This book tells the history of the United States, starting with European explorers rather than the Native Americans who had been inhabiting the region we now name North America for generations. The book describes the achievements of the brave, clever, and powerful men (and a few women) who founded the colonies that later developed into the states that eventually gave rise to the current nation.In general, it paints the Native Americans as barbaric, uncivilized, and vicious. As you read, consider why it could be crucial for a white lady of European ancestry to write for children in England or the US to view Native Americans in this manner. What does it reveal about the people, the country, and the terrain at the time? H.E. Marshall, the author, wrote from a Protestant point of view. Nothing in her writing implies that she intentionally set to be anti-Catholic, but it is clear that her Protestant background and her sense of the truth had an impact on her writing. The advantages of adopting this book exceed any drawbacks, which can be quickly resolved by debate and careful editing.
British novelist Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall, who lived from 9 August 1867 to 19 September 1941 and is more well known by her pen name H. E. Marshall, is best known for her children's books about popular national history. Her most famous work, "Our Island Story," from 1905, was translated into another language as "An Island Story: A Child's History of England." Her father, John Marshall JP, an earthenware producer, gave birth to her in Bo'ness, Scotland, where she received her education at a girls' boarding school. She oversaw a residential hall for female students at Glasgow University from 1901 to 1904. She took several trips after 1904, including to Melbourne, California, and China, but she lived in Oxford and London for most of her life. Our Island Story, a 1905 children's history of England with illustrations by A. S. Forrest, is credited to H. E. Marshall. The bestseller was published in multiple versions and served as the go-to resource for youngsters learning about England for fifty years. The plot follows a chronological order and includes much of history, myth, and mythology.A coalition of national newspapers and the Civitas think tank reissued it in 2005 intending to distribute free copies to all primary schools in the UK.
