Our Voices: Spanish and Latino Figures of American History

Few know about the Cuban woman who, disguised as a man,
fought for the Confederates in the American Civil War. Or the 1947 federal court
case brought on by a Mexican?Puerto Rican woman that desegregated schools in
California?seven years before Brown v. Board. Or the Spanish general whose
decisive victories against the British in the American Revolutionary War ensured
the Colonies' success. These biographies highlight the contributions of these
incredible?and too often unrecognized?Spanish and Latino figures to American
history, celebrating the pivotal moments where historical figures with a Spanish
or Latino background indelibly changed U.S. history.

• Celebrates the
achievements of important, lesser-known historical figures

• Ties each figure
to an important historical episode featured in state curricular standards for
social studies

• Provides students with positive depictions of Spanish and
Latino figures to look up to and learn about

• Timelines contextualize the
life of each subject within a broader historical period