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This Country of Ours
Stories from the history of the United States beginning with a full account of exploration and settlement and ending with the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. The 99 chapters are grouped under 7 headings: Stories of Explorers and Pioneers, Stories of Virginia, Stories of New England, Stories of the Middle and Southern Colonies, Stories of the French in America, Stories of the Struggle for Liberty, and Stories of the United States under the Constitution. Suitable for ages 10 and up.
636 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1917
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About the author
H.E. Marshall
60 books37 followersHenrietta Elizabeth Marshall (usually credited as H.E. Marshall) was a Scottish author, particularly well known for her works of popular national history for children.
H.E. Marshall is famous for her 1905 children's history of England, Our Island Story: A History of England for Boys and Girls, illustrated by A. S. Forrest. In the USA the book was entitled An Island Story. The book was a bestseller, was printed in numerous editions, and for fifty years was the standard and much-loved book by which children learned the history of England. However a lot of this book is historically inaccurate and much of it uses Shakespeare's plays for historical sources; for example, the section of Richard III is really a summary of the play. The book is still to be found in schools and homes, but the last printing was in 1953 and it went out of print in the 1960s. In 2005, an alliance of the Civitas think-tank and various national newspapers brought the book back into print, with the aim of sending a free copy to each of the UK's primary schools. Readers of The Daily Telegraph contributed £25,000 to the cost of the reprint.
She was educated at a girls' boarding school called Laurel Bank, in Melrose. Between 1901 and 1904 she was the superintendent of a hall of residence for female students at the University of Glasgow, but, otherwise, she appears to have made her living throughout her life by writing. She never married.
As is made clear by the Prefaces of her books from time to time, she travelled extensively after 1904, including to Melbourne, California and China, although her obituary in The Times stated that she spent most of her life in Oxford and in London, where she died.
H.E. Marshall is famous for her 1905 children's history of England, Our Island Story: A History of England for Boys and Girls, illustrated by A. S. Forrest. In the USA the book was entitled An Island Story. The book was a bestseller, was printed in numerous editions, and for fifty years was the standard and much-loved book by which children learned the history of England. However a lot of this book is historically inaccurate and much of it uses Shakespeare's plays for historical sources; for example, the section of Richard III is really a summary of the play. The book is still to be found in schools and homes, but the last printing was in 1953 and it went out of print in the 1960s. In 2005, an alliance of the Civitas think-tank and various national newspapers brought the book back into print, with the aim of sending a free copy to each of the UK's primary schools. Readers of The Daily Telegraph contributed £25,000 to the cost of the reprint.
She was educated at a girls' boarding school called Laurel Bank, in Melrose. Between 1901 and 1904 she was the superintendent of a hall of residence for female students at the University of Glasgow, but, otherwise, she appears to have made her living throughout her life by writing. She never married.
As is made clear by the Prefaces of her books from time to time, she travelled extensively after 1904, including to Melbourne, California and China, although her obituary in The Times stated that she spent most of her life in Oxford and in London, where she died.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
February 15, 2017
Got through Chapter 56 and calling it a day. I just can't see any point in subjecting myself to the bias any more.
Please, please, please pre-read this before starting it with your children.
Marshall was of her time, and relatively open minded in that context. As an adult, I can fully appreciate that.
But she was a racist nonetheless, and young children can't really understand what that idea "of her time" even means. Such context requires a fundamental understanding of history *first*.
The sheer size of the text means it will be a presence in your read alouds for a very long while, and that constant presence gives it an innate authority.
It's my opinion that using this as a spine absolutely will normalize WASP superiority bias in young children. It's not possible to avoid Marshall's view by skipping a single chapter - it pervades the text.
Please take care, and pre-read at least the first 20-30 chapters before you begin with the kids.
Please, please, please pre-read this before starting it with your children.
Marshall was of her time, and relatively open minded in that context. As an adult, I can fully appreciate that.
But she was a racist nonetheless, and young children can't really understand what that idea "of her time" even means. Such context requires a fundamental understanding of history *first*.
The sheer size of the text means it will be a presence in your read alouds for a very long while, and that constant presence gives it an innate authority.
It's my opinion that using this as a spine absolutely will normalize WASP superiority bias in young children. It's not possible to avoid Marshall's view by skipping a single chapter - it pervades the text.
Please take care, and pre-read at least the first 20-30 chapters before you begin with the kids.
March 4, 2025
It was well worth the ten years and five kids it took to read this whole book.
January 7, 2016
A wonderful forest view of American history. This book is of a higher reading level than "Our Island Home", so it can be slower reading. For a book written in 1917, it has aged well, though students will need to be reminded that the book was written during WWI and references to "of all the presidents" doesn't include any presidents past Woodrow Wilson (who was President when this was published).
I also found later chapters can loose their whimsy as they consist of a meld of the list of Presidents and the entrance of states with a few stories thrown in. As opposed to being caught up in the story as in the earlier chapters, I began to feel conscious that she was working through linear material. Part of this may be the loss of perspective as she approaches her own time.
Our knowledge of how things have gone since her time, combined with our more multiculture/ multiperspective view of the world does color some passages rather differently, but the adjustments are minor and there are plenty of other resources to provide the details. This remains a beloved overview of the history of the United States of America.
I also found later chapters can loose their whimsy as they consist of a meld of the list of Presidents and the entrance of states with a few stories thrown in. As opposed to being caught up in the story as in the earlier chapters, I began to feel conscious that she was working through linear material. Part of this may be the loss of perspective as she approaches her own time.
Our knowledge of how things have gone since her time, combined with our more multiculture/ multiperspective view of the world does color some passages rather differently, but the adjustments are minor and there are plenty of other resources to provide the details. This remains a beloved overview of the history of the United States of America.
April 1, 2024
US history read, scheduled over 5 years, so I just finished ahead of Annie in year 5! Covers the Vikings to WW1. Planning to purchase the updated edition for the rest of the kids though! It’s been fun (and feels important) to share US history with my half-American kids who are growing up in Canada.
September 4, 2021
Well, I did learn a lot about US History...there is that.
However, the viewpoint of the sneaky, savage natives vs. the gallant, civilized Christian Europeans made for a less enjoyable, credible read than might have been.
However, the viewpoint of the sneaky, savage natives vs. the gallant, civilized Christian Europeans made for a less enjoyable, credible read than might have been.
March 28, 2024
Finally finished this book with my daughter after 3+ years.
It took a lot to edit on the fly or pre-read. The next time I visit this book with my son I'll get the new, revised copies.
It took a lot to edit on the fly or pre-read. The next time I visit this book with my son I'll get the new, revised copies.
April 27, 2024
this book and the genevieve foster books have taught me more about american history than my 36 previous years combined. it's embarrassing what we dont teach anymore
April 9, 2025
It’s sad to finish but not ridiculously so as I still have several more kids who will read this. I especially love the layout in regards to putting a focus on on the States and the Presidents while still giving the major history points that related to the US. Fascinating to read her summary of recent to get events… they were more emotional and not as concise. It is interesting the perspective one has after the dust has settled.
July 27, 2020
Mostly Excellsnt.
I learned more about American history than I knew from school. The early history of
the various colonies is never taught. School texts jump straight to the Mayflower and Thanksgiving the revolution, the constitution, the civil war, a nd the world wars, which leaves out so much other important detail.
I have 4 stars instead of 5 because the brief mention of the Mormons and their first leaderJoseph Smith, was false. That made me wonder if the other very many character reviews in this book were equally biased to the authors own limited opinion, or if the author was a really conveying documented sentiment of the time. I thought this book was more recent than it is. While the false facts about the Mormons repeated in this book were a common false view of the day, I feel obliged to clarify truth vs error for other readers. I have assimilated the author's view on many historical figures, but because I know these facts are merely a repeat of false information , now I just do more research on the other historical figures as well to see if they were fairly represented. Opinion and character reviews should always be taken as personal and likely biased, so leaving that aside, this is an excellent resource for learning our history. It was interesting t and carried me through beginning to end.
I learned more about American history than I knew from school. The early history of
the various colonies is never taught. School texts jump straight to the Mayflower and Thanksgiving the revolution, the constitution, the civil war, a nd the world wars, which leaves out so much other important detail.
I have 4 stars instead of 5 because the brief mention of the Mormons and their first leaderJoseph Smith, was false. That made me wonder if the other very many character reviews in this book were equally biased to the authors own limited opinion, or if the author was a really conveying documented sentiment of the time. I thought this book was more recent than it is. While the false facts about the Mormons repeated in this book were a common false view of the day, I feel obliged to clarify truth vs error for other readers. I have assimilated the author's view on many historical figures, but because I know these facts are merely a repeat of false information , now I just do more research on the other historical figures as well to see if they were fairly represented. Opinion and character reviews should always be taken as personal and likely biased, so leaving that aside, this is an excellent resource for learning our history. It was interesting t and carried me through beginning to end.
August 15, 2020
This was listed as a history book to read to 1st graders for a Christian homeschool program, but I can't get through the first chapter without absolute horror at the racist language used. The way the "dark-skinned savages" that the white men thought were just ugly jump out of bushes. I don't see how any child could read this without inculcating within their mind a bias against Native Americans and their cultures. An excerpt: "But now almost as soon as they landed troubles began with the Indians. One of them stole a silver cup, and as it was not returned the Englishmen in anger set fire to the corn-fields and destroyed them. This was a bad beginning. But the Englishmen had no knowledge yet of how cruel and revengeful the Redman could be." Really? The English destroy a great portion of their food supply over a (supposedly) stolen cup, endangering their families with starvation, and it's the "Redman" who is cruel?
November 11, 2020
I realize that we too frequently try to impose our own morality on authors of another age and that we have to make allowances for the culture they were authored in. But having said that, this book was nearly impossible to read.
It was an assigned "spine" for our middle school history curriculum. Because of the ridiculous amount of racist and euro-centric language, I chose to do this as a read-aloud and edit and/or discuss troubling content as we read aloud. But how do you continue when you are spending more time editing and discussing than reading the book?
I cut it for the last 1/4 of the school year and replaced with easier and less troubling Joy Hakim History of US books (which we had already read in elementary school). And I wish I would have cut it earlier. We have read and enjoyed other books by the same author, but her attitude and prejudices about Native Americans in this book were too much to swallow.
It was an assigned "spine" for our middle school history curriculum. Because of the ridiculous amount of racist and euro-centric language, I chose to do this as a read-aloud and edit and/or discuss troubling content as we read aloud. But how do you continue when you are spending more time editing and discussing than reading the book?
I cut it for the last 1/4 of the school year and replaced with easier and less troubling Joy Hakim History of US books (which we had already read in elementary school). And I wish I would have cut it earlier. We have read and enjoyed other books by the same author, but her attitude and prejudices about Native Americans in this book were too much to swallow.
February 23, 2022
An enjoyable read that helped break a very long history up into manageable, narrative chunks. Of course that also means that the author subtly took sides, but neutrality is a myth. Everyone has a lens they use to interpret reality. I appreciate Marshall's view and would love to read further from other authors on the subject. I especially enjoyed her rousing patriotism and Christian sentiments at the end, as she looked ahead at only the beginnings of "The Great War" (now known to us as WWI); what a neat little time capsule moment!
March 11, 2023
I wish the updated, edited version by Donna-Jean Breckinridge would have been available when I was reading this with my youngest for Ambleside Online years 4-5. The new version has taken out derogatory terms and phrases and also added in the specific Native American tribal names rather than just using the generic term “Indian.” It also has additional notes at the end of each chapter.
This was not as good as Our Island Story and didn’t hold my daughter’s attention as well, but I would be willing to try reading it again with the updated version! Maybe with future grandkids….
This was not as good as Our Island Story and didn’t hold my daughter’s attention as well, but I would be willing to try reading it again with the updated version! Maybe with future grandkids….
September 17, 2022
After reading her other books: our island story, story of Europe and story of Scotland it lends perspective to this book. She calls people savages and barbarians in those books all of the time, including original Britons. So, her using that term in this book isn't so bad. It is a product of it's time, but it is also very well done. We're using it for middle school history. It covers settlement of the colonies, the revolutionary war, the presidents and the civil war extremely well.
May 21, 2024
Four years of reading slowly. There was much in here I had never heard of, so that was good to fill in the holes. I think this is wonderful comprehensive book on the start of the history of America once Europeans came over. Of the boys that have read it so far, they have both commented on how stupid the French settlers were and how often people first came over and did not think they would have to work for anything. It was a good history spine.
June 14, 2022
Not the best book we used for our homeschool history studies. Being a British author, Marshal brought her biases into American history skewing the story of our own country. The chapters were quite rushed when we were looking for a deeper dive into details.
President Wilson was put into a far better light than he deserved.
President Wilson was put into a far better light than he deserved.
August 4, 2022
Ambleside year 4 and 5
If you plan to sit down and read through this one like a Grisham, you will be sorely disappointed. Meant to be read in small chunks with narration to follow. Literally should be read over a year or more to be effective.
If you plan to see political correct, liberal left, revisionist history, you will also be sorely disappointed.
https://amblesideonline.org/art-tcoo
If you plan to sit down and read through this one like a Grisham, you will be sorely disappointed. Meant to be read in small chunks with narration to follow. Literally should be read over a year or more to be effective.
If you plan to see political correct, liberal left, revisionist history, you will also be sorely disappointed.
https://amblesideonline.org/art-tcoo
July 22, 2024
This book is read over three years in the Ambleside Online curriculum. It covers so much, so thoroughly, that I make sure we always read this together. Some chapters need to be broken down into multiple sittings.
As with any history text, it has a particular perspective, so discussion and other texts from other perspectives should always be included as well.
As with any history text, it has a particular perspective, so discussion and other texts from other perspectives should always be included as well.
August 26, 2019
Many things we didn't know are now known
Many things were learned about our early beginnings that have been not widely known. So many revelations that were made have been eye opening. Interesting and educational.
Many things were learned about our early beginnings that have been not widely known. So many revelations that were made have been eye opening. Interesting and educational.
April 26, 2020
Incredibly outdated and full of prejudice and half-truths, our copy also contained numerous misspellings, typos, and grammatical errors. As a read-aloud, it wasn't awful, but there are plenty of American history books for kids that would do a better job.
February 11, 2023
I used this as a read aloud for part of a history curriculum. I liked that the chapters were short and it introduces key historical points (and people) in a simple and quick way. My students enjoyed it. I found it a bit dry. However, it served its purpose well.
April 19, 2023
A three year journey through this book as one of our history books taught me so much. There’s some outdated and racist language but was an opportunity to discuss the thinking of the time it was written.
October 18, 2024
4 stars
Some incorrect information as well as outdated information, but very thorough and detailed. I can see why the AO Advisory felt the need to update this work and look forward to comparing the two.
Some incorrect information as well as outdated information, but very thorough and detailed. I can see why the AO Advisory felt the need to update this work and look forward to comparing the two.
October 24, 2019
3.5 rounded up
June 8, 2023
I don't think this is as readable as Our Island Story. It gets tedious during the various retellings of the founding of all the colonies.
May 28, 2024
Read along with my Ambleside Online student.
Read
August 28, 2024Sorta long. . .
Really long . . .
But good story over all but misses some modern history cuz H.E. Marshall is OLD!!
Really long . . .
But good story over all but misses some modern history cuz H.E. Marshall is OLD!!
July 14, 2023
Of course this book is quite dated in its use of language about different groups of people. However, the story format and information it provides is excellent for elementary years history. Reading this gives a good starting point about the history and also a good conversation piece for how to treat someone with dignity with your words.
January 2, 2023
I am using this for American history in homeschool, spread over 3 years. The story telling is engaging, but it is filled with the type of objectionable language and attitudes you would expect from a 100 year old history book. I read ahead of our lessons and marked words to change or paragraphs to skip over. This has worked ok for us, and we all enjoy our American history readings, but it's a bit of a chore for me. (The rating is for my self-edited version.)
Donna-Jean A Breckenridge is updating and annotating this book, in 3 volumes. (Vol 1 is available now, vols 2&3 are coming.) If I were starting it this year, I would use hers.
Donna-Jean A Breckenridge is updating and annotating this book, in 3 volumes. (Vol 1 is available now, vols 2&3 are coming.) If I were starting it this year, I would use hers.
May 2, 2016
This wasn't quite as entertaining to me as "Our Island Story", but I still loved it!! It had so many cool details that I never got to hear from my normal history books. I loved hearing more of the French, Spanish, and Indian perspectives of our country and hear more about the men and women who have shaped our nation. Definitely a fun read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews