Describes the voyages of Columbus, the terrible impact of the Spaniards on the Indians, and the ultimate cultural influence of the Native Americans on their white conquerors.
A biography of the Negro poet and playwright whose themes were based on his diverse ethnic and social experiences in Harlem and in the many places he traveled.
Introduces the life of the explorer who was sent to Peru in the sixteenth century by the king of Spain to conquer the Incas and claim their land and wealth for the Spanish crown.
A biography of the poet who became known for his ability to speak to the common people, by shaping out of the plain English of ordinary Americans the voice of their vast experience.
Examines the life of the reclusive nineteenth-century Massachusetts poet whose posthumously published poetry brought her the public attention she had carefully avoided during her lifetime.
With an emphasis on her early years, covers the life of the South African woman who married a prominent fighter for racial equality in South Africa and later became a leader in her own right.
Surveys the life of Samuel Clemens, who grew up in Missouri, was a river pilot on the Mississippi, became a journalist, and achieved fame as a writer under the pen name Mark Twain.