special high security camp called Tule Lake in Northern California.

Around 17,000 Japanese-Americans fought for the United States military during World War II.

Activities

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Works Cited

History >>World War 2 for Kids

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Kids learn about the Japanese Internment Camps during World War II including what the camps were like and who was sent there.

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Article announcing the Atomic Bomb being used upon Japan

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Article announcing the Atomic Bomb being used upon Japan

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The New York Times article announcing Japan's Surrender

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The New York Times article announcing Japan's Surrender

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I Survived Book Club - I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944

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President Truman's Speech announcing the dropping of Atomic Bomb.

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President Truman's Speech announcing the dropping of Atomic Bomb.

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Destruction caused by Joplin Tornado 2011

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Destruction caused by Joplin Tornado 2011

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Tornado Hits Missouri City, Killing Many (Published 2011)

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A tornado steamrolled across Joplin, Mo., Sunday night, directly hitting a hospital and causing many deaths, according to various reports.

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Joplin Tornado Newspaper Archives. We Found 2282 Articles About Joplin Tornado

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Joplin Tornado Newspaper Archives. We Found 2282 Articles About Joplin Tornado

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LOOK: The Deadliest States For Tornadoes

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May 22, 2013 - Recent extreme weather events seem to reach into unlikely corners of the U.S., but the massive tornado that devastated Moore, Okla., on Monday tore right...

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Kimberly Brubaker Bradley talks about her new novel The War That Saved My Life

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VideoLink lets you share videos on YouTube easily, without distracting third-party content or advertisements.

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Complete Audio Book- Playlist by Chapter

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Complete Audio Book- Playlist by Chapter

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The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Bradley (Complete Audiobook)

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1979 to 1981 when production was suspended due to poor public acceptance, and then again in 1999. 

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The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1979 to 1981 when production was suspended due to poor public acceptance, and then again in 1999. 

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Video book trailers for the best children's books and authors, plus educational videos on reading, science, and seasonal topics teachers can use in the classroom

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Article on Jewish Partisans in Occupied Poland

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Article on Jewish Partisans in Occupied Poland

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Scholars at the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation explain that despite overwhelming odds, thousands of Jews joined partisan units:

While some Jews fled to the forests at the time of the German occupation of Poland in 1939, greater numbers of Jewish partisans fled the ghettos in 1943-1944, when the liquidation-the total destruction of the ghettos-began. The Nazis were only one enemy hunting the Polish Jewish partisans-local Polish extremists and the fascist element of the AK [Home Army] hunted them as well.

Because of the widespread Nazi hunts for escaped Jews, and centuries-old antisemitism among some locals, many Polish Jewish partisans sought affiliation with Polish partisan groups. This was a difficult and dangerous task-a Jewish partisan could be robbed of his weapon or killed for approaching a partisan unit. However, numerous Polish partisan units welcomed Jews, such as the People's Guard. In the Generalgouvernement area of Poland (divided into four districts, Warsaw, Cracow, Radom, and Lublin), hundreds of Jewish partisans belonged to Polish units of the People's Guard, to the Home Army (AK), and to other groups. Considerable numbers of these Jewish partisans operated in commando units, and dozens of Jews took leadership roles as commanders.

Jews also fought as partisans in all-Jewish units. . . . Against incredible odds, thousands of Polish Jewish partisans fought back, and most lost their lives. Many did not expect to survive, as reflected in the motto of one Jewish partisan group: "For those who seek life, we are not the address."

Sheltered in the forests, Polish Jewish partisans created camps as their bases. These camps were of two types: "family" camps, which provided protection for those Jews who could not fight, such as some women, children, and the elderly, and partisan camps, which traveled lightly and moved frequently. In the Nalibocka forest in eastern Poland, as many as 3,000 Jews, in all-Jewish units, were among 20,000 partisans resisting the Germans.

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Scholars at the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation explain that despite overwhelming odds, thousands of Jews joined partisan units: While some Jews fled to the forests at the time of the German occupation of Poland in 1939, greater numbers of Jewish partisans fled the ghettos in 1943-1944, when the liquidation-the total destruction of the ghettos-began.

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Odd Fellows Odd Cast #6 - Charley Parkhurst

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In 1619, the first enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia, one of the newly formed 13 American Colonies. They had been kidnapped from their homes and were forced to work on tobacco, rice, and indigo plantations from Maryland and Virginia all the way to Georgia. According to the law, they had no rights and were not free.

Escaping to freedom was anything but easy for an enslaved person. It required courage, wit, and determination. Many fled by themselves or in small numbers, often without food, clothes, or money. Leaving behind family members, they traveled hundreds of miles across unknown lands and rivers by foot, boat, or wagon. To be captured would mean being sent back to the plantation, where they would be whipped, beaten, or killed.

Not everyone believed that slavery should be allowed and wanted to aid these fugitives, or runaways, in their escape to freedom. As more and more people secretly offered to help, a freedom movement emerged. It became known as the Underground Railroad.

How the Underground Railroad started

Americans had been helping enslaved people escape since the late 1700s, and by the early 1800s, the secret group of individuals and places that many fugitives relied on became known as the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad was not underground, and it wasn't an actual train. It was a network of people, both whites and free Blacks, who worked together to help runaways from slaveholding states travel to states in the North and to the country of Canada, where slavery was illegal.

No one knows exactly where the term Underground Railroad came from. "Underground" implies secrecy; "railroad" refers to the way people followed certain routes-with stops along the way-to get to their destination. The phrase wasn't something that one person decided to name the system but a term that people started using as more and more fugitives escaped through this network.

The operators of the Underground Railroad were abolitionists, or people who opposed slavery. Many were members of organized groups that helped runaways, such as the Quaker religion and the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Often called "agents," these operators used their homes, churches, barns, and schoolhouses as "stations." There, fugitives could stop and receive shelter, food, clothing, protection, and money until they were ready to move to the next station.

A dangerous journey

The Underground Railroad was secret. Nothing was written down about where to go or who would help. So once enslaved people decided to make the journey to freedom, they had to listen for tips from other enslaved people, who might have heard tips from other enslaved people. If they were lucky, they traveled with a conductor, or a person who safely guided enslaved people from station to station.

Whether alone or with a conductor, the journey was dangerous. Slave catchers with guns and dogs roamed the area looking for runaways to capture. People who spotted the fugitives might alert police-or capture the runaways themselves for a reward. The fugitives were often hungry, cold, and scared for their lives.

To give themselves a better chance of escape, enslaved people had to be clever. For instance, fugitives sometimes fled on Sundays because reward posters could not be printed until Monday to alert the public; others would run away during the Christmas holiday when the white plantation owners wouldn't notice they were gone. The fugitives also often traveled by night-under the cover of darkness-following the North Star.

Once they were on their journey, they looked for safe resting places that they had heard might be along the Underground Railroad. A hiding place might be inside a person's attic or basement, a secret part of a barn, the crawl space under the floors in a church, or a hidden compartment in the back of a wagon. At these stations, they'd receive food and shelter; then the agent would tell them where to go next.

To avoid capture, fugitives sometimes used disguises and came up with clever ways to stay hidden. One bold escape happened in 1849 when Henry "Box" Brown was packed and shipped in a three-foot-long box with three air holes drilled in. After traveling along the Underground Railroad for 27 hours by wagon, train, and boat, Brown was delivered safely to agents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Agents of change

Runaway slaves couldn't trust just anyone along the Underground Railroad. Fortunately, people were willing to risk their lives to help them. Many were ordinary people, farmers, business owners, ministers, and even former enslaved people.

In 1826, Levi Coffin, a religious Quaker who opposed slavery, moved to Indiana. By chance he learned that he lived on a route along the Underground Railroad. Coffin and his wife, Catherine, decided to make their home a station. More than 3,000 slaves passed through their home heading north to Canada.

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery from Maryland in 1838 and became a well-known abolitionist, writer, speaker, and supporter of the Underground Railroad. He hid runaways in his home in Rochester, New York, and helped 400 fugitives travel to Canada.

Another Underground Railroad operator was William Still, a free Black business owner and abolitionist movement leader. By day he worked as a clerk for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, but at night he secretly aided fugitives. He raised money and helped hundreds of enslaved people escape to the North, but he also knew it was important to tell their stories.

That's why Still interviewed the runaways who came through his station, keeping detailed records of the individuals and families, and hiding his journals until after the Civil War. Then in 1872, he self-published his notes in his book, The Underground Railroad. It's one of the clearest accounts of people involved with the Underground Railroad.

The most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman, who escaped from slavery in 1849. Determined to help others, Tubman returned to her former plantation to rescue family members. Later she started guiding other fugitives from Maryland. Tubman made 13 trips and helped 70 enslaved people travel to freedom. William Still even provided funding for several of Tubman's rescue trips.

Fugitive slave laws

Americans helped enslaved people escape even though the U.S. government had passed laws making this illegal. In 1793, Congress passed the first federal Fugitive Slave Law. This law gave local governments the right to capture and return escapees, even in states that had outlawed slavery. Plus, anyone caught helping runaway slaves faced arrest and jail.

But the law often wasn't enforced in many Northern states where slavery was not allowed, and people continued to assist fugitives. Politicians from Southern slaveholding states did not like that and pressured Congress to pass a new Fugitive Slave Act in 1850 that was much harsher.

This law increased the power of Southerners to reclaim their fugitives, and a slave catcher only had to swear an oath that the accused was a runaway-even if the Black person was legally free. So slave catchers began kidnapping any Black person for a reward. No place in America was safe for Black people. Many enslaved and free Blacks fled to Canada to escape the U.S. government's laws.

But the 1850 law only inspired abolitionists to help fugitives more. Widespread opposition sparked riots and revolts. In 1851, a group of angry abolitionists stormed a Boston, Massachusetts, courthouse to break out a runaway from jail. Other rescues happened in New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

It wasn't until June 28, 1864-less than a year before the Civil War ended-that both Fugitive Slave Acts were finally repealed by Congress.

Future generations

The Underground Railroad successfully moved enslaved people to freedom despite the laws and people who tried to prevent it. Exact numbers don't exist, but it's estimated that between 25,000 and 50,000 enslaved people escaped to freedom through this network.

The Underground Railroad was a social movement that started when ordinary people joined together tomake a change in society. It's an example of how people, regardless of their race or economic status, united for a common cause.

As the late Congressman John Lewis said, "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something." That's why people today continue to work together and speak out against injustices to ensure freedom and equality for all people.

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The historic movement carried thousands of enslaved people to freedom. This is their journey.

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Documentary Film "Risking Everything" About the Freedom Crossing Monument

Every year, thousands of students read the popular book, Freedom Crossing, by Margaret Goff Clark (1913-2003). The story involves the Underground Railroad which was a secret network of trails and homes that helped slaves from the Southern United States escape to Canada in the early to mid-1800s.

The story takes place in Lewiston, New York, which was the final stop for escaping slaves from the South. Once they reached Lewiston, they only had to take a boat ride across the Niagara River to Canada, and freedom! But it wasn't easy. There were slave catchers and bounty hunters who were hired to capture the slaves and take them back to the South. It was very treacherous for the slaves and the volunteer citizens who helped them.

Lewiston's citizens hated slavery and many of them volunteered to help smuggle thousands of slaves across the border. There was a code of silence and the people of Lewiston never trusted or spoke to outsiders about their secret activities. It is estimated that thousands of slaves were smuggled through Lewiston and made their way to the Canadian shore and freedom.

The story happened in Lewiston, New York. Where is Lewiston located?

Lewiston is a real town and is located 7 miles north of Niagara Falls, New York. It is situated on the Niagara River, across the river from Canada. The river is about 1500 feet wide. Actually, the world famous Niagara Falls started in Lewiston 12,000 years and has eroded south 7 miles since then. So when you look at the Niagara River from Lewiston, you are really looking at water that has already gone over Niagara Falls and is flowing north to Lake Ontario and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean. Today, about 3000 people live in the Village of Lewiston, and 16,000 people live in the Town of Lewiston which surrounds the Village.

Was there really a place called Tryon's Folly?

Yes! And it is still there. The Freedom Crossing book called it the House with 4 Cellars. Some call it the House of the 7 Cellars. It's all in how you look at the configuration of the multi-leveled home. It was built on Lower River Road in 1830 by Amos Tryon (1791-1874), Josiah's older brother. The original home was to have housed a business and a new homestead for Amos' wife Sally Barton, who was Benjamin Barton's (a prominent citizen) daughter. However, Sally refused to move from their existing home on 4th and Center Street. So, it was called Tryon's Folly after that. But when Josiah figured out that the house was an ideal spot to hide and smuggle slaves, the house was put to use. You can see some pictures on this webpage of what the inside of the basements look like today. Tryon's Folly has a multi-leveled interconnecting basement, containing several separate rooms, that could easily hide slaves. The original home had a fire in 1900 and a new structure was built on old foundations in 1915. It is a private residence today and not publicly accessible, so these rare pictures, taken in August 2005, are the closest you will get to see what it is really like.

Was Laura a real person? Was Martin a real person?

No, they were not real people, but they could have been. Everything Laura and Martin did in the book could have really happened. The author made them up as pretend characters to help readers understand how the slaves were hidden, how slave catchers tried to catch them, and how local citizens, like Laura, helped the slaves escape to freedom across the river in Canada. So everything you read in the book was very close to being the real thing. Dozens of people helped the slaves escape, but since the whole thing was a secret there was nothing recorded in books or on paper that provided names of the people involved. However, we do know that Josiah Tryon was very active.

This is an old picture of Tryon's Folly taken in the winter time. (Pictures taken in the summer don't show much because the trees and bushes cover it up.) This picture was taken from the Niagara River and shows the back of the house. You can see the different levels of the basements. The basements could have been easily disguised as place to do business for Amos and Josiah Tryon because it was close to the river and they could have transported goods back and forth from the river. But in reality, it was place to hide and help escaping slaves get to Canada and freedom.

That's Canada across the Niagara River. In the bottom right, you'll see the lowest basement in Tryon's Folly. If you were a slave, and were at Tryon's Folly during the day, this is what Canada would have looked liked. As soon as you arrived on the other side of the river, you would be free! At this point you would be about 60 feet above the river and would have to make it down some treacherous paths to reach your boat. (Remember that many slaves could not see Canada because they arrived and took a boat across very late at night when there was no light. For many, the first time they saw, or felt, Canada was when their small row boat actually hit the Canadian shoreline.)

Here is an old picture of Josiah Tryon's Tailor Shop next to 441 Center Street Lewiston. It is the small building on the right. It is no longer standing and there is no record of when it was built or what became of it. (The place were his shop was is now a parking lot for a popular restaurant.) Josiah actually made friends with the slave catchers and made them jackets as gifts. But it was a trick. The slave catchers did not know that by accepting Josiah's jackets, which were made of bright colors, that everyone in town could identify them. When the people of Lewiston saw someone in a bright jacket, they knew NOT to talk to him about the Underground Railroad. That's why the slave catchers had a difficult time getting information from the local citizens about where the slaves were hiding. None of the local citizens ever betrayed the code of silence in the Town and everyone kept the slaves hidden and safe until they left for Canada.

Josiah Tryon is buried in the Village of Lewiston Cemetery next to the Presbyterian Church at Cayuga and S. 5th Streets. This is his gravestone. He lived to see the day when the slaves were freed in the South.
Laura Eastman's home was on Ridge Road. Is that really a place?
Yes, there really is a Ridge Road, known as Route 104. However, it not clear if the author of the book had a particular house in mind. Many of the old homes on Ridge Road that are still standing, could have been ideal hideaways for the slaves. So the story has some basis of truth.

Josiah Tryon was mentioned in the book Freedom Crossing. Was he a real person?

Yes, Josiah (pronounced Joe-si-ah) Tryon, Jr., was a real person and he was the secret volunteer "station master" for Lewiston's part in the Underground Railroad. He was born in Weathersfield, Connecticut, in 1798 and lived until 1886. He moved to Lewiston with his wife, Mary, in 1835. He was a tailor in Lewiston and he and his fellow citizens hid and guided slaves to freedom in Canada. Since this was all done in secret, very little is written about their activities. However, Josiah and other citizens took hundreds, probably thousands, of slaves across the river to Canada in row boats in the middle of the night. But even before they got to the river, the slaves were hidden in area homes, like Laura hid Martin in her home in the book Freedom Crossing.

Was there really a Presbyterian Church that was a hiding place for slaves?

Yes, and the church is still there. It is located at 5th and Cayuga Street. Another local church was also used to hide slaves and that was the Episcopal Church at 469 Plain Street, which is now the home of the Historical Association's Lewiston Museum. It's just a short distance from the Presbyterian Church.

Here is an old picture taken in the late 1800s or early 1900s of the Presbyterian Church in Lewiston, where many slaves were hidden. The church is still standing and it is still owned by the Presbyterians. In the story, Freedom Crossing, the Presbyterian Church is the place were Laura and her brother first noticed their carriage had been stolen when they saw it being used to take a slave away. Local residents referred to the slaves as "strangers" so as to not reveal their identity and keep them safe.Here is an old picture taken in the late 1800s or early 1900s of the Presbyterian Church in Lewiston, where many slaves were hidden. The church is still standing and it is still owned by the Presbyterians. In the story, Freedom Crossing, the Presbyterian Church is the place were Laura and her brother first noticed their carriage had been stolen when they saw it being used to take a slave away. Local residents referred to the slaves as "strangers" so as to not reveal their identity and keep them safe.

Why do they call it the Underground Railroad?

They called it the Underground Railroad, even though it wasn't a railroad. The "trains" were the large farm wagons that could conceal and carry a number of slaves. The "tracks" were the back county roads which were used to evade the slave catchers. The "stations" were the homes and churches where the slaves were fed and cared for as they moved along. The "conductors" were the fearless men and women of both races who led the slaves toward freedom, and the "passengers" or "parcels" were the slaves who dared to break for liberty.

Is Lewiston doing anything to commemorate the Freedom Crossing book?

Yes. A bronze monument has just been dedicated and was named after the Freedom Crossing book. You can learn more about the Freedom Crossing Monument at this Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Crossing_Monument

Webcams have been installed at the Monument site, so you can view the Monument at anytime by going to this website: https://historiclewiston.org/freedomcrossingwebcam/

You can review and obtain these books about the stories of escaping slaves and the Underground Railroad by clicking on these links:

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Freedom Crossing - Historic Lewiston, New York

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Live Freedom Crossing Monument Webcams Documentary Film "Risking Everything" About the Freedom Crossing Monument Every year, thousands of students read the popular book, Freedom Crossing, by Margaret Goff Clark (1913-2003). The story involves the Underground Railroad which was a secret network of trails and homes that helped slaves from the Southern United States escape to [...]

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The sun rose higher. On they walked. The heat sank into them and they felt the sweat on their bodies. On they walked. Alone again...

Another baby has died in the village and Naledi knows that her little sister Dineo might die too. But what can she do? Their grandmother has no money and there are no doctors in their village. So Naledi makes up her mind. She will have to get Mma who works more than 300 kilometres away in Johannesburg. The only way to let her know was to get to the big road and walk. So Naledi and her brother Tiro did just that...

Banned by the apartheid government in South Africa, this is the story of two children's courage and determination to find their mother and bring her home.

Beverley Naidoo writes:
When I sent two copies of my first children's book to nephews and nieces in South Africa in 1985, they never received the parcel. Instead, my sister-in-law received a letter telling her that the books had been seized and banned. However Journey to Jo'burg soon found its way into many different countries, in English and in translations, so that hundreds of thousands of children elsewhere were soon reading it. It was only after the release of Nelson Mandela from jail that the book was unbanned.

...the more searing for its gentleness.
- The Guardian, UK

...so simple and straightforward that it makes accessible even to quite young children the difficult and the profound.
-Times Educational Supplement, UK

... with a wealth to share, this well-written piece has no equal.
-(Starred review) School Library Journal, USA

A provocative, eloquent story about the human spirit.
-Publishers Weekly, USA

Parents' Choice Honor Book for Paperback Literature, USA 1988

Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies,
USA 1986

Child Study Children's Book Committee Award, USA 1986

The Other Award, UK 1985

Read my Letter from the Author on 'Word Power' (written for Barbican Education)here. Read about the book's 25th anniversary celebrationhere. Collaborative learning resourceshere.

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Beverley Naidoo - writer, author, novelist, children's author, Journey to Jo'burg, UK, SA - journey to jo'burg

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Apartheid was a political and social system in South Africa during the era of White minority rule. It enforced racial discrimination against non-Whites, mainly focused on skin colour and facial features. This existed in the twentieth century, from 1948 until the early-1990s. The word apartheid means "distantiation" in the Afrikaans language. Racial segregation had existed in Southern Africa for centuries. In the elections of 1948 the National Party took power and in the next few years made new apartheid laws. The new laws more strictly enforced segregation. In theory, it was to bring independence to the African majority in their own little countries to be created from South African territory.

Under this system, the people of South Africa were divided by their race and the different races were forced to live separately from each other. There were laws in place to ensure that segregation was abided by. The apartheid system in South Africa was abolished in 1994, when a new constitution was ratified which abolished the previous system of segregation. The last President who held office during the apartheid era was Frederik Willem de Klerk; who was responsible for holding negotiations with political prisoner Nelson Mandela to bring an end to apartheid. Following these successful negotiations, Nelson Mandela was elected to the Presidency of South Africa after multi-racial elections were held in April 1994, and became the first black person to hold the position. The pair were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. Today, the term apartheid is sometimes used for similar segregational systems in other countries.

How apartheid worked in South Africa

During apartheid, people were divided into four racial groups and separated by law. The system was used to deny many basic rights to non-White people, mainly Black people who lived in South Africa. The law allowed white people to be in certain areas. Black people had to carry special passes or have permission to travel outside their designated area, or work in particular areas reserved for Whites. The government separated mixed communities and forcibly moved many black people off their land (From 1960 to 1983 the Bantustan Policy was enforced to forcibly move South African blacks out of the areas designated for 'whites'). Many other laws were made, for example: interracial marriage was outlawed; Black people could not own land in White areas or vote.

The United Nations did not agree with the South African government's apartheid policies. There were protests in South Africa, like in Sharpeville in 1960 and in Soweto in 1976. After the Sharpeville Massacre, the UN tried to remove South Africa in 1974. France, the United States, and the UK prevented that from happening. The Soweto Uprisings started because Africans were forced to study some subjects at school in Afrikaans. Many Black people did not like Afrikaans because it was the language of the apartheid government and the language of their oppressors.

Ending apartheid

In 1989, F. W. de Klerk became President of South Africa. He wanted to reform the system. In a speech in 1990, de Klerk said the ban on the African National Congress was lifted. He also ruled that Nelson Mandela would be released from prison.

In 1991, the UN created the National Peace Accord. The purpose of the Peace Accord was "to bring an end to political violence" in South Africa. It was agreed on by 27 organisations and governments. After this the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) was formed. CODESA worked to find a solution to the violence.

The first multiracial election in which all races could vote, was held on 27 April 1994. Nelson Mandela was elected President, with De Klerk and Thabo Mbeki as deputies. This date considered the end of apartheid.

Although Black South Africans were granted equal rights by law after a long fought campaign, there is still huge economic inequality between Blacks and Whites. In 2012, South Africa held its first census in over ten years. It found that the average Black family earned one-sixth (about 17%) of what the average White family earned. "These figures tell us that at the bottom of the rung is the black majority who continue to be confronted by deep poverty unemployment and inequality," President Jacob Zuma said when the findings were released. Nelson Mandela spent the majority of his life fighting against apartheid laws, and without his activism; many of the changes would never have happened.

Aim of apartheid

The goal of apartheid was to separate the people of South Africa into small independent nations. The black ones were called Bantustans. South Africa said they were independent countries and exchanged ambassadors but other countries did not. The National Party government did not want to spend a lot of money on this project. They also wanted to keep the majority of South Africa's land for white people, especially the richest places, like the gold mines of Johannesburg. They wanted black men to work in these mines for little money but their families had to live far away or face imprisonment.

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Apartheid was a political and social system in South Africa during the era of White minority rule. It enforced racial discrimination against non-Whites, mainly focused on skin colour and facial features. This existed in the twentieth century, from 1948 until the early-1990s. The word apartheid means "distantiation" in the Afrikaans language.

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Timeline
History >> Civil War

The American Civil War was fought between the southern states and the northern states. The southern states didn't want the North telling them what to do or making laws they didn't want. As a result, many southern states decided to break away and form their own country called the Confederacy. The North, however, wanted to stay as one united country; and so a war began. The Civil War, and the major events leading up to the war, lasted from 1860 to 1865.

Abraham Lincoln with Soldiers by Unknown

Events Before the War
Harpers Ferry Raid (October 16, 1859) - Abolitionist John Brown attempts to start a rebellion by taking over the Harpers Ferry arsenal. The uprising is quickly put down and John Brown is hanged for treason. Many people in the North, however, consider him a hero.

Abraham Lincoln Elected President (November 6, 1860) - Abraham Lincoln was from the northern part of the country and wanted to put an end to slavery. The southern states didn't want him president or making laws that would affect them.

South Carolina Secedes (Dec. 20, 1860) - South Carolina became the first state to secede, or leave, the United States. They decided to make their own country rather than be part of the USA. Within a few months several other states including Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana would also leave the Union.

Jefferson Davis by Matthew Brady

The Confederation is formed (Feb. 9, 1861) - The southern states form their own country called the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis is their president.

Abraham Lincoln becomes President (March 4, 1861) - Now that President Lincoln is in office, he wants to restore the Union. In other words, get all the states back into the same country.

The Civil War
The Civil War Begins (April 12, 1861) - The South attacks Fort Sumter South Carolina and starts the war.

More States leave the Union (April 1861) - within a short period of time Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas all leave the Union to join the Confederacy.

Union Blockade (April 19, 1861) - Abraham Lincoln announces the Union Blockade where the Union Navy will attempt to keep supplies from entering or leaving the Confederacy. This blockade will weaken the Confederacy later in the war.

Many Battles of 1861 and 1862 - Throughout 1861 and 1862 there were many battles where lots of soldiers from both sides were wounded and killed. Some of the major battles include the First and Second Battles of Bull Run, The Battle of Shiloh, The Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. There was also the famous sea battle between the two ironclad battleships the Monitor and the Merrimac. These ships had iron or steel plates on their sides for armor making them much stronger and changing war on the seas forever.

Emancipation Proclamation (Jan. 1, 1863) - President Lincoln issues an executive order freeing many of the enslaved and laying the groundwork for the Thirteenth Amendment.

The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1, 1863) - A major battle where the North not only wins the battle, but starts to win the Civil War.

Sherman Captures Atlanta (Sept. 2, 1864) - General Sherman captures the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Later in the year he would march to the sea and capture Savannah, Ga. On his way he would destroy and burn much of the land his army passed through.

Engineers of the 8th New York State
Militia in front of a tent
from the National Archives

The Civil War Ends
General Robert E. Lee surrenders (April 9, 1865) - General Lee, the leader of the Confederate Army, surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant at The Appomattox Court House in Virginia.

President Lincoln is Assassinated (April 14, 1865) - While attending the Ford's Theatre, President Lincoln is shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth.

Reconstruction of the South (1865-1877) - The South is occupied by Federal troops while state governments, economies, and infrastructure are rebuilt.

Overview Major Events Civil War Life

People Battles

Works Cited

History >> Civil War

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started