A fascinating look at the history of the song “America” (“My Country ’Tis of Thee”) begins with its roots in England in the 1740s, as “God Save the King.” It was adapted for use in the American colonies as they sought independence, with new words written for the new cause. From those times on, the song has been a part of various struggles for equality and justice. Verses were penned in the fight against slavery and for the right of women and Native Americans to vote. Marian Anderson sang “America” at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 after being denied the opportunity to sing at Constitution Hall because she was Black. Martin Luther King, Jr. referenced the song in his speech at the March on Washington in 1963. And when Barack Obama was elected president, Aretha Franklin sang it at his first inauguration in 2009. “Now it’s your turn. Write a new verse for a cause you believe in. Help freedom ring.” Ample notes and source material conclude this inspired volume. (Ages 8–12)

More than any other, one song traces America's history of patriotism and protest.

Everyone knows the words to "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." What most don't realize is that this iconic song has been a beacon of change for hundreds of years. Generations of protesters and civil rights pioneers have created new lyrics, beginning in royalist Britain and continuing through conflicts in colonial times, the American Revolution, the suffragist and labor movements, and the struggles for black and Native American civil rights. With spectacular illustrations by Caldecott Honor–winning artist Bryan Collier, My Country, 'Tis of Thee offers a fascinating insight into the American fight for freedom.