10 books that make history

Colonial America

James Ciment, 2006

A social, political, cultural and economic history of the 13 original colonies and the America beyond.

The Life and Times of John Carroll, Archbishop of Baltimore (1735-1815)

Peter Guilday, 1922

Comprehensive account of the life of the first U.S. Catholic bishop.

Past and Prologue

Michael D. Hattem, 2020

How understandings of British and colonial histories shaped the politics of the American Revolution.

America’s Catholic Heritage

Msgr. Francis J. Weber, 1976

Chronicles Catholic history in the U.S. from tiny minority to mainstream demographic.

The Common Cause

Robert G. Parkinson, 2016

How rhetoric of tyranny, stereotypes and racial fears unified the patriots.

Mary, Mother of God, Woman of Faith

Archbishop Lawrence Cardinal Shehan, 1971

Pastoral letter on Mary’s role in the history of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Ellen Hart Smith, 1942

Biography of the wealthy landowner and American Catholic who championed the patriot cause.

Used, Abused, and Sidelined

Mary E. Stuckey, 2025

Explores whether the Declaration still matters — in the U.S. and across the globe.

For Liberty and Equality

Alexander Tesis, 2012

How the Declaration of Independence has worked in each era since 1776.

African Americans in the Colonial Era

Donald R. Wright, 2017

The slave trade, the Revolution and early American society.

A version of this article appears in print in the Summer 2026 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 24. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE