The Year of the Horseless Carriage 1801 by Genevieve Foster*

 I bought Music Study with the Masters by Sonya Shafer (Simply Charlotte Mason) to support my son's study of Beethoven. The booklet included a list of books for "further study". This book was on the list.

Ms. Foster connects many influential individuals during this time period and through narrative, points out how they impacted the world and interacted with each other. Children who love relationships and finding connections will appreciate this method of relating history. I recommend reading it in one sitting or over a couple of consecutive days. I read a half of it and then resumed reading it a couple of weeks later. As a result, I had forgotten some of the connections.

People whose stories are told: Richard Trevithick, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte, Toussaint L'ouverture, Robert Fulton, Lewis & Clark, James Madison, George Stephenson

*Highly recommend.

-I own this book.

Rescuing the Declaration of Independence by Anna Crowley Redding illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham*

 The British were advancing on Washington. James Monroe, the Secretary of State, sends a note to Stephen Pleasonton, a clerk, to remove the documents from Washington. Problem-solving in the midst of chaos, Pleasonton encounters many hurdles and saves our country's important documents. An amazing, little-known story. This picture book is a necessary addition for any study of our country's history, the War of 1812, and when memorizing sections of our nation's documents.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Fort McHenry : Our Flag Was Still There by Joanne Mattern*

Before my boys visited Fort McHenry with their grandparents, we read most of this book to build some schema. 
This book shares about the person for whom the fort is named, its importance during the War of 1812, information about Francis Scott Key and his poem, how the poem was transformed into a song and eventually our national anthem and the purposes the fort served after the War of 1812.
Great photographs, maps and artwork.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
More in this series: Ellis Island, The Gateway Arch, The Grand Canyon, Historic Williamsburg, The Liberty Bell, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Mount Rushmore, Statue of Liberty and Yellowstone National Park.

Flames in the City A Tale of the War of 1812 Time Spies #10 by Candice Ransom

Three siblings travel back in time via a spyglass and an invitation on a postcard.  In this book they travel to Washington D.C. right when the British attack and burn the White House.  The children meet First Lady Dolley Madison and witness her saving the portrait of George Washington.
Similar to Magic Tree House.
Perfect for readers starting to read chapter books.