Witnessing America: The Library of Congress Book of Firsthand Accounts of Life In America, 1600-1900

xvii, 556 pp. "Here is the fascinating story of our country's past in the actual words of the people who experienced it. Gathered from diaries, letters, memoirs, court records, articles, and more from the incomparable collection of the Library of Congress, are the firsthand accounts of the pioneers, schoolteachers, farmers, and slaves who settled our country. Through the vivid words and heartfelt expressions of emotion of the ordinary--and extraordinary--people who lived then, you'll find out how it felt to live in a log cabin, face a stampede, work as a slave on a cotton plantation, and pan for gold." Black and white illustrations and photographs included.