Profiles of Valor Vol 1: July 9, 1755 - June 17, 1775

Are you searching for true heroes your children can look up to—heroes who shaped a nation and modeled godly values? Step into the earliest days of America’s fight for freedom with Profiles of Valor: Vol. 1, a virtue-driven collection of biographical sketches from the War of Independence.

Learn American History While Building Godly Character

From the chaos of battlefields to secret midnight rides, you’ll meet ten real heroes, each demonstrating a powerful character quality:

1. Dependability ~ Wentworth Cheswell
2. ~ Peter Salem
3. Enthusiasm ~ Rev. Jonathan Mayhew
4. Faithfulness ~ Rev. Lemuel Haynes
5. Humility ~ Col. George Washington
6. Initiative ~ Col. Ethan Allen
7. Justice ~ John Adams
8. Passion ~ Samuel Adams
9. Steadfastness ~ Dr. Joseph Warren
10. Virtue ~ Rev. Jacob Duché

American Heroes to Emulate

These action-packed stories of the Revolution showcase the very best role models of the period between July 9, 1755 and June 17, 1775. 

1. Discover how George Washington survived against all odds.
2. Feel Reverend Jonathan Mayhew’s enthusiasm, which ignited patriotic fervor among colonists.
3. Witness Samuel Adams ignite a revolution with his passion for justice.
4. Watch John Adams uphold justice, even for his adversaries, during the Boston Massacre trials.
5. Hear Reverend Jacob Duché’s powerful prayer for the Continental Congress.
6. Follow Wentworth Cheswell on his midnight ride as he warned of approaching British troops.
7. Ride with Ethan Allen as he storms Fort Ticonderoga.
8. Admire Lemuel Haynes’s faith which led him to break barriers  
9. Stand beside Dr. Joseph Warren as he risks everything for liberty.
10. Understand how Peter Salem’s courage changed history.

The American History Supplement Your Family Needs

Through depictions of dramatic events, each biographical vignette keeps children hooked on the facts of history while simultaneously fostering patriotism and faith. Black and white illustrations bring added context to the stories, showing portraits, battle scenes, and key turning points.

Profiles of Valor is perfect for reading aloud as a family, an ideal gift for a budding historian (grades 7 and up), a great addition to your daily morning basket reading, or a wholesome recreational reading option for independent readers. 

Book Format

While the stories are ordered chronologically, each chapter can stand alone if desired. Each biographical sketch will take approximately 30 minutes to read aloud. 

Each chapter is introduced with a definition of the virtue demonstrated and a relevant Bible memory verse. At the close of each story, comprehension questions help check for understanding while application questions foster discussion to bring the virtues into modern life. Meaningful quotes from statesmen and important personalities are also included throughout the volume. 

Read this volume and the entire four-book series to fall in love with American history, reconnect with its godly founding values, and discover a pathway for its future.

Marilyn Boyer, a descendant of a Revolutionary War soldier and daughter of a World War II veteran, is deeply patriotic and passionate about America’s Christian history. As the wife of an Air Force veteran, mother and home educator of fourteen children, and grandmother of twenty-eight, Marilyn’s dedication to family and country is unparalleled.

Marilyn has brought to life the stories of the 56 noble men who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to secure our freedom in her acclaimed work, For You They Signed. Her latest series, What a Character: Notable Lives from History, also published by Master Books, continues this legacy, capturing the remarkable stories of historical figures who shaped our nation.

In the early 1980s, Marilyn and her husband were pioneers of the modern home education movement. Together, they founded The Learning Parent ministry and Character Concepts, authored dozens of books, and traveled extensively to speak at homeschool and Christian parenting conferences. Their mission is to encourage, inspire, and challenge parents training the next generation of Americans. Their books have circulated worldwide and been translated into several foreign languages, spreading their message across the globe.

Grace Tumas Ehrman holds a degree in history from Liberty University. Her paper, “Warlords and Samurais: Japanese Interventionists in Siberia During the Russian Civil War, 1918-1922,” won an award at the 2013 Phi Alpha Theta History Conference. She specializes in American and Russian history.