See stories concerning an early American bill of sale, a powder horn, the “Star Spangled Banner” and a 1775 almanac.

HISTORY DETECTIVES tells four stories of our nation’s beginning. First, Eduardo Pagán starts with a simple bill of sale for a 17-year old “negro girl” and learns how young Willoby’s life unfolds from being property to owning property. Then Gwen Wright traces a powder horn from a muddy Minnesota field to a military captain in Massachusetts during the American Revolution. Elyse Luray asks what role a handwritten score played in making “The Star Spangled Banner” our national anthem. Finally, notes in a 1775 almanac show how conflicting loyalties strained family ties during the Revolution.