Milestone Visual Documents in American History: The Images, ­Cartoons, and Other Visual Sources That Shaped America

Gr 9 Up–Kaplowitz curates a powerful collection of primary sources in a new addition to the publisher’s “Milestone Documents” series, a three-volume exploration into the past life of the United States. From the c. 1540 image “Smallpox Epidemic Among the Aztec” to a 2021 photograph of the Robert E. Lee statue removal in Richmond, VA, this collection is diverse and easily navigated. Each entry follows the same structure and includes the same three sections: Fact Box, Document Image, and Analysis. For students and teachers of U.S. history, this is an excellent group of primary sources from which to learn and teach. It is not without drawbacks, however; it is not completely accessible for visually impaired individuals. Though several entries contain a description of the visual document, it is not standard throughout, nor do the available descriptions consistently follow any accepted schema for providing extensive and detailed visual information. In addition, the hardcover edition does not include color images (though the electronic version does). This may be a measure to keep costs down, but it is something to be aware of before purchase.