The #1 best-selling American history survey text
The story of American freedom
Give Me Liberty! is beloved by students and instructors alike because it pulls the puzzle pieces of the past into a coherent picture. Learning not only the “what” but also the “why” helps students take away key information and develop historical and critical thinking skills for the course and their lives beyond it. It delivers an authoritative and accessible narrative through the central theme of freedom, tracing its changing contours and limits for various groups of Americans.
Students see themselves in the story of American freedom
The Eighth Edition features new scholarship of women’s history—exploring private and public freedoms from reproductive justice to economic liberty and beyond—making it timely and relevant for students.
An interactive reading experience makes history come alive
The Norton Illumine Ebook gets students reading, listening, watching, and analyzing. NEW “A Closer Look” interactive map activities and videos invite students to work through key maps and images that are critical to historical understanding.
Historical thinking skills for the course and life beyond it
Give Me Liberty! provides proven support for instructors who want to equip students with the historian’s toolkit. Give students the enduring skills and scaffolding they need to read and think critically, analyze evidence, and articulate their own perspective.
About the Authors
What students are saying
In spring 2023, 200 students at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, were among the first to use the Norton Illumine Ebook in Give Me Liberty! co-author Kathleen DuVal's class.
After using the interactive ebook, about 75% of students prefer using an ebook to a print book, with about 50% of students “much” preferring an ebook to a print book.
96% of students said the ebook helped them better understand the material.
84% of students gained confidence working with primary documents.
89% of students said they felt more comfortable analyzing historical images.
Instructors, get access to a preview of the ebook and online resources
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The best value and options for any teaching style
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Meet your marketing manager: Sarah England Bartley
Greetings! I’m Sarah, and I am the town crier for all things history at Norton. I started here over 20 years ago and worked on the very first edition of Give Me Liberty! My love for history comes from my father and I never seem to stop learning something new from the past.
My goal is to connect our authors and their wonderful work with as many teachers and students as possible, and to learn from you and your students to share with our editors and authors in return. All year I travel around the country to colleges and conferences, with the goal of meeting as many historians as possible.
I want to learn about you, your course, and your students, so please reach out to let me know how we can best support you all. And feel free to respond and say "Hi!" when you see my name in your inbox this year.
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Image Credits: (Foner) Lynn Garafola; (DuVal) Kristen Chavez, UNC-Chapel Hill College of Arts & Sciences; (McGirr) Tony Rinaldo
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