Dr. Saunders was born and raised near Boston, Massachusetts, and steeped in the history of that city - so crucial to the founding of the United States. Subsequently, he had the opportunity to live in four different European countries and travel extensively, both in Europe, and throughout the globe. Coming back to America after living in Europe for twenty-five years, he noticed an appalling lack of knowledge of our history, particularly in young people. He wrote the Young America series as a way of informing young people about our history and also promoting thought about the issues that caused dissension in those early days and are with us still.