Spotlight on Elementary Education

History has been shaped and influenced by the out come of ancient trials—such as the Trial of Socrates in 399B.C.—to Rosenberg Trial in the 1950s. This site offers a comprehensive look at 50 prominent court trials throughout history and its resources can be used to give young learners an introduction to the history of the modern judicial system.

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Website Reviews

Find quality websites & primary sources
Teach Women's History Project

Provides teaching and reference materials on the women's rights movement of [...] »

For European Recovery: The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Marshall Plan
Article, Marshall Sees Europe in Need of Vast New..., June 6 1947, Wash. Post, 1

This website gives a broad introduction to the Marshall Plan and is home to [...] »

Western History Photography Collection
Photo, Wood’s Saloon, Turret, 1905, Western History Photography Collection

How does your view of the American West compare to the visual reality?

[...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Sand, Sea, and Oil: Operation Desert Storm

It's in the name: "Desert." How did the environment affect the Persian Gulf [...] »

Classroom Glory

Does the movie "Glory" depict historical accuracy or wholesale fiction?

[...] »
American Myths: Popular Music

Each song has a story. What inspired it? When was it made? By whom?

[...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Coal and the Industrial Revolution
Photo, At the close of the day, January 1911, Lewis Hine, Library of Congress

How can the story of coal help students understand the nature of today's [...] »

Rise of the Automobile
Photo, Model A Ford in front of antique gas pumps, August 4, 2007, Flickr

Americans today take cars for granted. How did they change American life? [...] »

The Early Conservation Movement
photographic print, Quentin Roosevelt Planting a Tree, c1904, Edward S. Curtis,

The "go-green" movement is rampant in modern America. However, support for [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
Central Intelligence Agency
Glass negative, "Belle Boyd," Confederate spy, Between 1855 and 1865, LoC

You've seen spy movies, but what is the real history of U.S. [...] »

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
Negative, Victory Corps. . . , Alfred T. Palmer, September-October 1942, LoC

Did you know that there is a specific law enforcement agency for firearm [...] »

Federal Highway Administration
Lithograph, Chas. H. Kabrich, c. 1896, Donaldson Litho. Co., LoC

Do you fit today's transportation norms? Do you reside in a suburb or a city [...] »

Ask a Historian

The Disaster of Innovation

How the cotton gin revolutionized the use of slaves and the production of [...] »