Give Me Liberty: The Story of the Declaration of Independence

Gr. 4-7. How does he do it? Once again Freedman takes a crucial moment in American history and imbues it with living grace and powerful tension. His account opens on the night of the Boston Tea Party as a 14-year-old apprentice escapes from his locked room, blackens his face, and sneaks aboard three ships in the harbor. Two hundred men and boys dumped the ships' cargo of tea in the water that night. "All that trouble over a three-cent tax on tea!" writes Freedman, who then explains the colonies' relationship to England, the reasons for colonists' discontent, and how the vision of freedom as a right evolved from English law and the oppression that brought the colonists to America. Using excerpts from newspapers, snatches of contemporary verse and letters, and an array of images, Freedman acquaints readers with Patrick Henry and Paul Revere, the first deaths at Lexington and Concord, Thomas Paine's Common Sense , and finally, the Continental Congress and the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Along the way, he frankly delineates the place of women, indentured servants, and African American slaves and freedmen, and explains their roles in the revolution. His account clearly shows what was at risk and the way the words of the Declaration have endured over time. The complete text of the Declaration and information on how to view the original document conclude a rich history. GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright © American Library Association. (Booklist )--This text refers to the Paperbackedition.