Clara pushed herself to work faster. She had to get the wounded soldiers onto the train before the Confederates came over the hill. A messenger galloped up just as the last man was loaded aboard. "You have to go now!" he shouted. "The enemy is breaking over the hills. If the train is stopped, you will have to escape across country!"

On a dangerous mission for the British army, young Major Washington (1732-1799) had no idea that one day he would lead an army of fellow colonials in a bitter battle for independence against Great Britain herself, the most powerful empire in the world. In each new crisis, the young United States sought out George Washington. As commander in chief of the Continental army, chairman of the Constitutional Convention, and first president, this indispensable American served the struggling nation when its survival and form hanged in the balance.

Growing up in Greene County, Tennessee, Davy Crockett was educated through the toil of hard labor. Working as a farm hand and wagon driver, he learned about the people and the land of the West - and he was captivated. The untamed wilderness, the sound of wild animals, and the roar of the river would be his destiny. One of America's best-known folk heroes, Crockett (1786-1836) served as a frontiersman, a scout, a soldier, and a politician in the US Congress. He died defending the Alamo, a steadfast citizen and heroic leader to the very end.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) had never set his sights on becoming president; after all, he'd grown up in a log cabin on the frontier and had hardly any formal schooling. But as the question of slavery threatened to destroy the United States, this self-taught lawyer with a sharp mind and passion for justice found himself at the center of the greatest debate the nation had ever faced.

Meriwether Lewis had been commissioned by President Jefferson to lead a daring expedition so remarkable it would become one of the most famous explorations in history. He chose William Clark as his co-captain. Their mission: to find a land route to the Pacific Ocean while learning as much as possible about the thousands of miles of unexplored territory they struggled through.

Once a kidnapped slave baby, George Washington Carver (1864?-1943) found freedom in learning everything he could about the world around him. Overcoming poverty and racism, George became a brilliant scientist and a gifted professor who dedicated his expertise to helping Black farmers escape the devastating grip of poverty. George's scientific creativity knew no limits. His ingenious experimentation with peanuts and other plants helped rescue the failing Southern economy.

From his early days living in small-town poverty, young Dutch Reagan’s (1911-2004) thoughts were always on the future. Whether helping his family through financial hard times or doggedly pursuing opportunities reserved for the few, Dutch knew that all the knowledge that he had absorbed over the years was waiting inside of him for a chance to come out.

The mainsail cracked above them in the ferocious wind as a group of red-faced men descended on John. "You have brought a curse on us. Overboard with you," one of the men yelled. A chorus of cheers went up. It was the last sound John heard before he was dumped over the side of the ship and engulfed by the dark, roiling ocean. Thrown overboard, enslaved by the Turks, captured by pirates, rescued by a princess - the story of Englishman John Smith (1580-1631) would seem unbelievable were it fiction.

At age six the sharp bite of a whip taught Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) what it meant to be a slave. The other slaves scoffed when Harriet resolved to escape north someday. Little did they know that this girl would one day lead hundreds of slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Even huge rewards for her capture - dead or alive - did not stop Harriet from risking her life again and again in the fight for liberty as the nation spiraled into the Civil War.

Billy boarded the train to Minneapolis. He had come to Los Angeles months before as a small-time preacher. Now he was leaving as one of the most recognized Christians in the country. It was not what Billy had sought; he'd just been open for God to use. Billy wondered if this would be the peak of his fame or if something bigger was about to happen. The oldest son of dairy farmers from Charlotte, North Carolina, young Billy Graham attended evangelical revival meetings that inspired him for the rest of his life.

When Milton Hershey's famous Hershey Bars debuted in 1905, few people knew of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice preceding the triumph. Debt, lack of support, and fatigue had been constant companions for the famous chocolatier and philanthropist - a man with a fourth-grade education. Despite comparisons to his wandering father, Milton never gave up. Learning from his mistakes, he spent a lifetime creating sweet things to eat - first caramel, then chocolate.

Whether masterminding strategy and fighting on the front lines to secure Allied victory in World War I and World War II or guiding war-torn nations to recovery in peacetime, five-star General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) faced every challenge with unwavering courage and resolve. The general began his honored army career by leading his fellow cadets at West Point and ultimately commanded all U.S. forces in Asia.

From the big woods of Wisconsin to the Indian country of the Great Plains, new adventures and landscapes filled the rich childhood of Laura Ingalls Wilder. On a frontier steeped in both danger and great possibility, Laura would grow up to witness firsthand the rapid transformation of the West as pioneers and covered wagons gave way to farms, towns, and railroads. A pioneer, teacher, farmer's wife, and storyteller, Laura Ingalls Wilder experienced one of the most exciting times in American history - history that this gifted writer brought to life for millions.

As adventurers from around the world raced to reach the South Pole and achieve other polar firsts in the early 1900s, outsider Ernest Shackleton and his motley expeditions would outshine even the British navy, becoming icons of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Known for prizing loyalty, leadership, and skill without regard for rank or social class - and for bringing men back alive - Shackleton completed three death-defying Antarctic journeys.

As a child growing up in Detroit, Ben Carson (1951-) has a dream of becoming a physician, a dream that rose out of struggles with poverty, racism, and poor grades. As Ben persevered and strove for academic excellence, his life became one of compassion and service. Today, Benjamin Carson, MD, is known as the American neurosurgeon with gifted hands. The first surgeon to successfully separate twins joined at the head, he directed pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital for over a quarter of a century.

Growing up in Greene County, Tennessee, Davy Crockett was educated through the toil of hard labor. Working as a farm hand and wagon driver, he learned about the people and the land of the West - and he was captivated. The untamed wilderness, the sound of wild animals, and the roar of the river would be his destiny. One of America's best-known folk heroes, Crockett (1786-1836) served as a frontiersman, a scout, a soldier, and a politician in the US Congress. He died defending the Alamo, a steadfast citizen and heroic leader to the very end.

In the first and most reliable biography of Daniel Boone in more than 50 years, award-winning historian Faragher brilliantly portrays America's famous frontier hero while illuminating the American hero-making process itself. Drawing from popular narrative, the public record, scraps of documentation from Boone's own hand, and a treasure trove of reminiscences gathered by nineteenth-century antiquarians, Faragher uses the methods of new social history to create a portrait of the man and the times he helped shape.

The explosive true saga of the legendary figure Daniel Boone and the bloody struggle for America's frontier by two best-selling authors at the height of their writing power - Bob Drury and Tom Clavin. This fast-paced and fiery narrative, fueled by contemporary diaries and journals, newspaper reports, and eyewitness accounts, is a stirring chronicle of the conflict over America’s "First Frontier" that places the listener at the center of this remarkable epoch and its gripping tales of courage and sacrifice.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) had never set his sights on becoming president; after all, he'd grown up in a log cabin on the frontier and had hardly any formal schooling. But as the question of slavery threatened to destroy the United States, this self-taught lawyer with a sharp mind and passion for justice found himself at the center of the greatest debate the nation had ever faced.

When Milton Hershey's famous Hershey Bars debuted in 1905, few people knew of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice preceding the triumph. Debt, lack of support, and fatigue had been constant companions for the famous chocolatier and philanthropist - a man with a fourth-grade education. Despite comparisons to his wandering father, Milton never gave up. Learning from his mistakes, he spent a lifetime creating sweet things to eat - first caramel, then chocolate.

From his early days living in small-town poverty, young Dutch Reagan’s (1911-2004) thoughts were always on the future. Whether helping his family through financial hard times or doggedly pursuing opportunities reserved for the few, Dutch knew that all the knowledge that he had absorbed over the years was waiting inside of him for a chance to come out.

Growing up in Massachusetts, longing to be a farmer like his father, John Adams (1735-1826) never imagined the vital role he would one day play in the transformation of the colonies into an independent American nation. As the injustices of British rule stirred up the colonists to revolution and independence, this rising young lawyer became and influential member of the Continental Congress and a passionate advocate for freedom.

Meriwether Lewis had been commissioned by President Jefferson to lead a daring expedition so remarkable it would become one of the most famous explorations in history. He chose William Clark as his co-captain. Their mission: to find a land route to the Pacific Ocean while learning as much as possible about the thousands of miles of unexplored territory they struggled through.

Suddenly, Corrie's (1892-1983) ordered life was lost in the insanity of war. With bravery and compassion, her family and countless other Dutch citizens risked everything to extend God's hand to those innocents marked for certain execution in a world gone mad. Corrie ten Boom's life of determination, faith, and forgiveness in the face of unimaginable brutality and hardship is a stunning testimony of the sustaining power of God.

As a child growing up in Detroit, Ben Carson (1951-) has a dream of becoming a physician, a dream that rose out of struggles with poverty, racism, and poor grades. As Ben persevered and strove for academic excellence, his life became one of compassion and service. Today, Benjamin Carson, MD, is known as the American neurosurgeon with gifted hands. The first surgeon to successfully separate twins joined at the head, he directed pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital for over a quarter of a century.