Books! You gotta love 'em. You can learn so much about so many different topics. Take, for instance, the Revolutionary War. One of my favorite books on this subject is Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. This is a fiction book, but it includes major facts about the war intertwined with a story about a young man trying to learn the trade of silver smithing. Johnny agreed to complete a job for John Hancock, important political leader, but he had to work secretly due to the fact that it was a Sabbath day. In the process his hand was badly burned by the hot silver, leaving Johnny with a withered deformed hand.
When rumors of war with the British began to surface, Johnny wanted to become a soldier and fight for his country's freedom, but his crippled hand prevented him from doing so. Instead, he became a messenger for the Sons of Liberty.