ch. 1.Heroes in war and peace -- ch. 2. Captain John Smith and the Indians -- ch. 3. The Pilgrim fathers and the American way -- ch. 4. Poor Richard: the boy who made good -- ch. 5. The embattled farmers -- ch. 6. President Washington and Parson Weems -- ch. 7. Thomas Jefferson, the gentle radical -- ch. 8. Winning of the frontier: Boone, Crockett, and Johnny Appleseed -- ch. 9. Old Hickory -- ch. 10. Lincoln: the democrat as hero -- ch. 11. Lee: the aristocrat as hero -- ch. 12. General Grant and the gilded age -- ch. 13. The dime novel and Buffalo Bill -- ch. 14. Commoner and Rough Rider -- ch. 15. The Unknown Soldier: hero of the World War -- ch. 16. Gods from the machine: Edison, Ford, Lindbergh -- ch. 17. Champion of the New Deal -- ch. 18. How Americans choose their heroes.