There is so much more to 1632 than just the novels that it is difficult to describe. After the first novel was written the barflies in the Baen discussion forum started brain-storming the times they were written in Flint provided the rules, and various people went off and started researching such things as how steel is made (particularly stainless steel, vital to so much practical chemistry), period sword fighting tactics, where and how to find rubber. The list goes on and on. Then they (the barflies, just typical forum geeks) began writing stories based in 1632, the characters and their research. The result is the Grantville Gazette, a (now) bi-monthly novel-length book/magazine of both fiction and fact, and that’s only one of the aspects of 1632. Try one out; at least the first is free for downloading, like 1632 itself, at baen.com.
I remember trudging through this era in high school and college Western Civ, and being horrendously bored. If only I’d known then what I do now about it, I’d have erased that grading embarrassment.