Alexander Hamilton: The Making of America

Description: "The America that Alexander Hamilton knew was largely agricultural and built on slave labor. In contrast, he envisioned something different: along with agriculture and small towns, he imagined a multiracial, urbanized, capitalistic America with a strong central government. A poor immigrant, Hamilton believed that such an America would be a land of opportunity for newcomers ... Because of the systems Hamilton set up and the ideas he left, his vision won out. Here is the story that epitomizes the American dream--a poor immigrant who made good in America"--

Brief description: Teri Kanefield is a lawyer and the author of The Girl from the Tar Paper School, The Extraordinary Suzy Wright, the Making of America series, and more. Her awards include the Jane Addams Children's Book Award and the Carter G. Woodson Book Award. She lives in San Luis Obispo on the central California coast.