The Rediscovery of America for Young People

An expansive history of Native America and winner of the National Book Award, now adapted for younger readers.

An essential resource for teachers and students that combats the erasure of Native peoples from US history, telling a fuller and truer account of America.

“Eloquent and comprehensive.... In the book’s sweeping synthesis, standard flashpoints of U.S. history take on new meaning.” --Kathleen DuVal, Wall Street Journal

Weaving five centuries of Native and non‑Native histories, from Spanish colonial exploration to the rise of Native American self-determination in the late twentieth century and its evolution in the twenty-first century, Blackhawk ‘rediscovers’ America, guiding readers to a new understanding of our nation’s past and, hopefully, our collective future. The book shows how

• European colonization in the 1600s was never a predetermined success;
• the first shots of the American Revolution were prompted by Indian affairs in the interior;
• California Indians targeted by federally funded militias were among the first casualties of the Civil War;
• twentieth-century reservation activists refashioned American law and policy;
• Native history is alive; it is not a relic of the past as it is often presented in history books and lessons. 

The most enduring feature of U.S. history is the presence of Native Americans, yet most histories focus on Europeans and their descendants. Adapted by Rebecca Stefoff, Blackhawk’s The Rediscovery of America for Young People fills a pressing need in the teaching of American history. The book acknowledges the enduring power, agency, and survival of Indigenous peoples, revealing anew the varied meanings of America.

Includes maps, period photos, and other visuals.

The For Young People series adapts celebrated nonfiction books for middle and high school readers and includes critically acclaimed and bestselling histories by Ronald Takaki, Howard Zinn, Jared Diamond, Charles C. Mann, and others.