Review of The Story of the 13 Colonies & The Great Republic Set from Memoria Press and 200 Questions about American History

Memoria Press is one of my favorite publishers, so I couldn't wait to explore The Story of the 13 Colonies & The Great Republic Set and 200 Questions about American History they sent me to review. 

I didn't realize how much was in the set for teaching American History to fifth through eighth graders. The Story of the Thirteen Colonies and The Great Republic is the textbook with an accompanying Student Guide and Teacher Guide. There is also another set: 200 Questions about American History Student and the accompanying Teacher Guide. Both student guides are consumable, but you can use the teacher guides over and over again. 

The Story of the Thirteen Colonies and The Great Republic are classic books combined in one volume. Written by H. A. Guerber in 1899 and edited by Meoria Press, this book moves quickly from the landing of vikings in Newfoundland to the Spanish-American War. 

Each chapter is short and full of information. The writing is clear and concise. 

Now, I have been teaching American History to my children and in homeschool co-ops since 1991. Plus I read all kinds of American history resources biographies, living books, and textbooks for fun. I honestly didn't expect to learn anything when I sat down to read the entire book. I was pleasantly shocked to learn little details I never knew before such as: 

• Leif the Lucky went home in 1012 because of Native attacks
• Columbus' wife's father worked for Henry the Navigator and wrote about his voyages, so Columbus had access to that information
• It was in Cuba that Columbus and his men were introduced to tobacco
• The reason that Frances Drake sailed around the world was to avoid the Spanish who were laying in wait for him in the Atlantic, so he turned the other way, crossing the Pacific and returning back to England
• Captain John Smith sent a letter to the company sponsoring them to sent blacksmiths, masons, carpenters, farmers, and wood cutters, instead of gentlemen
• Between 1630 and 1640, over 20 thousand folks traveled from England to New England, creating 50 little villages and towns
• The first person to speak out against invasive search warrants in Boston was James Otis

Now, that may seem boring to you, but I was super-excited to learn these little details. 

​We set up our homeschooling plan to follow the suggestions by Memoria Press. 

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On three separate days, the student reads a chapter or two and answers questions in the Student Guide. Each weekly lesson contains 3-7 chapters in the textbook, questions in the Student Guide, map work, timelines,  drill questions, and other assignments, including writing assignments. 

We don't do classical homeschooling and so the drills and question cards felt a little awkward, but soon it was easy. 

The question cards were actually fun! What a great way to memorize history facts!

At the end of the book was a poem about the Presidents up to McKinley.  On pages 20-21 in 200 Questions about American History there is a list of information about each President in order. The student fills in the names of the Presidents in order. So, students learn the Presidents in order. I think that's awesome! 

Another thing I loved was the inclusion of documents, song lyrics, maps, charts, and poems. I love learning history that way! 

Memoria Press is a great place for homeschooling families to find Christ-centered, wholesome resources. I have used their Latina Christiana and Prima Latina successfully. I also love the way they have reprinted old textbooks from the past, making them available for a new generation. If you are a classical educator, this is the perfect place for everything you need. However, if you aren't a classical homeschooler, don't write off Memoria Press because they are filled with resources that I, a Charlotte Mason/Living Books/Unit Study homeschool mom, use and love! 

Check out Memoria Press on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. 

​You can read more reviews about all kinds of resources from Memoria Press here.

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Read More Reviews from TOS Review Crew

You can read more reviews from the Review Crew here about all kinds of materials available for homeschooling families to use and I strongly urge you to do so. This team blogs about all kinds of curriculum, books, Dvds, and more! You'll enjoy learning what other homeschooling moms think about different products out there!

Until next time, Happy Homeschooling! 
Meredith Curtis