Gwen Wright of PBS's History Detectives speaks to Dan Coquillette, Professor of History at Harvard, about an artifact, a book John Adams gave to his son. The book contains pamphlets spread following the Scottish Martyr Trials of 1792. Coquillette speculates that Adams may have given them to his son as a warning against carrying through with the Sedition Act.
Unpublished because Lesson Plan no longer exists at the Bill of Rights Institute Students apply rulings from Burr's Supreme Court trial to a contemporary case using historical documents.
Examining a historical Supreme Court case is a great opportunity to teach students about the past as well as about the precedents that shape the American legal landscape.
In this lesson, students examine the 1807 trial of Aaron Burr in which the former Vice President was indicted for treason. After examining Chief Justice John Marshall’s decision, students are asked to apply his interpretation of the Constitution to the more recent case of John Walker Lindh, American Taleb.
The lesson centers on three primary documents: Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, an excerpt from Burr’s indictment, and an excerpt from Marshall’s ruling. These documents allow students to explore the legal definition of treason, the claims made against Burr, and Marshall’s reasons for finding Burr innocent. Examination of Lindh's case teaches students to apply Constitutional definitions and past interpretations thereof, in the form of legal precedent, to recent events.
While the primary documents are a bit challenging, they are accompanied by specific questions that help students identify key points in the texts. Teacher answer keys with multiple possible answers are included with all activities.
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This link provides useful background information for both teachers and students.
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Students are required to read two primary sources, excerpts from the Constitution, and secondary sources on a related contemporary case. Students are asked to write a 1-2 page response where they apply Marshall’s decision to this contemporary case.
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Student handout specifically asks students to consider source information.
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The text is a bit challenging, but the excerpts are brief and several guiding questions are included to help students identify key points.
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To help students interpret the documents, they are presented with questions that help them consider the source information of the document.
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While the main assessment asks students to consider a contemporary court case, the guiding questions and answer key for the historical documents focus on historical understanding.
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Ken Johnston, a historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, looks at the beliefs and actions of Benedict Arnold, arguing that Arnold never betrayed his own beliefs and values.
Ken Johnston, an interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, portrays Benedict Arnold, the American general and hero of Saratoga who became a British brigadier general and fought in the Revolutionary War on the British side. Johnston gives the general's perspective in 1781, after he captured Richmond and Williamsburg.
The granddaughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg discusses a documentary she has created for HBO that explores the question of whether they were really guilty.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has digitized thousands of formerly secret documents declassified to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests.
Keyword search capabilities are provided for the complete site. In addition, there are eight collections designated as "frequently requested records" that total nearly 8,000 documents. These collections cover a number of Cold War topics: CIA involvement in the 1954 coup in Guatemala; convicted spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg; the 1961 Bay of Pigs affair; and two well-known espionage incidents.
Additional topics include POW MIAs in Vietnam, human rights abuses in Latin America, and UFOs. A disclaimer notes that some material cannot be disclosed due to national security laws, and released pages often have material deleted or blacked out. Still, the material offered is voluminous and useful for studying Cold War foreign policy and military history.
The Federal Judicial Center is the education and research agency for the federal courts. History of the Federal Judiciary includes background information about the court system, judicial legislation, federal courthouses, and oral histories. A biographical directory of judges since 1789 includes all federal courts.
Teaching Judicial History: Federal Trials and Great Debates in United States History provides in-depth instructional units with narrative and supporting documentation from The Sedition Act Trials to Bush v. Orleans Parish School Board and the Desegregation of New Orleans Schools.
Historic Dumphries Virginia seeks to preserve and share the history of Dumfries, Virginia. To this end, the organization operates the Weems-Botts Museum. This museum preserves the at least 250-year-old home of Parson Weems, the author who popularized a number of legends about George Washington, including the cherry tree tale. The home later served as the residence of Benjamin Botts, who successfully defended Aaron Burr during his treason trial.
The museum offers period rooms and research opportunities. A fee is required in order to pursue research.