Forgotten Founders - by Mifflin Lowe (Hardcover)

About the Book

The founding of America was not accomplished by a handful of people; it required the heart, soul, and grit of an entire nation. Today, we rightfully honor the efforts of the Founding Fathers, but what about everyone else who sacrificed for the cause? Introducing Forgotten Founders, the inspiring book of stories about the heroic women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and others who played pivotal roles in America's birth. Make no mistake: these were no historical footnotes. These were brave men and women without whom the war simply could never have been won and the new republic never begun.

Book Synopsis

"[T]he cause is just, and readers will come away with a firmer understanding that, as the introduction has it, the story of this country's founding is 'everyone's story.'"--Booklist

A Junior Library Guild Gold Selection

"This book will delight visual learners, history lovers, and trivia enthusiasts. It would also validate the diversity of the United States's heroes, encourage critical thinking, and inspire further research. A solid addition to any library or classroom."--School Library Journal

The founding of America was not accomplished by a handful of people; it required the heart, soul, and grit of an entire nation. Today, we rightfully honor the efforts of the Founding Fathers, but what about everyone else who sacrificed for the cause?

Introducing Forgotten Founders, the inspiring book of stories about the heroic women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and others who played pivotal roles in America's birth. Make no mistake: these were no historical footnotes. These were brave men and women without whom the war simply could never have been won and the new republic never begun.

Readers will meet

• Sybil Ludington, the sixteen-year-old girl who rode all night to warn of a British attack
• Nancy Hart: the indomitable woman who captured six Loyalist soldiers
• Cuffee Wells Saunders, the talented physician who won his freedom and saved lives serving in the Continental Army
• Phyllis Wheatley, the gifted Black poet whose work was praised by Voltaire and George Washington
• Deborah Sampson, the colonial woman who dressed as a man to enlist in the Continental Army
• Peter Salem, the former slave who became the hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill
• and many more!

Read, learn, and discover in beautiful new ways that America's origin story really is everybody's story.

Review Quotes

Aiming for a more inclusive roster of this country's Founding "Fathers," Lowe highlights key figures from the Revolutionary War era, including Native Americans, both free and enslaved Africans and African Americans, and women from myriad backgrounds. Included are relatively prominent figures like Phillis Wheatley and Abigail Adams as well as the less familiar: Culper Ring spy Anna Smith Strong (and Ann Bates, who spied for the British); Prince Estabrook, a formerly enslaved Black man who was wounded in the Battle of Lexington and Concord; and Mohawk leader Thayendanegea, better known as Joseph Brant. The author also commemorates the racially integrated First Rhode Island Regiment and adds historical overviews and time lines as well as a mini-survey of uniforms and an extensive list of print and online sources. Though Luong's painted portraits look like fashion models posing in period costume, and the language is occasionally insensitive, the cause is just, and readers will come away with a firmer understanding that, as the introduction has it, the story of this country's founding is "everyone's story."
--John Peters, Booklist

Gr 2-5-Showcasing the diversity that has always been an integral part of America, this informative book introduces readers to some of the amazing men and women who helped shape a new nation. From the well-known Abigail Adams to the not-often-covered Crispus Attucks, the patriots who comprised America's early population including enslaved people, indentured servants, women, and Indigenous people. The introduction takes on the problem of historical contradictions and asks readers to consider the gaps between the ideals of a young country and the reality. This informative introduction also includes a condensed history of colonial America's involvement in the Revolutionary War and a time line of slavery in America, setting the tone for a continued investigation into the featured brave and industrious individuals. Each of the historical figures receives a spread that details the date and place of their birth and death, ethnicity, gender, unique background, and the contributions they made. Sidebars include fun facts and "Think Deeper" questions that challenge readers to contemplate and problem-solve historical situations. Examples of primary source documents are displayed along with Luong's engaging character portraits. The author's frequent explanatory footnotes add to the conversational tone of the text which contains the vocabulary, content, and length appropriate for the intended grade level. The absence of an index is inconsequential, as a detailed table of contents serves as a guide to the book.

VERDICT This book will delight visual learners, history lovers, and trivia enthusiasts. It would also validate the diversity of the United States's heroes, encourage critical thinking, and inspire further research. A solid addition to any library or classroom.--Lynne Stover, School Library Journal

About the Author

Mifflin Lowe is the award-winning author of 13 books in 10 languages. A Clio and Cannes award winner, Mifflin has performed musical versions of his works with the Syracuse and Missouri Symphonies. In children's publishing, his Forgotten Founders won the 2025 Daughters of the American Revolution "Excellence in American History Children's Book Award" and was a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. His latest release, Art: An Interactive Guide, invites young readers to explore, discover, and create while learning about history's most famous artists.

Wiliam Luong is an illustrator and graphic designer. He graduated from Dong Nai College of Decorative Arts as one of the top students in his class.