During those times people of the North worked in factories and had industrial jobs to try to get rich, while folks down South were cotton growers that needed slave labor to be able to earn money. But the major cause seems to be over the ownership of land and money. Summary Across Five Aprils deals with a war started over slavery. This novel, written in 1964, still remains intact with the times today, however Across Five Aprils is not a series book.Īnd amazingly Irene Hunt got most of the information she wrote on the Creightons from her deceased grandfather, and it was he who inspired her to write this novel.

The theme of this novel deals with the reality and the unpredictability of wars and this relates to Civics because due to this war, our country became united again and the 13th Amendment was passed in Congress that abolished slavery. She was born in Southern Illinois and has received degrees from the University of Illinois and the University of Minnesota.Īcross Five Aprils was her first novel and its purpose was to give the overall historical background of the civil war by mixing it with diverse characters to make this event in history interesting. Background Irene Hunt is the author of many historical books written for young people. The whole nation is in woe and Jethro wonders if there ever will be peace in the US again. But in 1865, however, the President is assassinated and hopes for a happy ending are scattered. Everyone trusts that the President will be able to unite the nation. Jethro is then left all alone to take care of the huge farm when his father has a severe heart attack.Īfter three years, all citizens lose faith in the war and are looking for peace. But soon Jethro regrets his excitement when all his brothers, his cousin, and his favorite school teacher, Shadrach Yale have to go off to fight. Jethro, not knowing the reality of war, is excited and curious. The Confederates of the South then fire on Fort Sumter and the war begins. People are getting angry at him and tensions between the two sides are boiling till it pops.

President Abraham Lincoln doesn’t know which side of the nation to support and refuses week after week to start this war.

War is imminent in the beginning of the novel between two parts of the country- the North and the South. Jethro lives on a farm in Southern Illinois with his mom, dad, sister, and four older brothers who are all close to their 20s. The main character goes by the name of Jethro Creighton, who in the beginning of the novel is a nine-year-old boy. Across Five Aprils is a fictional novel based on the five-year civil war that occurred in our country.

Across 5 aprils book