General U.S. History Sites
Freedom: A
History of US – Come along on an exciting journey
through
Joy
Hakim's
story
of freedom in America. Explore a webisode and see why the promise of freedom
has attracted millions of people from all over the world to come to America.
Hear for yourself why generations of men, women, and children have lived for,
sacrificed for, and died for that freedom. It is a story that is still unfolding
today. It is your story too.
From Revolution to Reconstruction...and what happened afterwards - An Outline of American History
The History Place - The Past into the Future
United States Historical Flags
Historical maps of the United States
The Great Seal of the United States
History of the Income Tax in the United States
A Chronology of US Historical Documents
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers – This site allows you to search and view newspaper pages from 1890-1910 and find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
Biographies of famous
Americans
Colonial Hall - Biographies
of America's Founding Fathers
From Revolution to Reconstruction
A Biography
of America
American Women through Time - This site offers two approaches for the study of specific time periods in American women's history. Each section includes a timeline that links specific events with highly relevant online sources, followed by a guide to research sources (e.g., census, newspapers, secondary sources) that are appropriate for the specified time period.
History Quest - Unusual and little known facts on American history
America on the Move explores the role of transportation in American history from 1876 to 2000.
Presidents of the United States
The Presidents of the United States - Biographies of all the presidents and First Ladies from the White House Site.
The American President - Biographies, essays, key events, personnel, and multimedia resources for all 43 presidential administrations plus essays on the workings of the American presidency.
American Presidents -
An index on the presidents of the United States and contains information
and documents of their speeches, writings, biographies
and anything else related to their person or the office they are holding.
POTUS - Presidents of the United States - In this resource you will find
background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events,
and some points of interest on each of the presidents.
The Presidents - Explore the lives and careers of all the American Presidents
Secrets About the Presidents - Even presidents have their secrets. Find out some presidential facts that not many people know. And shhhhhh... don't tell!
American Presidents: Life Portraits – Biographical facts, Key events of each presidency, Presidential places, Reference material
The President's and Vice President's Jobs
Constitutional Powers of the President of the United States
Ben's Guide to the President of the United States
George Washington's Mount Vernon - Learn about the home of George Washington
Interactive Timeline on the Life of George Washington
Rediscovering George Washington
George Washington: A National Treasure - Explore the famous portrait of Washington painted by Gilbert Stewart
Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation - Read the rules of behavior that young George Washington copied
President's: The Secret History
Native Americans in Olden Times
Native American Myths and Legends
People and Culture of the Southwest
Wampanoag Indians - History, Culture, and Heritage
American Folklore - This folklore site contains retellings of American folktales, Native American myths and legends, tall tales, weather folklore and ghost stories from each and every one of the 50 United States. You can read about all sorts of famous characters like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Daniel Boone, and many more. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a comfy chair, and stay awhil
Founding of a Nation
Standard 8.1 - Students understand the major
events preceding the founding of the nation and relate their significance to
the development of
American constitutional democracy.
Archiving Early America- "Here at Archiving Early America, you will discover a wealth of resources-- a unique array of primary source material from 18th Century America. Scenes and portraits from original newspapers, maps and writings come to life on your screen just as they appeared to this country's forebears more than two centuries ago."
Jamestown Journey - In 2006-2007, Americans and others around the globe will commemorate the 400th anniversary of a journey that began with the voyage to Jamestown, gave rise to a new nation, and changed the world. It is an ongoing journey, as ideals of freedom and democracy continue to be tested and refined in the crucible of experience in the United States and internationally.
Jamestown Resources for Teachers and Students
The Jamestown Online Adventure Game
On the Trail of Captain John Smith: A Jamestown Adventure
Jamestown Settlement - At Jamestown Settlement, you'll learn about the people of 17th-century Virginia - Powhatan Indians and European and African immigrants.
You Be the Historian - Historians study the everyday lives of people who lived in the past by looking at clues: the objects and documents that people left behind and that have somehow survived. Someday future historians interested in the history of the early 21st century may study your family!
Mayflower History - MayflowerHistory.com is the Internet's most complete and accurate web site dealing with the Mayflower, the Pilgrims, and early Plymouth Colony.
Colonial Kids - A Celebration of Life in the 1700's
Colonial Williamsburg - Where History Lives
A Day in the Life in Colonial Williamsburg - An interactive exploration of 18th century life
The First Thanksgiving - Find out about the daily lives of the Pilgrims and the Wamponoag as you go back to the year of the first Thanksgiving.
The First Thankgiving - Primary Sources
American Life: A Comparison of Colonial Life to Today’s Life
Clickable Map of the 13 Colonies
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials
of 1692 - A Brief Introduction
Salem
Witch Trials - The World Beyond the Hysteria
Understanding
the Salem With Trials - EDSITEment Lesson Plan
The Trial of John Peter Zenger - One of the most important events in American journalism history was the libel trail of John Peter Zenger, printer of the New York Weekly Journal which occurred in New York in 1735.
The Great Awakening - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Great Awakening - The Columbia Encyclopedia
Religion and the Church in the 13 American Colonies - This is a brief, clearly written introduction to the topic of colonial religion in America.
Rules
of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company
and Conversation - Read the rules of behavior that young George Washington
copied. These rules give us a good idea of what life was like for young people
in the 1700's.
The American Revolution (Home)
Liberty! The American Revolution
Liberty! The Road to Revolution game
Revolutionary War Scavenger Hunt
Independence – The colonists in America decide to stake everything on an armed struggle for freedom and a chance to build a new kind of nation.
Liberty's Kids - Welcome to the companion site for Liberty's Kids, an animated adventure television series for children ages 8-14, about three kids who, by working as reporters for the Philadelphia Gazette during the American Revolution.
Major Events of the Revolutionary War
Conflict and Revolution 1775-1776 - Here is a timeline of key events leading to the American Revolution with thumbnail pictures.
Teaching with Documents: Images of the American Revolution
The Account of The Boston Massacre – As reported in The Boston Gazette and Country Journal
Boston Massacre – A Behind-the-Scenes Look At Paul Revere's Most Famous Engraving
The Boston Massacre - Facts and Questions
The Boston Tea Party - Eyewitness to History
Crispus Attucks, a black man, became the first casualty of the American Revolution when he was shot and killed in what became known as the Boston Massacre.
John Adams - A miniseries on the life of John Adams and the first 50 years of the United States. The series also explores the extraordinary relationship between John and Abigail Adams. The companion website includes lesson plans and activities.
John and Abigail Adams - Meet the Original Power Couple
Ben's Guide: Benjamin Franklin - Tells about Franklin's contributions as a printer, librarian, inventor, and statesman. Also includes a timeline of his life.
Benjamin Franklin: An Extraordinary Life, and Electric Mind.
Benjamin Franklin: Glimpses of the Man - Timeline, family tree and sections on his career as scientist, inventor, statesman, printer, philosopher, musician and economist.
The "Shot heard round the world" - The Battle at Lexington Green in 1775 that started the American Revolution
The Olive Branch Petition - Read the petition the colonists sent to King George III before declaring independence.
Thomas Paine and Common Sense - Read about the very influential pamphlet that turned the tide for independence.
Israel Bissell's Ride - You've heard about Paul Revere, but how about Israel Bissell?
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Yankee Doodle - What is a "Yankee Doodle" anyway?
The Declaration of
Independence
The Declaration
of Independence - Studying the Declaration
Ben's
Guide to the Declaration of Independence
National
Archives - The complete text of the Declaration
Eyewitness to History:
Thomas Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Indepence from Sparknotes.com
The
Price They Paid - Have you ever wondered what happened to those men who
signed the Declaration
of Independence?
The British Surrender at Yorktown - the last battle of the American Revolution
Biographies of the Founding Fathers
The Constitution
Standard 8.2 -
Students analyze the political principles underlying the U.S. Constitution
and compare the enumerated and implied powers of the federal government.
The Story of King John and the Magna Carta
The Articles of Confederation
Ben's Guide to the Articles
The Constitution and the
Congress
Congress for
Kids: The Constitution – Introduction, Delegates to the Constitutional
Convention, The Work Begins, Writing the Constitution, The Great Compromise,
Signing the Constitution, Ratifying the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Powers
of the Federal Government, The Three Branches of Government, Checks and Balances,
Amendments, Women and the Right to Vote
A Roadmap to the U.S. Constitution - Everything that you've ever wanted to know about the U.S. Constitution is only a click away! This site is dedicated to providing students of all kinds with knowledge of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The Centuries of Citizenship: A Constitutional Timeline - An online experience highlighting some of the key dates and events that mark more than 200 years of our constitutional history.
Courts in the Classroom: An interactive journey into civics - Take a look around and find out about your rights, the law, and how kids like you make a difference in our government.
The Constitution from Sparknotes.com
The Constitution for Kids - A great site to learn about the Constitution.
The Federalist Papers were a series of articles written under the pen name of Publius by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Madison, widely recognized as the Father of the Constitution, would later go on to become President of the United States. Jay would become the first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. Hamilton would serve in the Cabinet and become a major force in setting economic policy for the US.
George Washington's Letter to Alexander Hamilton regarding the Rederalist Papers
Thomas Jefferson's Letter to James Madison Regarding the Federalist Papers
Three Branches of Government Puzzles and Games
The U.S. Constitution - What it Says. What it Means.
A More Perfect Union: The Creation of the U.S. Constitution
National Constitution Center: Interactive Constitution - Search for keywords in the text of the Constitution and the in-depth explanations we've linked to it. Discover how the Constitution relates to more that 300 indexed topics from school prayer to civil rights. Search the text of the Constitution by Supreme Court decisions.
Things that are not in the U.S. Constitution - A lot of people presume a lot of things about the Constitution. Some are true, some are not. This page will detail some of the things that people think are in the Constitution, but are not.
Could you pass the latest citizenship test? In October 2008 a new version of the U.S. citizenship test will be taken by all applicants. Could you pass it? The questions are usually selected from a list of 100 samples that prospective citizens can look at ahead of the interview. Some are easy, some are not. We have picked some of the more difficult ones.
Who Voted in the First Two American Presidential Elections?
The Bill of Rights Virtual Museum – On April 30, 1789, George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States. The new United States Constitution had already been ratified, yet the future of the new country was still at risk. Many of the founding fathers were demanding a "bill of rights" which would protect the people from the government. This list of rights was to be added to the Constitution to guarantee individual liberties, to make sure that the new government would not treat citizens like the old colonial government of Great Britain did. But not everyone agreed that this bill of rights was necessary. Learn about the rights that are protected by this famous document in the Web Museum.
Bill
of Rights Quiz 1
Bill of Rights Quiz 2
The Bill of Rights Explained (Scroll down to The Amendments)
First Amendment Rights in Everyday Life
Teaching with Documents: Observing Constitution Day
The Constitution and the Jury System - Student worksheets
Ben's Guide to the Constitution
U.S. Citizenship Test - Could you pass the U.S. Naturalization Test?
Landmark Supreme Court Cases: Marbury v. Madison
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists - Learn about the fight to ratify the Constitution
Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom - Jefferson first drafted his “Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom” in 1777. Although it was not enacted into law until 1786, it firmly established the principles of religious freedom and the separation of church and state and provided the basis for the First Amendment’s clause on religion. Jefferson directed that on his tombstone he should not be remembered as president of the United States or for any of the other high offices he held, but as the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and as the founder of the University of Virginia.
The United States Government
Ben's
Guide to the U.S. Government for kids - A great place to start learning
about the US government.
Kids.gov: The offical Kids's Portal for the U.S. Government - Find links to government and other kids' sites -- grouped by age and subject. Explore, learn, and have fun!
Founding Documents of the United States - Includes Common Sense, The Declaration of Independence, Washington's Farewell Address, Jefferson's First Inaugural Address, and John Quincy Adams on U.S. Foreign Policy plus many more.
Library of Congress: American Memory - This amazing site has thousands of pictures to view about many topics in American history.
A Chronology of United States Historical Documents - From the Magna Carta to President Bush's 2002 State of the Union, they are all there.
America's Story - From America's Library
State Governments of the United States
Spotty's White House Tour for kids
Congress for Kids Home Page - Congress for Kids gives you access to interactive, fun-filled experiences designed to help you learn about the foundation of our federal government and how its actions affect you.
Our Courts – Our Courts is a free, interactive, web-based program designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. Our Courts is the vision of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is concerned that students are not getting the information and tools they need for civic participation, and that civics teachers need better materials and support.
Elections
President
for a Day - WANTED: Man or Woman for top government position.
Must have been born in the United States, be at least 35 years old, and be
a U.S. citizen.
How the President of the United States is Elected
Vote: The Machinery of Democracy - This exhibition looks at the history of voting methods in the United States, which are as varied as the individual states and their local election districts.
Justice by the People - The following easy-to-use, turnkey lesson plans and student reproducibles are designed to help you teach students about the Sixth and Seventh Amendments to the United States Constitution and the critical importance of the right to trial by jury.
How the Electoral College Works
Elections 101 – The government--whether it's in Washington, DC, in your state, or in your hometown--affects your life and by voting, you get to say what's important to you, and you say it straight to the politicians.
Early Republic
Standard 8.3 - Students understand
the foundation of the American political system and the ways in which citizens
participate in it.
Revolution – After defeating the world's most awesome military power, Americans turn to the task of creating a government that will live up to their high ideals.
Shays’ Rebellion: A Massachusetts Farmer’s Account
Political Parties, Platforms, and Planks
The Whiskey Rebellion - An American tradition, a rebellion over taxes.
The Whiskey Rebellion and the New American Republic
The Death of George Washington
The Alien and Sedition Acts - This was not a good time to be an immigrant. Learn why.
A New System of Government - The struggle between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton in the creation of a new government
Kids in the House - How Laws are Made
A
New Nation
Standard 8.4 - Ideals of a the people
of a new nation
Washington's
Farewell Address - One of the most significant speeches in Washington's
great career.
James Fenimore Cooper and The Last of the Mohicans - Learn about the author and his famous story of pioneer struggles with Native Americans.
The Story of Rip Van Winkle - Read this classical early American tale.
American Currency Exhibit - Money hasn't always looked like it does today. Explore the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's American Currency Exhibit online and watch history come alive as you step back in time to our nation's beginning. Learn how our country's rich history is closely tied with our currency. Discover the role the Federal Reserve has played--and continues to play--in that history.
Foreign
Policy
Standard 8.5 - The foreign policy of the new republic
The War of 1812 - Often forgotten,
the War of 1812 is sometimes called America's second revolution. The war also
produced the Star Spangled Banner.
Re-living History: The War of 1812
Major Battles of the War of 1812
The War of 1812 from SparkNotes.com
The Star Spangled Banner Project - Includes a Timeline, Activities, Flag Info, The Song, Conservation
Fort McHenry - National Monument and Historic Shrine
Dolly Madison, The White House, and the War of 1812
Paul Jennings: A slave tells of life in the White House – Read about the fascinating story of Mr. Madison's personal attendant who began his life as a slave on the Virginia plantation of a U.S. president, and ended it as a free man, employed by the U.S. government. Along the way he helped rescue the portrait of George Washington before the British burned the White House.
A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison: by Paul Jennings – Mr. Jennings also dictated a book about his experiences.
Chief Tecumseh - the Indian chief who bravely led his troops against the U.S. in the War of 1812
Tecumseh - Native American Leader
The Treaty of Ghent - The treaty that ended the War of 1812
The "Era of Good Feelings" - Life was good under James Monroe. Find out why.
The Monroe Doctrine - The Monroe Doctrine was part of President James Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823. The European powers, according to Monroe, were obligated to respect the Western Hemisphere as the United States' sphere of interest.
Westward
Expansion
Standard 8.8 - Students analyze the divergent paths of
the American people in the West from 1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges
they faced.
The Louisiana Purchase -
Learn how the U.S. doubled in size
PBS: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
National Geographic: Lewis and Clark - Learn about Lewis & Clark's adventures through the interactive journal, play games, see photos and maps, and much more.
Go West Across America with Lewis and Clark - Play this on-line game and find out about the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Interactive History with Lewis and Clark - Decision-making was an essential part of the Corps of Discovery. Travel along with Lewis and Clark in this interactive journey to make your own decisions. Be careful though, since how you choose affects the outcome of the expedition.
Lewis and Clark: The Ultimate Adventure
Sacagawea was a valuable member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As a teenager, she served the Expedition as interpreter, diplomat, and peace symbol. She did all this while carrying her infant son on her back.
Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil, & the Presidency – Companion website to the outstanding PBS video. Includes lesson plans for middle and high school.
Indian
Removal - How the Indians were forced from their homes by the US government
The Trail of Tears -
Cherokee Indians forcibly removed from North Georgia
Liberty
for All? America was founded as
a free land in which people could live out their own destiny, but at what
cost
to Native Americans?
All about the Oregon
Trail - A fun mini textbook on the Oregon Trail.
Animated Atlas: Growth of a Nation - A ten minute presentation that illustrates the growth of the United States from 1789 to 2000.
The California Gold Rush
All about the Gold
Rush
Gold Rush - U.S.
History for Kids
California's Untold Stories:
The Gold Rush
Pony Express Home Station - Learn how mail was delivered in the Old West
19th Century Advertising - A taste of advertisements found in Harper's Weekly from 1857-1872
The Cumberland Road - The first national road in the United States
The Battle of The Alamo - Learn about this famous battle for the independence of Texas
War with Mexico
A Concise History of the U.S. - Mexican War
The United States - Mexican War
Images of the U.S. - Mexican War
The West - People Index - This interactive biographical dictionary provides concise profiles of the men and women featured in The West
Marilee's Native Americans Resource
Union Pacific Railroad History
The Price of Freedom - Click on Western Indian Wars
The Dawes Act - Approved on February 8, 1887, "An Act to Provide for the Allotment of Lands in Severalty to Indians on the Various Reservations," known as the Dawes Act, emphasized severalty, the treatment of Native Americans as individuals rather than as members of tribes.
At Home in the Heartland - This is an interactive exhibit on people in the prairie from 1800-1850. Read stories based on a midwife, a slave, and a farmer.
Texan and Tejano Accounts of Comanche Relations
Life
in the North
Standard 8.6 - Students analyze the divergent paths of the American
people from 1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges they faced,
with emphasis on the Northeast.
Wake Up, America – The industrial revolution brings Americans new leisure and personal freedom, but also mounting problems for factory workers, including children.
The Erie Canal – Once dubbed the 8th Wonder of the World, the Erie Canal was a great marvel during its time.
Mary Lyon on the Web - A schoolteacher from Massachusetts, an American pioneer, a remarkable woman who founded the worldwide model of higher education for women--Mount Holyoke College
Horace Mann, "The Father of American Education"
Work, Lyddie! Work! - Are you thinking that school is boring and that it would be more fun to be out working? This is a chance for you to find out what it was like to have to work instead of having the chance to go to school. Analyze primary source documents about early factory labor (mill workers during 1840-1860) showing their hours of labor, ages of laborers, reasons for working, and working conditions. Then read a historical novel about the time Lyddie by Katherine Paterson and research modern day youth labor issues to see if the things faced by Lyddie are really so different today in places where young people do not have the opportunity to go to school. To share what you learned with others, you will write a poem or labor song.
What's in a Factory? - Step into the role of an early 19th century mill owner. Use the essay "Why A Factory?", an introductory paragraph, and the diagram of a factory floor to answer: "How many machines, how many people, and how much money are needed to run a factory?" While the numbers you are given will not be exact, they will closely represent the circumstances of an early 19th-century factory.
Women's Rights
Not For Ourselves Alone - The story of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and their fight for women's rights
Elizabeth Cady Stanton biography
The Seneca Falls Convention - Learn about the first women's rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848.
Seneca Falls from the Library of Congress
Seneca Falls Convention - Background and Details
Seneca Falls: The Declaration of Sentiments - Read the document produced by the Seneca Falls Convention
Iron Jawed Angels: Suffrage History - The inspirational story of Alice Paul and the fight to get women the right to vote
Women and the Vote: Alice Paul's Fight for Suffrage
Distinguished Women of Past and Present
Life in the
South
Standard 8.7 Students analyze the divergent paths of the American people in
the South
from 1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges they faced.
Before Brother Fought Brother: Life in the North and South 1847-1861 - More Americans lost their lives in the Civil War than in any other conflict. How did the United States arrive at a point at which the South seceded and some families were so fractured that brother fought brother?
Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South - By 1860, the differences between the North and South had become so great that Northerners and Southerners felt as if they belonged to two different countries. What were some of these differences? Which ones were important enough to fight about? Explain to students that they are going to study life in the United States in the years before the Civil War to gain a better understanding of why people grew willing to fight to defend their way of life.
The Eli Whitney Museum - Explore the life and work of the inventor of the cotton gin
Slavery
Slavery:
The Terrible
Transformation
Slavery and the Making of America - The first were brought in 1619. The last freed in 1865. In the intervening 250 years, slaves labored to make America what it is today. (PBS)
A Fatal Contradiction – The Declaration of Independence says, "all men are created equal," but there is a glaring exception -- America's slaves.
Voices from the Days of Slavery - Former Slaves Tell their Stories
Exploring the Triangle Trade and The Middle Passage - The Triangle Trade, though morally reprehensible, was integral to the growth of the economies of the United States and Great Britain. The last leg of that trek, known as the Middle Passage, retains the infamy of having been a horrific journey for Africans who had been free in their countries but were being enslaved in the Americas. The Middle Passage is synonymous with intense human suffering, degradation, and mortality.
Families in Bondage - This two-part lesson draws on letters written by African Americans in slavery and by free blacks to loved ones still in bondage, singling out a few among the many slave experiences to offer students a glimpse into slavery and its effects on African American family life.
Slave Code of 1833 - The Africane, the first slave ship to bring slaves to the area, entered the port of Mobile in 1721. In 1724 the French Code Noir was extended into the Mobile area and provided the basic laws and conditions of slavery. Additional laws were passed to regulate slavery after Alabama became a territory and then a state. The antebellum legal status of slaves and "free persons of color" in the state of Alabama was defined and codified in the Slave Code of 1833. The laws discussed runaways, emancipation, sale, and other matters pertaining to slaves.
Point of View of Former Slaves - During the Great Depression of the 1930s interviewers for the Federal Writers' Project, the majority of whom were white, talked to many elderly African-Americans about their experiences as slaves.
To Be A Slave - "To be a slave. To be owned by another person, as a car, house, or table is owned. To live as a piece of property that could be sold--a child sold from its mother, a wife from her husband."
Time
Line of African American History, 1852-1880
The Atlantic
Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: A Visual Record - The thousand
images in this collection have been selected from a wide range of sources,
most of them dating from the period of slavery.
Underground Railroad - History of Slavery, Pictures, Information
The Life of Harriet Tubman - The life of the leader of the Underground Railroad is explored.
Narrative of Sojourner Truth - Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth was easily one of the earliest human and women's rights activists.
A biography of George Washington Carver
The Denmark Vesey Insurrection (1822) - Telemaque ('Denmark') Vesey, lived in Charleston, South Carolina and was a carpenter by trade. He is credited with organizing a massive conspiracy among the African-American peoples of Charleston designed to seize the city and liberate those men and women who were held in bondage.
Accounts of Former Slaveholders - This lesson studies slavery from the view of slaveholders. James A. Tait was a wealthy slaveholder in Wilcox County, Alabama. He recorded notes about his slaves, including births and family relationships, in a memorandum book. He also recorded his thoughts and advice to his children on the mangement of slaves and his plantation.
White Southerners' Defense of Slaveholding - Students will read transcriptions of articles from two Augusta County, Virginia, newspapers to see how white southerners defended the institution of slavery.
Standard 8.9 - Students analyze
the early and steady attempts to abolish slavery and to realize the ideals
of the Declaration of Independence.
SprarkNotes:
Pre-Civil War (1820-1860)
Missouri Compromise - This legislation admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a non-slave state at the same time, so as not to upset the balance between slave and free states in the nation. It also outlawed slavery above the 36º 30´ latitude line in the remainder of the Louisiana Territory.
The Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act
Kansas-Nebraska Act - Officially titled "An Act to Organize the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas," this act repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had outlawed slavery above the 36º 30' latitude in the Louisiana territories and reopened the national struggle over slavery in the western territories.
The Dred Scott Case - In this ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that slaves were not citizens of the United States and, therefore, could not expect any protection from the Federal Government or the courts. The opinion also stated that Congress had no authority to ban slavery from a Federal territory.
Dred Scott's fight for freedom
John
Brown's Raid - "The crimes of
this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood."
John
Brown's Raid - Abolitionist, rebel
William Lloyd Garrison - Creator of a very influential abolitionist newspaper
Frederick Douglass - "Abolitionist/Editor"
Uncle Tom's Cabin – Read the text to the entire book
Standard 8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of the Civil War.
Eyewitness to History: The American Civil War
A War to End Slavery – The most terrible war in America's history is fought over the future of slavery in our nation.
SparkNotes: The Civil War (1861-1865)
Time Line of the Civil War: 1861-1865
A Nation Divided - The U.S. Civil War Timeline
The Civil War Home Page - One of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Civil War related material available on the Internet.
Interactive Civil War Map - Interactive map on major Civil War locations
The American Civil War Home Page
Major Events and Battles of the Civil War
Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment - The story behind the man who led the troops in the movie "Glory."
Camp Life: Civil War Collections – This exhibit showcases some of the belongings made or used by Union and Confederate soldiers. These items helped the soldiers cope with the long days in camp.
Civil War Photographs
Selected Civil
War Photographs - from the Library of Congress web site
Civil War at the Smithsonian -
Houses an extraordinary array of Civil War artifacts in nearly a dozen of its
museums and archives.
Civil War @ Smithsonian - This is a wonderful
site with great collection
of photographs from the Smithsonian's collection.
Images of the Civil War
The Battle of Antietam - Learn about the bloodiest single day in American history.
Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg
The Gettysburg Address - Read Lincoln's most famous speech
See images of the Gettysburg Address
Recipes of the Civil War Era - Learn about what Civil War soldiers ate and make their recipes
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
Abraham Lincoln Cartoons - Comic Portraits of His Presidency
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination
The New York Times on Lincoln's Assassination
Reconstruction
Standard 8.11 - Students analyze the character and lasting consequences of
Reconstruction.
Digital History: Reconstruction - The twelve years following the Civil War carried vast consequences for the nation’s future. They helped set the pattern for future race relations and defined the federal government’s role in promoting racial equality.
What is Freedom? – After the Civil War political turmoil takes place in Washington, D.C. and a new age of segregation begins.
Reconstruction: The Second Civil War - Offers teachers and students information and resources for learning about such topics in American history as the Civil War, slavery, abolition, nation building after war, the cotton economy, sharecropping, federal government intervention in the states, and much more.
A Timeline of Reconstruction: 1865-1877
A Visual Timeline of Reconstruction: 1863-1877
Reconstruction and its Aftermath
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow – Jim Crow was not a person, yet affected the lives of millions of people. Named after a popular 19th-century minstrel song that stereotyped African Americans, "Jim Crow" came to personify the system of government-sanctioned racial oppression and segregation in the United States.
The Black Codes - In 1865, southerners created Black Codes, which served as a way to control and inhibit the freedom of ex-slaves. Codes controlled almost all aspects of life, and prohibited African Americans from the freedoms that had been won.
The History of Jim Crow - Explore the complex African-American experience of segregation from the 1870's through the 1950's
The Ku Klux Klan - Read about the beginnings of this hate group inspired by the events of Reconstruction.
13th,
14th, and 15
Amendments
Slavery in the Constitution
Juneteenth - Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
Industrial Revolution - A Virtual Museum
The Turn of the Century - The turn of the century was a time of amazing growth and change for America. The face of the entire world was changing and America was at the heart of the change. Invention, experimentation, industry and innovation were the hallmarks of the turn of the century. These and the personalities of the people who created them transformed America into the diverse melting pot that it has become.
The Great Railroad Race – Here is your chance to help America become united and economically strong. The Civil War has begun but it still takes months of dangerous travel to get across the U.S. from coast to coast. Business leaders, military planners, and travelers want a much faster and cheaper way to move goods and people. They want ships from Asia to be able to land in California and then send goods to buyers overland, rather than sending the ships all the way around the tip of South America to eastern harbors. In order to be strong, the nation must decide where to build a railroad to unite East and West. In 1862 Abraham Lincoln signs the Pacific Railway Act.
Work, Lyddie! Work! - Are you thinking that school is boring and that it would be more fun to be out working? This is a chance for you to find out what it was like to have to work instead of having the chance to go to school. Analyze primary source documents about early factory labor (mill workers during 1840-1860) showing their hours of labor, ages of laborers, reasons for working, and working conditions. Then read a historical novel about the time Lyddie by Katherine Paterson and research modern day youth labor issues to see if the things faced by Lyddie are really so different today in places where young people do not have the opportunity to go to school. To share what you learned with others, you will write a poem or labor song.
What's in a Factory? - Step into the role of an early 19th century mill owner. Use the essay "Why A Factory?", an introductory paragraph, and the diagram of a factory floor to answer: "How many machines, how many people, and how much money are needed to run a factory?" While the numbers you are given will not be exact, they will closely represent the circumstances of an early 19th-century factory.
And They Came to the Streets That Were Paved With Gold - Chinese history in America
The Industrialists: Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and Leland Stanford
Andrew Carnegie - From rags to riches
Andrew Carnegie: The Richest Man in the World
Andrew Carnegie from Wikipedia
John D. Rockefeller from Wikipedia
Leland Stanford from Wikipedia
Famous Inventors and Inventions
Industrial
Revolution Inventors
Great Inventors of the Industrial Revolution
Inventors - History and Biography Resources
Inventors and Inventions - Search for inventors and inventions by name, historical era, country, or field. Under A you will find everything from adhesive tape to Archimedes with a working level demonstrated. Each entry is a brief encyclopedic description, many enhanced by pictures.
Technology Timeline: 1752 - 1990
Gallery: Telephones Through the Years
Forgotten Inventors
The Wright Brothers
Chasing
the Sun - Orville and Wilbur Wright
Wright Brothers Aviation Homepage
American Federation of Labor - The history of one of the first federation of labor unions in the United States
"I survived the Titanic" (A true story about the Titanic)
World War I
Mr. Dowling on World War I
Eyewitness to History - World War I
World War I from American Memory of the Library Congress
Trenches on the Web - A very comprehensive site about the Great War
Trench Warfare - Put yourself in the position of generals at the front with this Trench Warfare game. (You will need to use Firefox or Internet Exlorer to view this game)
First World War.com - A multimedia history of World War I
The Western Front - Would you have made a good officer? - This simulation is intended to aid students' understanding of what the First World War must have been like for the men who fought it
The Great War - Interactive Timeline
Over the Top – Over the Top is an interactive adventure game that allows YOU to experience life in the trenches during the First World War. As a young Canadian soldier stationed somewhere along the Western Front in the late Fall of 1916, you will live through some of the excitement, despair, brutality and sheer horror of trench warfare.
Posters from the Great War
World War I posters
American Posters of World War One
The Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide - Summary of events, quotes, articles of the time, first-hand accounts, suggested readings and pictures
Armenian Genocide from the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Useful Answers to Frequent Questions on the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide from Answers.com
Photographs from the Great Depression
Documenting
America - America from
the Great Depression to the World War II Photographs
World War II
Mr. Dowling on World War II
World War II Timeline with Pictures
National Geographic presents D-Day
The Battle of the Bulge from PBS
Japanese Internment
"Suffering Under
a Great Injustice" - Photographs of Japanese-American Internment
at Manzanar
War Relocation Internment Camps
Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution
The Atomic Bomb
Remembering Nagasaki -
The atomic bomb is dropped on Japan
The History of the Atomic Bomb
The
Holocaust
Remember.org - A Cybrary of the Holocaust