Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the 6-12 Classroom
This guide consists of curated primary and secondary sources to help students connect environmental history to broader themes in twentieth century US history.
Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the K-5 Classroom
This guide consists of curated primary and secondary sources to help students connect environmental history to broader themes in twentieth century US history.
History of Education and Indigenous Americans: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Help students reflect on the purpose of learning history and of education in general by using Library of Congress primary sources to better understand the history of education of Indigenous people in the United States.
Native Women and Suffrage - Beyond the 19th Amendment: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Using primary sources from the Library of Congress, help students reconsider the standard narrative around women’s suffrage by exploring the history of Native, Black, Latin American and Asian women who kept advocating for expanding suffrage after 1920.
1916 Children's Code of Morality: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Primary sources from the Library of Congress help students explore a fascinating episode from U.S. history: the campaign to teach children to be more moral.
Religion and the Labor Movement: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Engaging Library of Congress primary sources that connect religion and organized labor.
Theodore Roosevelt and the 1912 Election
Students learn more about the larger than life figure of Theodore Roosevelt through sources related to the presidential election of 1912.
Statistics in Schools
Analyze data from the U.S. Census Bureau in the social studies classroom.
A Close Look at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
Historian Christopher Hamner engages educators in close questioning of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington, DC.
Race and Ethnicity in Advertising
The definitive online exhibition and archives about how American experiences of race and ethnicity have shaped and been shaped by the development of advertising over the course of the 20th century.
ABMC War Dead Database
Features over 224,000 records of individuals buried or memorialized in ABMC cemeteries and memorials worldwide.
100 Years of Parcels, Packages, and Packets, Oh My!
In the age of Amazon, take students back to a time when delivery in the U.S. was still developing.
Prohibition: A Film by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick
What did the effects of the 18th Amendment look like? Explore 1921 through 1933 through images and film.
The Thomas Jefferson Building: Secret Messages
What messages are hidden in art and architecture? Explore the Library of Congress’s Jefferson Building in this online activity.
Hawaiian Statehood
Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1898. Why did it take more than 60 years for it become a state?
Families on the Farm
What was life like for women and girls on late 19th- and early 20th-century farms?
Transportation: Past, Present and Future
What pushes and pulls people into new ways of life? In this lesson, students use artifacts, documents, and photographs to help them answer this question.
The Origins of the Service Flag
Discover what the symbols on these flags stand for.
Labor Unions in the Cotton Mills
Introduce students to the importance of oral history while simultaneously teaching them about 20th-century labor unions.
Film Review: Prohibition
Historian Tona Hangen takes a look at Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s three-part documentary on Prohibition.
Film Review: Amelia
What is the cultural terrain staked out by Amelia, the Hollywood biopic about the intrepid flyer Amelia Earhart?
Homicide in Chicago 1870-1930
Covering urbanization and industrialization? This homicide index can help students understand social changes and tensions associated with both.
The Many Faces of Immigration
American is built upon immigration. However, attitudes about immigration varied greatly from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
Women's Suffrage: Jane Addams's Article
Who was Jane Addams, and how is her article “Why Women Should Vote” still relevant today?
Women's Suffrage: Burroughs's Article
In the struggle for women’s suffrage, how did African American women represent themselves? TJ Boisseau reads an article by activist Nannie Helen Burroughs.
Women's Suffrage Photographs
How did the women’s suffrage movement use the rise of journalism to its advantage? TJ Boisseau looks at what photographs reveal.
Women's Suffrage Cartoon
How does a political cartoon use popular beliefs about women to make its point? Historian TJ Boisseau examines the conventions in this image.
Olympic Spirit: Teaching with the Olympics
Summer or winter, the Olympics bring together countries worldwide—including the U.S. How can you teach with Olympic history?
Resources for Flag Day
Flag Day may not fall during the school year for many, but Flag Day resources are valuable all year long.
Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
How does the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington, DC, depict Grant and the Civil War? Historians Christopher Hamner and Michael O’Malley take a look.
Establishing Connections: Teaching the Progressive Era
Students are often disconnected from the past. Why not immerse them in historic study by building off things they already know?
Memorial Day: The Poppy Puzzle
Do you know the history of this symbol?
Tenement Life
Students examine primary sources related to the life of an immigrant girl and her family to discover what life might have been like at the turn of the century.
Earth Day: Lost to History
Human history affects more than human beings.
Resources for the Titanic's Centennial
One hundred years later, we’re still talking about the sinking of the Titanic. Let these resources ground your lessons!
A Symbol of Friendship
The cherry trees in Washington, DC were a gift from Japan. What does their history tell us?
Clio Visualizing History
This site offers a grab bag of digital history exhibits. Definitely worth perusal.
Sakura: Cherry Blossoms as Living Symbols of Friendship
Discover the rich history of DC’s cherry trees and what they reveal about U.S./Japan relations.
World War and Literature
Can you suggest any literature covering World War I to World War II that my 10th-grade world history class can read?
White House Historical Association
There’s more to the White House than the President himself—music, art, staff, pets. . .
Voices of Women's Reform
There’s more to it than Seneca Falls.
Film Review: Iron Jawed Angels
How does modern television portray early 20th-century suffragists? Through very modern eyes, says Historian Carla Bittel.
Japanese American National Museum Collections
Looking for ways to grow awareness of injustice of Japanese internment? This site likely has the perfect primary source for your needs.
Letters from the Philippines
Letters from U.S. soldiers during the Philippine-American War reveal perspectives very different from the official language of liberation.
Presidents Day: Growing Up to Be President
Even American presidents were babies once!
African American History Month: Civil Rights Worldwide
These African American civil rights activists affected more than the U.S.
Lewis Hine: Caption Critique
Does a caption change the meaning of a photograph?
Stop and Source!
Students get more out of historical photographs when they take the time to explore who took them, where, and why.
The Road to Pearl Harbor
Explore the rise of animosity between the U.S. and Japan through primary source documents and related classroom activities.
Recipe for Victory: Food and Cooking in Wartime
Winning a war using…food? Explore sources concerning World War I and gastronomical homefront movements.
Veterans Day: Medals and Merit
You know the Purple Heart, but can you identify these honors?
Thanksgiving: Presidential Turkeys
How many turkeys have presidents pardoned?
Digital Resource Guide for the Labor Archives of Washington State
Making labor history access less of a chore.
Socks to War
Even humble, everyday artifacts have a rich place in history.
Silverites, Populists, and the Movement for Free Silver
Why were the people living in rural areas more likely to support “free silver” in 1896 than urban dwellers?
Hope for America
Do you want to use humor to your advantage in the classroom? Hope for America examines comedy and satire in American popular culture and its influence on political history.
America's Love for the Automobile
An Exciting Whiff of Danger or La Belle Dame sans Merci?
Film Review: The Aviator
Historical films like The Aviator sacrifice historical context to create character portraits, says historian David Courtwright.
Ballyhoo!: Posters as Portraiture
Think of all the celebrity advertisements you see everyday. Why pick that particular person for that particular poster?
Sewall-Belmont House Museum Collections
Allow the National Woman’s Party to show you their collection on women’s progress to equality.
Gilded Age Plains City
Delve into Great Plains urban development c. 1900 by way of a compelling, unsolved murder mystery.
Joe Hill
Union strikes. Murder. Itinerant songwriting. The life of martyr Joe Hill could hardly have been more dramatic or mysterious.
Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project
What role have women played in war and the military?
DocsTeach
Team up with the National Archives and Records Administration to bring primary sources into your classroom!
Texas Archive of the Moving Image
Watch some Texas history, submit your own, or learn to make local documentaries.
From Slavery to Freedom: The African-American Pamphlet Collection, 1822-1909
Peruse an extensive collection of pamphlets related to African-American life leading up to, during, and following the Civil War.
Center on Congress
What is Congress? Why should anyone care?
Film Review: Ken Burns's Jazz
Documentaries can be critiqued on many levels, says Professor Frank Tirro. Here, he looks at Ken Burns’s Jazz from four angles.
An Ear for the Past: The National Jukebox
Catchy primary sources? You bet! With the Library of Congress’s National Jukebox, get your students humming history.
Questioning History Using the Census
Historian Alex Stein poses questions about population shift in Detroit, and models using census data and other sources to answer his question.
Comic Books in the History Classroom
Comic books as primary sources? Bring superheroes into the classroom with these six historical themes.
Women in the Lab (and the Field)
Marie Curie and Jane Goodall—you may know these female scientists, but can you name any American women scientists?
Cintia Cabib's Interdisciplinary Gardening
Walk through the history of student gardening with documentarian Cintia Cabib, and see how you can use gardens in the classroom.
Political Animals
A menagerie of terms for politicians, parties, factions, and movements.
Divided Allegiance
Being born in the United States was not always a guaranteed path to citizenship.
Anthony Pellegrino's Classroom Simulations: Begin with Paris
Re-enact the Paris Peace Conference with your students, and let them experience dissatisfaction (or satisfaction) with the results themselves.
Historical Improbabilities
Truth is stranger than fiction, they say. Can you tell the difference?
Divining America: Religion in American History
Use this essay on Jewish immigration to flesh out a unit on the Civil War or immigration.
Women in Blues (and Jazz)
In the early 20th century, the new music recording industry embraced hundreds of artists—including women.
Women at War
Women have fought in every U.S. war, but only recently have they gained official military status.
Film Review: Titanic
Are historical films like James Cameron’s Titanic most useful as ways to interest students in history—or as primary sources for the present day?
First Impressions: The U.S. and Japan
In 1854, Japan signed a treaty with the U.S. How did the U.S. and Japan see each other during this exchange?
Teaching Imperialism: Incorporating Learning Activities and State Standards
Develop an engaging unit on American Imperialism that streamlines State Standards and Performance Objectives.
Practicing Medicine on the Presidents
When the presidents’ maladies threatened to affect their performance.
The Art of Migration
What can artistic renderings tell us about the Great Migration?
Riding the Rails
How many cows could a cowcatcher catch, if a cowcatcher could catch cows?
The Great Black Hope
These African American athletes drew crowds with their skill and determination in the early 20th century.
Innovation and Technology in the 19th Century
Of all the discoveries and developments that occurred in the 19th century, two proved to be the main force behind the development of the New Age.
Diversity in the 1920s
Segregation and equality in America was a case of double standards.
Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century
Teaching 20th century presidential history or political events? Explore this site for interactive timelines, exhibits, and over 1,500 primary sources.
Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History
Slavery, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement—you have to teach these topics, so check out these essays to enrich your curriculum!
Lone Wolf v Hitchcock
Part of a series of laws that displaced Native Americans from land allotted to them through treaties with the U.S. government.
Intertwined Development: Railroads and Political Parties
The influence of the booming rail system on the growth and development of three political parties in the late 19th and early 20th century.
The Progressive Era: A Group Effort
Provides a comprehensive list of websites and strategies to creatively introduce students to Progressive Era topics.
Forming Lesson Plans Around State Mandates
How do you teach the effects of WWI on art and literature? Transforming a content standard into a solid lesson plan.
East St. Louis Massacre
Raising “the terrible weapon of self-defense” during riots in 1917 Illinois.
Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students
Using the premise of a mystery, elementary students act as history detectives as they explore a historical question and formulate and test hypotheses.
DocsTeach
Find primary sources and the tools to present them to students—in one place.
Vaccinations: Rites of Passage
Have you had your shots? Which childhood diseases do these public health announcements address?
Baseball in Black and White
Baseball might be America’s favorite past time, but it has not always been inclusive. Can you answer these questions about African American ball players?
A Hoax Provokes Folks: Why Lie?
Peruse the news, but beware hot air? Examine famous U.S. hoaxes.
Paradise in a Breakfast Bowl
A morning meditation on flakes: Do your morals and values help you decide which cereal to eat in the morning?
Early Telephone Etiquette
Should you leave your hat on when you talk on the telephone?
American Myths: Christopher Columbus
In 1492, what did Columbus really do?
Saving Daylight
Politicians get hot under the collar when discussing the hottest of topics—the sun’s light. Which statements about Daylight Saving Time are true?
Plays You Won't See in the Superbowl
Football has always been a great American sport, but how much do you know about its beginnings?
Back to the Future . . .
In the year 1900, what did Americans think the next century would bring?
The Royal We: Princesses of the Past
Daughters of rulers and subjects of history…are these statements on women of monarchical lineage true or false?
The Ice Cream Wars
Was there conflict in the past over one of our favorite summer treats?
American Myths: Popular Music
Each song has a story. What inspired it? When was it made? By whom?
Constitution Day 2010
Explore these online Constitution Day resources for September 17 and throughout the year.
The Cost of Industrialization
Use the Triangle Shirtwaist fire to examine the benefits and costs of industrialization.
Presidential Moments: Hail to the Chief Nicknames
Fond or far-fetched, everyone has one—but as president, nicknames garner the respect and allegiance of the nation.
Pre-Modern Pop Music
Before “pop” music reigned supreme, jazz and ragtime amassed great public popularity.
As American as Mom…
You know Mother’s Day is all about mom, but do you know the history of the holiday?
Voices in the Whirlwind
To each prophet, a certain way of speaking. Match civil rights leaders with their words.
Fashion Maven
Do you have your mother’s—and her mother’s—fashion sense?
First Ladies' Firsts
What about the other occupants of the White House?
Patents as Primary Sources
Patents as primary sources? These documents can give your students clues to development of U.S. science, technology, business, and social concerns.
United We Stand: Industry and Famous Strikes
Stand up (or sit down) for better working conditions! Test your knowledge of strikes in U.S. history.
We the People . . . Rarely Agree
What does the Constitution mean to you? Match each quote to the historical figure whose view of the Constitution it reveals.
Yo, Ho, Ho and a . . . Bushel of Oysters?
Shellfish pirates stole from the rich to feed themselves—and make a little money on the side.
Dance, But Not That Way . . .
Do you know how to dance the Sleigh Bell Polka? Learn the proper way to perform 19th and 20th century dances.
Turning Turtle: Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea
The ship’s on her beam-ends and all’s lost! Test your knowledge of maritime disasters.
Theatre of the People
Through performing art, U.S. minorities assert their identities. Answer these questions on multicultural music and theatre.
Presidential Valentines
The politics of love—answer these questions about valentines to and from U.S. presidents
Go West, Young Woman!
Men and women both settled the West. Answer these questions on women’s records of the experience.
Fly Away Jim Crow
Equality requires more than a Proclamation. Try to answer these questions on Jim Crow.
Celebrate More Than St. Patrick
The Irish contributed more to the U.S. than shamrocks and folktales.
Stumbling Down the Road to Health
It seemed like a good idea at the time . . . which “healthful” ingredients and inventions that had unintended consequences?
Back to School
Binders, buses, and backpacks—consider the history of these back-to-school basics.
Playing History
Board games preserve the past in squares, paper money, and toy tokens. Answer these questions about the history of play.
Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Culture
At the virtual home of the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Culture, six exhibits highlight ethnic culture in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
The Museum of Broadcast Communications
Teaching media history and the spread of pop culture? Explore over 7,000 digitized programs and commercials.
State of the Union
What can 214 State of the Union addresses tells us about American politics and rhetoric?
Paul Laurence Dunbar Digital Collection
Read the books and poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar, internationally famous African American writer.
Indiana Historical Society Digital Image Collections
Indiana educators, looking for visual primary sources? Search more than 38,000 photographs from the 19th century to the present.
Playing House—Homemaking for Children
How have childhood and gender roles changed over time? Browse five housekeeping books for girls.
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Covering Californian urban history? Search more than 275,000 digitized images in Los Angeles Public Library’s photo archives.
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
From 1863 to 1935, this tenement building housed working immigrant families. View photographs of their lives, and engage in interactive learning opportunities.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Learn about race in the Progressive Era through the life of Jack Johnson, the original African American Heavy Weight Champion of the World.
A History of Fundamentalism
What does fundamentalism mean and how has that meaning changed over time?
PhilaPlace
Pennsylvania educators, or teaching urban history? Explore two neighborhoods in Philadelphia using an interactive map and more than 1,240 primary sources.
Seattle General Strike Project
In 1919, Seattle workers launched the first general strike in U.S. history. Explore labor history with over 100 newspaper articles and other sources on the strike.
Politics of a Massacre: Discovering Wilmington 1898
This site contains sources covering and reacting to the deplorable 1898 massacre in Wilmington, NC.
Close Reading for Vocabulary, Context, and Tone
Analyzing a source requires context for a more complete understanding.
Primary Sources as Windows into the Past
Excite students by introducing them to primary sources that answer questions they have—not just questions you pose to them.
Mass Moments
MA educators—explore a historical moment (and accompanying primary source) for every day of the year.
The Deadly Virus: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918
Influenza scares can be deadly—check out 16 documents and images from the 1918 flu epidemic.
University of Washington Libraries: Moving Image Collection
Northwest educators—need some unconventional primary sources? Check out 65 moving images from 1915 through the 21st century.
Wisconsin State Historical Society Online Collections
Wisconsin educators, search the online collections of the oldest American historical society for primary sources.
Washington State Digital Archives
Attention Washington State educators! Looking for primary sources? With more than 84.5 million documents, this archive has what you need.
University of Wyoming Digital Collections
Wyoming educators, explore more than 10,000 primary sources on Wyoming’s 19th- and 20th-century history.
Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment
Relive the dream of the women’s vote through roleplay or interfacing with primary documents.
The Progressive Era
Explore the ins and outs of turn-of-the-century labor law, business, housing, and immigration.
Tips to Trappers
What do Sears Roebuck, farming, advertising, furs, and rural America have in common?
All Wrapped Up in the Flag
Flinging the first American flag to the breeze.
Bubbles, Panics, and Crashes: A Century of Financial Crises, 1830s-1930s
Do your students think the Great Depression was the only previous slump in the U.S. economy?
Black Mask Magazine
Analyze popular fiction of the 1920s with these stories from the pulp magazine Black Mask. What do they say about gender, stereotypes, youth, and entertainment?
Duluth Lynchings Online Resource: The Tragic Events of June 15, 1920
Leading up to the civil rights movement in a high school class? Explore 700 primary sources that examine one 1920 case of fatal racism.
America Abroad
Isolated and expansive at the same time.
Missouri Digital Heritage
Missouri teachers looking for primary sources, look no further. Explore this portal for resources from libraries, universities, archives, and heritage sites throughout the state.
Curating the City: Wilshire Blvd
California educators, lead your students on an interactive journey down Los Angeles’s historic Wilshire Boulevard!
Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project
75 full-text cookbooks let you or your students prepare the foods from the 19th to the early 20th century.
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley could shoot 6 holes in a playing card before it touched ground. Invite this sharpshooter into your classroom!
A Life of Strenuous Endeavor
T Roosevelt: “Let us pay with our bodies for our souls’ desire.”
Third Graders Analyzing Historical Sources
A 3rd-grade teacher leads her students through analysis of child labor photographs.
The Social Museum Collection at Harvard University
More than 6,000 images related to U.S. social conditions and institutions.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library eLibrary
More than 5,700 documents related to Woodrow Wilson’s life and presidency.
Land of (Unequal) Opportunity
460 documents and images on civil rights in Arkansas, from before, during, and after the civil rights movement.
U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994
More than 355,000 items produced by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, from 1817-1994.
Toolbox Library: Primary Resources in U.S. History and Literature
Eight “toolboxes” enable secondary teachers to enhance existing U.S. History units.
National Museum of the American Indian: Beauty Surrounds Us
Online exhibit of more than 65 objects from Native cultures in North and South America.
Library of Southern Literature
Full texts of more than 130 works of literature by more than 75 Southern authors.
Kheel Center Labor Photos
More than 1,000 photographs from the history of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
All Disquiet on the Western Front
In Flanders fields the poppies blow. . . Why did trench warfare characterize World War I?
Protestant Immigration to Louisiana
On the trail of French Calvinists—apocryphal stories and actual immigrant populations.
Tall Tales: The West as Legend
Wrestling bears, surly cowboys, vultures circling lone travelers. . . Find resources on American myth.
Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
Search over 200 prominent African American scientists.
Savannah Images Project
A useful local history project which focuses on the history of Savannah and the Georgia coastline.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of South Carolina
A collection of maps detailing over 80 South Carolina towns and cities.
Bisbee Deportation of 1917
Learn about labor history through the infamous Bisbee Deportation.
Museum of the City of San Francisco: The Great 1906 Earthquake and Fire
Learn about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, how it destroyed the city, and how the city was subsequently rebuilt by its inhabitants.
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series
View 22 census data samples and 65 million records from 13 federal censuses.
Baseball Cards, 1887-1914
A collection of over 2,100 early baseball cards.
African American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
View 1,300 pieces of sheet music composed by and about African Americans.
Virginia Historical Society
View the Virginia Historical Society’s extensive collection of materials documenting Virginia history.
Bartleby, Great Books Online
A collection of American and European literary classics, made available free of charge.
U.S. Electoral College
Uncover the inner workings and history of the US Electoral College. Click here to explore!
National Park Service, Teaching with Historic Places
Use this website to plan and organize lessons around NPS properties and locations.
History of Presidential Elections Site
Provides a wealth of information on US presidential elections, with a particular focus on the 2000 election.
U.S. Senate Historical Office
How much do you know about the history of the American Senate? Click here for background information on this component of our legislative branch.
Material History of American Religion Project
Learn about American material culture and its relation to the nation’s religious history.
Historical Maps of the United States
A collection of U.S. and military maps useful for a variety of research.
Hagley Digital Archives
Focused on business history, this gateway site connects businesses to greater cultural and social trends.
Carrie Chapman Catt Girlhood Home and Museum
A useful gateway site for materials on Carrie Chapman Catt and the women’s suffrage movement.
Divining America: Religion and the National Culture
A comprehensive history of religion and major religious events within the United States.
History Now: American History Online
Read this quarterly journal which focuses on a different topic in American History in each issue.
White Trash: The Construction of an American Scapegoat
An excellent site for new study into the “white trash” demographic.
The Last Days of a President: Films of McKinley, 1901
Learn about the 1901 assassination of President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY.
The Aaron Copland Collection, ca. 1900-1990
An extensive collection of primary and secondary resources detailing the life of composer Aaron Copeland.
Tending the Commons: Folklife and Landscape in Southern West Virginia
Learn about life in the Big Coal River Valley in West Virginia.
Inside an American Factory: Films of the Westinghouse Works, 1904
A collection of resources pertaining to the Westinghouse Works company, including films and articles.
The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship
A comprehensive guide consisting of over 240 primary source items detailing African American history.
Origins of American Animation
A collection of early animated films useful for the study of early American animation.
Red Scare (1918-1921)
Could the Bolsheviks and radicalism destroy the American way of life?
Map History/History of Cartography: The Gateway to the Subject
A collection of 3,000 historical maps and information about the history of cartography.
Through Our Parent's Eyes: Tucson's Diverse Community
Learn about the ethnically diverse history of Tucson, AZ.
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), 1945-1972
Peruse this collection of recently declassified foreign policy documents.
Promise of Gold Mountain: Tucson's Chinese Heritage
A collection of primary sources detailing early Asian-Americans in Tucson, Arizona.
American Landscape and Architectural Design, 1850-1920
Explore the history of American landscape and architectural design from 1850-1920.
American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920
What impressions did the average citizen or foreigner form of early America and its people?
Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers
Read about Wilbur and Orville Wright’s triumphs and setbacks as they experienced them.
Photographer to the World-The Detroit Publishing Company
When travel wasn’t an easy option what views did people have of other places?
The Annexation of Hawaii: A Collection of Documents
Compare U.S. and Hawaiian opinion on Hawaiian annexation.
United States Early Radio History
How did radio move from major technological advance to mass popular culture?
National Postal Museum
The mail always comes, rain or shine; but how?
Fats Waller Forever Digital Exhibit
Meet legendary jazz pianist Fats Waller. Be at the forefront of musical history.
Forests, Fields, and the Falls
How did the lumber, flour, sawmill, and farming industries shape Minnesota’s future?
When They Were Young: A Photographic Retrospective of Childhood
What would it be like to grow up poor? Greek? Mexican? Rich?
Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection
Discover the men, ideas, and process behind discovering that mosquitoes transfer yellow fever.
University of Missouri-Columbia: Digital Library Collections
A hodge podge of history: England, Missouri, and the greater U.S.
North Carolinians and the Great War
How did World War I effect the lives of the everyday North Carolinian?
Freedom: A History of Us
What exactly is freedom, and who possesses it?
Carnegie Libraries of California
Learn about the California libraries built with Carnegie funding.
Images of African Americans from the Cook Collection of Photographs
What might your life have been like as an African American in Virginia c. 1900?
Charles H. Templeton Sheet Music Collection
Looking for World War era, minstrel, or showtune sheet music?
Urban Planning, 1794-1918: An International Anthology
How did WWI affect urban development? How did it impact housing and business in the cities?
Communism in Washington State--History and Memory Project
Communist Russia. Communist China. Communist Washington?
Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States
Ask yourself: What did Coolidge do for our country?
American Women's Dime Novel Project
What was the turn-of-the-century woman’s “beach read”?
Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia
Although painful to view, racist memorabilia reminds us of past mindsets and ethics.
Streetscape and Townscape of Metropolitan New York City, 1860-1942
See uncommon photograph subjects for the turn-of-the-century, such as street peddlers.
Murphy and Bolanz: Block and Addition Books, Dallas County 1880-1920
Explore the layout and businesses of turn-of-the-century Dallas.
Best of History Websites
Find top notch history web resources, as well as advice on using technology for teaching.
African-Americans--Biography, Autobiography, and History
Read a selection of the world’s greatest speeches by prominent African American figures.
Dox Thrash: An African American Master Printmaker Rediscovered
View depictions of African American life by artist Dox Thrash.
Thomas Eakins: American Realist
Discover one of America’s great realists, and see the Philadelphia of his day.
Harvesting the River
Explore river life—with a particular focus on food harvesting.
Selected Historical Decennial Census Population and Housing Counts
What questions have past censuses posed? What were the results?
Museum of Musical Instruments (MoMI)
Find out about the guitar players who came before you, and perhaps, even perfect your own abilities.
Worthington Memory, Online Scrapbook
Explore the history and development of a small town. The online scrapbook provides an uncanny lens into town life.
Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry
Listen to the recordings of the creator of the microphone and gramophone player.
Kiowa Drawings
Kiowa artwork from buffalo hide canvases to university art training.
Black Wings: African American Pioneer Aviators
What was life like for the African American pilots of World War II?
Digital Archive of American Architecture
Explore U.S. architectural styles and ornamentation, or date the buildings in your town.
WPA Life Histories, Virginia Interviews
Explore Depression-era, ex-slave, and urban youth life stories.
Physical Sciences Collection: Surveying and Geodesy
What tools do men use to turn wilderness into private property?
World War I History Commission Questionnaires
How did World War I change soldiers’ attitudes, religious beliefs, and employment prospects?
Encyclopedia Britannica: The 1911 Edition
Find out what people thought of everything from ablation to vinegar in 1911.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Contemporary art highlights and reflects societal issues following World War II.
Picturing Hemingway: A Writer in His Time
You’ve read his words, but do you know who he was? Explore the man behind those epic stories.
History of American Education Web Project
Explore the history of education within the U.S, through writings and images.
The Hartford Black History Project
Follow the formation of the African American community in the city of Hartford, CT
U.S. Steel Gary Works Photograph Collection, 1906-1971
Relive the construction of the city of steel—Gary, Indiana.
AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History
One convenient source for major historical U.S. documents.
Lift Every Voice: Music in American Life
What work can be accomplished through music?
Economic Data, Fred II
Get your historical national economical statistics right here.
Dismuke's Virtual Talking Machine
Swing to the beats of the early 1900s.
Brief Timeline of American Literature, Music, and Movies
Explore film, music, and literature in its social context and chronology. Understand the cultural dynamics that lent themselves to the media.
History Through Deaf Eyes
What has the U.S. deaf population experienced?
Historic USGS Maps of New England
Explore New England’s topography with more than 1,100 topographical maps, covering all of New England and parts of New York.
Department of Transportation: Digital Special Collections
Read up on early 20th-century train and airplane accidents, among other transportation topics.
Historical Map and Chart Collection
Teaching exploration? Why not introduce your students to nautical charts?
HistoryWired: A Few of Our Favorite Things
What American history items do Smithsonian curators like best?
Austin Treasures: Online Exhibits from the Austin History Center
Discover the depth of Austin, Texas’s urban history through 10 online exhibits containing images and essays.
Phillip Morris Advertising Archive
What tactics has the tobacco industry used to sell smoking to the populace?
Today in History Web Resources
Need to check a date? Have students report on their birth dates? Try here.
American Originals Part II
Introduce students to 25 documents selected by the National Archives for their historical importance.
Virginia Historical Inventory (VHI)
View Virginia’s antebellum architectural culture.
Labor Arts
What role has art had in the depiction and reality of U.S. labor?
The Irving Fine Collection, Ca. 1914-1962
Experience the life and works of lesser known American classical composer Irving Fine.
The Capital and the Bay, ca. 1600-1925
What picture have people painted of the Washington, D.C. in written works?
Texts from Collections of the University of Wisconsin, Madison
Access a selection of rare 19th-century books online.
Regional Oral History Office
Explore California oral histories, or learn to conduct your own interviews.
An American Family: The Beecher Tradition
Did you know that Harriet Beecher Stowe’s family was also involved in abolitionism?
Pictures of the American City
See the U.S. grow before your eyes with this collection depicting two centuries of urbanization.
Women Artists of the American West
What have women artists considered worthy of depiction in the U.S. West?
Photographs of the American West, 1861-1912
Imagine life on the western frontier.
A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion, 1820-1890
We all know the role of the wagon in westward expansion, but what of ships?
NBER Macrohistory Database
Looking for historical economics statistics? The NBER Macrohistory Database should be a central resource for you.
Hall of Black Achievement Gallery
Meet 30 influential African Americans who contributed across a wide variety of fields.
A Southern Mill Village: History of Old West Durham
Follow the development of a mill town from its birth to its current status.
One Hundred Years of Photography from the National Archives
Relive the 20th century through iconic imagery—more than 70 photographs represent major U.S. events.
Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century
Compare global statistics on topics from infant mortality to literacy.
Traveling Culture: Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century
Which performers, from martial artists to yodelers, traveled the Chautauqua circuit?
Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History
Right this way for Seattle and Washington state history resources.
History Cooperative
Catch up on the latest scholarly research, and learn and incorporate new scholarship or innovative findings into the classroom.
Civics Online
Gain inspiration for new ways to approach political history.
Hannah Arendt Papers
Do you read German? Not to worry. Select documents are available in English.
Korean American Digital Archive
Meet singer Florence Ahn, minister Soon Hyun, and others.
The 3Cities Project
Examine the nexus of representation, modernity, and urban life.
Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Rare Books c. 1820-1910
Explore Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin life through rare books.
Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
What do the songs people sing tell us about their lives?
Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film
Do films capture your students’ attention? Introduce them to Roosevelt in motion.
Before and After the Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco
See a turn-of-the-century city, San Francisco, before, during, and after the 1906 earthquake and fire (1897-1916).
Railroad Maps, 1828-1900
View maps created for a multitude of purposes related to travel by rail.
Puerto Rico at the Dawn of the Modern Age
Have you ever wondered about the international politics of Puerto Rico?
The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906
View early films of New York City life.
Mapping the National Parks
Track the exploration and use of Acadia, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and the Great Rocky Mountains.
Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns
Can you tell New Orleans jazz from Bebop? Can you hear the variations in style and instrumental parts?
Florida Heritage Collection
Explore Florida state, regional, and local history.
Toledo's Attic: A Virtual Museum of Toledo, Ohio
Explore Toledo, Ohio’s entertainment, technological, business, and political history.
New Perspectives on the West
Peruse lesson plans about the West on this companion site to a Ken Burns documentary.
Riverboats and Jazz
What entertainment might you have expected on a riverboat cruise in the early 1900s?
The American Experience
Discover briefs on more than 60 iconic points in U.S. history.
Presidential Elections
How has campaigning changed over the years? Need to know details on major campaign issues?
Brooklyn Daily Eagle Online (1841-1902)
Explore the history of Brooklyn, 1841 through 1902, with historical newspaper issues.
Great Lakes Maritime History Project
Delve into Wisconsin’s maritime history. Discover the multiple ways in which water shaped the history of the state.
Earliest Voices: A Gallery from the Vincent Voice Library
Hear the conviction and charisma of seven renowned turn-of-the-century speakers.
Across the Generations: Exploring U.S. History through Family Papers
Experience Caucasian, middle-class Northeastern life through the collections of four families.
Picturing Modern America Project
Create your own thematic exhibits using Library of Congress images.
National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
More than 50 virtual exhibits ranging from Julia Child to West Point.
Oneida Indian Nation: Culture and History
Meet the Oneida, and discover their role in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.
Belgian-American Research Collection
What would your life have been like as a Belgian immigrant in Wisconsin?
The Wright Brothers in Photographs
Meet the Wright Brothers and their family through photographs of friends and exploits.
FamilySearch
Begin genealogical projects on the right foot with these databases and tools.
Election Statistics
How many votes did each nominee receive in federal elections?
Club Kaycee, Golden Age of Kansas City Jazz
Listen to jazz from the ’20s and ’40s while learning about music greats and hot spots.
The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden
Unsure how to teach presidential history in an engaging manner? Try these activities and lessons.
The Primeline Midi Library
Browse more than 630 ragtime Midi files.
Perfessor Bill Edwards Ragtime/Old-time Piano Gallery
Introduce yourself to ragtime music and the time which gave birth to it.
Samuel F. B. Morse Papers, 1793-1919
Explore the thoughts of Samuel F. Morse, artist and father of the electromagnetic telegraph.
Popular American Music
What songs were on the “Top 20” in the 1850s? Was it as much of a social concern as it is nowadays to stay musically trendy?
Pittsburgh City Photographer
See Pittsburgh, PA, the way it appeared as early as the 1890s.
Historic Topographic Maps of California
Explore a wide range of Californian geological survey maps, dating from 1895 to present.
Harrisburg's Old 8th Ward
Visit the businesses and meet the people of Harrisonburg, PA’s 8th Ward.
Boston Streets: Mapping Directory Data
Explore the history of Boston, MA, through photographs, maps, and atlas pages.
The History of Sanitary Sewers
Few engineering feats are so overlooked by history as the creation of sewers worldwide.
Historical Maps Online
View 400 hundred years of cartography from the Illinois area.
Children's Books Online
For story time or personal research, peruse historical children’s books.
Washington History
Make this your first stop for topics related to Washington state history!
Woman's Legal History Biography Project
How many female lawyers can you think of in U.S. history?
Milwaukee Neighborhoods: Photos and Maps, 1885-1992
Take a visual journey through the development of Milwaukee, WI.
University of California History Digital Archives
Discover the history of the University of California through primary sources.
The Pill
How has the birth control pill altered sexuality and feminine gender expectations?
Women Working, 1800-1930
What did women think of their work at home, in the arts, and in business?
Military Campaign Maps
Where exactly were troops stationed in a given battle? Visualize the military campaigns, and imagine what the troops saw when they were able to initiate fighting.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia
Need a comprehensive site on Georgia history? Why, here you go!
Spalding Base Ball Guides, 1889-1939
Check out player and World Series statistics from the turn of the century.
Carriers' Addresses
Did you know that, traditionally, newsboys read poems to their customers on New Year’s?
American Memory Learning Page
Try lesson plans based on the Library of Congress’ American Memory collections.
The United States and Brazil: Expanding Frontiers, Comparing Cultures
How are Brazil and the U.S. similar? How are they different?
Maine Memory Network
Explore the history of Maine, and create your own digital album.
Utah Digital Newspapers
Browse Utah newspapers from 1879 through modern day.
Women of Valor
Meet international anarchist and women’s rights activist Emma Goldman.
The Zora Neale Hurston Plays
Read 10 unpublished Hurston plays based on her anthropological studies of the U.S. South.
American Photography: A Century of Images
How has photography altered our perception of and the actuality of reality?
The Story of Virginia
State standards require you to teach VA history? Worry not! This site covers Virginia history from prehistoric times to the present.
Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition, History
What would your life have been like as a housewife in 1850?
San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection
Imagine San Francisco as it would have been as early as 1850.
Mission to Arizona, 1916–1940: Father Augustine Schwarz, O.F.M.
View 179 images of Catholic missionary and Native American life in Arizona.
Presidents of the United States - POTUS
Compare inauguration promises or cabinet members. See the image of the United States’ government over time.
Connecticut History Online
Take a look at the “Constitution State,” with approximately 14,000 images depicting Connecticut’s history from the 19th through the 20th century.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
How can you incorporate digital technology into your teaching, study, or understanding of history?
Breaking the News in 1900
Headlines and deadlines. Where was the line between muckraking and professional ethics?
Coal Mining in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
Visit this unique site to learn about the history of coal mining during the Gilded Age.
Rare Map Collection
Explore maps from throughout America’s history, with a special focus on 19th century Georgia.
A Curriculum of United States Labor History for Teachers
Learn about labor politics and economics throughout American history.
Voice of the Shuttle: Web Page for Humanities Research
An impressive gateway site for all humanities subjects.
Pluralism and Unity
Explore the clash of ideas and ideologies in early 20th century America.
Building an Archives
Learn about the history of the National Archives as well as how to start your own archives.
Augustana College Library, Digital Projects
Midwest teacher looking for local history primary sources? Try these nine digital collections.
Chicago Imagebase
Witness the growth of the Chicago metro area with this interactive website.
The Digital Classroom
An informative introduction to the practice and excitement of historical research.
Magic, Illusion, and Detection in Turn of the Century America
Learn about American culture at the turn of the 20th century.
American Museum of Photography
View fantastic photography throughout the ages in over 15 exhibits.
American Women's History: A Research Guide
Speed up your online search for resources on American women’s history with this research guide.
Voices from the Gaps: Women Writers and Artists of Color
Learn about all of America’s most famous female writers of color with this comprehensive website.
Excerpts from Slave Narratives
The 46 first-person accounts on this website effectively chronicle slavery in the United States.
History: The National Park Service
Visit this website to learn the history of many of the 384 areas under the stewardship of the National Park Service.
WWW-Virtual Library, History Central Catalogue
This large gateway site provides a starting point for any and all historical research.
Words and Deeds in American History
View primary documents that helped to shape America’s history.
Washington As It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959
Early 20th century Washington is captured in this collection of 14,350 photographs by Theodor Horydczak.
By Popular Demand: "Votes for Women" Suffrage Pictures, 1850-1920
View photographs, cartoons, and campaign items from the women’s suffrage movement.
Photographs from the Fred Hulstrand and F. A. Pazandak Photograph Collections
Witness farming at the turn of the 20th century with this collection of photographs.
Jackie Robinson and Other Baseball Highlights, 1860s-1960s
Learn about race in American sports history through the life of Jackie Robinson.
Hitting the Sawdust Trail With Billy Sunday
The life of famous evangelist Billy Sunday is chronicled on this website.
Center for Working-Class Studies
Begin your study of working class and labor history with this website.
The Urban Landscape
View photographs of a variety of urban landscapes.
Living the Legacy: The Women's Rights Movement, 1848-1998
Learn about the women’s rights movement through the secondary sources offered by this website.
America Votes: Presidential Campaign Memorabilia
Follow presidential campaigns through the years with this collection of campaign materials.
African American Women
Read the memoirs and letters of three 19th-century African American women on this website.
George Percival Scriven: An American in Bohol, The Philippines, 1899-1901
Witness the U.S. Army’s occupation of Bohol through the eyes of officer George Percival Scriven.
An American Ballroom Companion: Dance Instruction Manuals, ca. 1490-1920
This collection of social dance manuals showcases the social history of Europe and America.
First-Person Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920
Learn about the American south in the late 19th century through 141 firsthand texts.
California Heritage Collection
View the early history of California through this collection of over 30,000 photographs.
Women's Studies Database
Your starting point for research in the field of Women’s Studies.
Still Going On: Celebrating The Life and Times of William Grant Still
Learn about famous composer William Grant Still through this online exhibit.
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Explore the history of baseball and the players who made the sport great.
World War I: Trenches on the Web
Visit Trenches on the Web for all your World War I research needs.
National Women's History Project
Start your research into Women’s history with the National Women’s History Project.
The American 1890s
Explore a unique website dedicated to American history during the 1890s.
Children in Urban America: A Digital Archive
Imagine what it might have been like growing up over 100 years ago.
Alaska's Digital Archive
View images related to Alaskan statehood and Native Americans.
From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America
Peruse this online exhibit on the history of Jewish life in the United States.
H.H. Bennett: Photographer Extraordinaire
View commercial photography from the last half of the 19th century.
Doris Ulmann Photograph Collection
See the faces of the rural South, and acquaint yourself with their folk arts.
Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive
Which ethnic groups have made their homes in the Columbia River Basin?
Say it Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches
Hear 12 renowned speeches by African Americans, including Marcus Garvey’s only known recording.
Black Past
Begin your exploration of African American history with this web portal, leading out to more than 400 websites.
Wisconsin Magazine of History
Take in full articles from the 1917 through 2005 editions of the Wisconsin Magazine of History.
Brittingham Family Lantern Slide Collection
Catch a glimpse of wealthy turn-of-the-century Wisconsin life and travel in these photos.
Library of Congress: Webcasts
Access more than 500 webcasts from the Library of Congress.
Vincentian Postcards
Explore 200 years of postcards which document the Vincentian religious order of educators and nurses.
Sanborn® Fire Insurance Maps for Georgia Towns and Cities, 1884-1922
More than 540 urban maps of Georgia from between 1884 and 1922, detailing business locations.
Helen Keller Kid's Museum
Present Helen Keller’s story in more detail with photographs and historical background.
Anne Sullivan Macy: Miracle Worker
When teaching about Helen Keller, why leave out her friend and educator Anne Sullivan Macy?
A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life
Explore Jewish heritage outside of the Mid-Atlantic or the Holocaust.
Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles Collection
Search Wisconsin newspapers mainly from 1860 through 1940.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
What happened between 1880 and 1910 in the area where you live?
Seattle Power and Water Supply Collection
Take a gander at Washington state hydroelectric engineering feats of the 1890s through 1950s.
The History Box
Have a question about New York City or state history? More than 750 articles available.
Illinois Digital Archives
Primary sources on Illinois history with an emphasis on residential and commercial architecture.
Historic Pittsburgh
Acquaint yourself with Pittsburgh history through full texts, images, maps, census data, and lesson plans.
The Malcolm X Project
Read FBI files on and watch interviews about Malcolm X, human and African American rights activist.
NOVA: Einstein's Big Idea
E=mc2. What does it mean? How has it changed society? What was Einstein’s life like?
Louisiana State Museum Jazz Collection
Listen to New Orleans jazz while learning about Louis Armstrong and other famed musicians.
Medicine in the Americas, 1619-1914
Access works on medicine and health by Clara Barton, Benjamin Coleman, Benjamin Rush, and others.
Portal to Texas History
Texas educators, looking for primary resources on state history? Search this portal for thousands of images and documents drawn from Texas-based archival collections.
Las Vegas: An Unconventional History
Why is Las Vegas one of the world’s most popular destinations? How has it changed?
New Jersey Public Records and Archives
Familiarize yourself with New Jersey history using images, maps, and official documents.
Silicon Valley History Online
Silicone Valley is known as a high-tech industry center, but has it always been?
Women of Protest: Images from the Records of the National Woman's Party
See the suffragettes who gave over 50% of U.S. citizens the right to vote.
Virtual Museum and Archive of the SEC and Securities History
If you want to understand big business, it would be wise to examine the SEC’s history.
McVicar/Stein Photo Copy Service Collection
Imagine life in Madison, WI, between 1920 and 1970.
Western History Photography Collection
How does your view of the American West compare to the visual reality?
Turning Points in Wisconsin History
Primary documents, background information, and lesson plans for Wisconsin history.
Encyclopedia of Chicago, Historical Sources
Imagine your life in 19th and 20th-century Chicago with this extensive collection of images.
World War I Sheet Music
What can the music of World War I tell us about its era?
Harlem History
Explore the politics, neighborhoods, culture, and arts of Harlem.
Historic Missouri Newspaper Project
Peruse articles, images, and advertisements drawn from 14 Missouri newspapers, 1835 through 1988.
Frank Lloyd Wright: Designs for an American Landscape 1922-1932
Check out five design schemes created by Frank Lloyd Wright, but never implemented.
Wright on the Web
Follow architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s career with these summaries and images.
Thar's Gold in Them Thar Hills: Gold and Gold Mining in Georgia, 1830s-1940s
Gold mining, though often portrayed as lawless, was, in some cases, big business.
The Eastman Project: Images of California Life
View more than 13,200 photographs of California labor and community life between 1921 and 1965.
Minnesota Maps Online
Are you interested in cartography or the natural and social environment of early Minnesota?
Seattle Black Panther Party History and Memory Project
Who exactly were the Black Panthers? Explore the history and memories of the Seattle chapter.
Automobile in American Life and Society
Enter the world of automotive history through oral histories and scholarly essays.
Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project
Tie civics into units involving Native American history using relevant full-text legal documents.
Unified Vision: The Architecture and Design of the Prairie School
View Prairie School works by famed architects and designers Wright, Sullivan, Elmslie, Purcell, and Maher.
Oxford African American Studies Center
Access more than 5,000 biographies, maps, and images relevant to African American history.
Listening to Our Ancestors: The Art of Native Life Along the North Pacific Coast
View more than 400 Native American objects selected and presented by the 11 represented communities.
Lawrence Denny Lindsley Photographs
What did the Seattle area, mining, hunting, and portraiture look like c. 1900?
McKinley Assassination Ink: A Documentary History
Explore the assassination of President McKinley and the social context thereof.
The Blues, Black Vaudeville, and the Silver Screen, 1912-1930s
How was the community support for and operation of Southern African American theaters?
StoryCorps
Connect 20th-century events and daily life with real human experiences through oral history audio files.
Musicians Local No. 627 and the Mutual Musicians Foundation
Have you heard of musicians’ unions? Learn about a 20th-century African American jazz organization.
Manufacturers' Catalogs from the First Decade of American Automobiles
Curious about early cars? View more than 800 automobile manufacturer catalog images from 1909.
Madison: Celebrating 150 Years
Learn about Madison, WI, from early settlement through its time as the “queen of bootleggers.”
North American Women's Letters and Diaries: Colonial Times to 1950
Read the personal correspondence and diaries of women such as Phyllis Wheatley and Margaret Fuller.
Travel, Tourism, and Urban Growth in Greater Miami: A Digital Archive
Interested in the history of tourism? This site examines the topic within Miami, FL.
Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage
Explore the history of Maryland, from Edgar Allen Poe to the War of 1812.
The Case of Sacco and Vanzetti
Criminal history, the Jazz Age, and the Red Scare all in one legal case. Understand the early 20th century through the Case of Sacco and Vanzetti.
The Adoption History Project
Did you know that adoption was only recognized as a legal U.S. operation in 1851?
Center for Dewey Studies, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Discover the life of pragmatist and education reform advocate John Dewey (1859-1952).
The African-American Mosaic
Let the Library of Congress introduce you to African-American history from colonization to the WPA.
Panoramic Maps, 1847-1929
Did you know that between 1840 and 1929 many maps were not drawn to scale?
American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning
Looking for a new way to teach history? Peruse new media and educational resources.
California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties
Sit back and enjoy folk and popular music recordings from 1930s California natives and immigrants.
Connecticut Historical Society
Explore the political and sociocultural history of Connecticut.
New York Public Library Picture Collection Online
Support visual learners with a selection of more than 30,000 historical images.
Red White Blue & Brimstone: New World Literature and the American Millennium
Texts throughout U.S. history have featured imagery from the Book of Revelations, including the the documents on this site.
Immigration
Very few of us have ancestors who were not immigrants. Bring the topic of immigration to life.
What Does It Mean to Be an American?
An 8th-grade teacher asks: Was early 20th-century America a “melting pot” or a “salad bowl”?
Supreme Court Historical Society
The U.S. Supreme Court has shaped American ideals into practice since 1789, but how much do you know about this influential institution?
Landmark Supreme Court Cases
Intimidated by teaching legal history? Find resources for thinking about and teaching 17 pivotal U.S. Supreme Court cases at this site, designed for educators.
Discovering Angel Island: The Story Behind the Poems
Learn about the experiences of immigrants detained at Angel Island and how this impacted their opinion of the US.
American Experience: We Shall Remain
Coming soon to your local PBS station: a new look at the Native American experience.
Kitty Hawk During the Time of the Wright Brothers
Schooling and transportation of goods were of greater concern to most than flight.
What Happened to the Royal Family of Hawaii After the U.S. Took Over?
In Hawaii today, a large number of people might be considered heirs or pretenders to the Hawaiian throne, were it ever to be revived.
Teaching Historical Interpretation through Planning Documentary Films
Watch this 9th-grade teacher lead his class in planning, writing, and organizing their own documentary films.
The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations
Documents and audio files explain the range of early political viewpoints on the League of Nations.
Causes of World War I
Did two bullets begin WWI? Explore causation in your classroom.
Causal Reasoning
The fictional Alphonse the Camel provides insight for one classroom.
Prosperity and Thrift: Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy
An array of primary sources follows the rise of the consumer economy under Coolidge.
Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains
Artifacts preserve the lifestyles of current and former American Indian tribes of the Northern Great Plains, 1870-1954.
Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920
Follow the rise of professional advertising with these advertising items and publications from 1850 to 1920.
American Environmental Photographs, 1891-1936
This collection captures natural environments, ecologies, and plant communities at the turn of the 19th-to-20th centuries.
Time Archive, 1923 to Present
From its March 23, 1923 first edition to the present, Time presents a searchable database of cover art.
The Jack London Online Collection
From White Fang to short stories and speeches, read more than 40 works by renown author Jack London.
Profiles in Science
Explore the profiles of 26 scientists, physicians, and experts in biomedical research and public health.
Performing Arts in America, 1875-1923
Browse primary sources reflecting the performing arts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
History of the American West, 1860-1920
More than 30,000 photographs capture life in Colorado from 1860 to 1920.
Eugenics Archive
Traces the history of the eugenics movement in the United States.
Dime Novels and Penny Dreadfuls
Cover art and full texts from dime novels preserve the popular culture of an industrializing U.S.
Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers
Alexander Graham Bell’s work and interests extended far beyond the invention of the telephone. Explore his papers here.
African-American Perspectives: Pamphlets from 1818-1907
Pamphlets and documents from 1875 to 1900 highlight African American leaders and organizations.
African American Women Writers of the 19th Century
Read the full text of 52 published works by black women writers from the late 18th to the early 20th century.
Willa Cather Archive
Read the annotated works of author Willa Cather (1873–1947), including O Pioneer! and My Antonia.
Remembering Jim Crow
This site offeres 30 interview excerpts and 130 photographs that examine Jim Crow from multiple perspectives.
Race and Place
Discover connections between race and place in this archive documenting the effects of Jim Crow on a Virginia town.
Oral History Digital Collection
In full-text narratives, more than 2,000 people from northeast Ohio discuss issues significant to the state and the nation.
Native American Documents Project
Four collections of data and documents address Federal Indian policy in the late 19th century.
Multilaterals Project
From environmental agreements to rules of warfare, read the text of international multilateral treaties, agreements, and conventions.
Emma Goldman Papers
Learn more about Emma Goldman, radical and feminist activist, through this collection of primary and secondary sources.
Child Labor in America, 1908-1912: Photographs of Lewis W. Hine
Sixty-four photographs taken by Lewis W. Hine between 1908 and 1912 document child labor conditions.
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938
Read the accounts of former slaves in oral history interviews collected by the Federal Writers’ Project.
American Radicalism Collection
From the Ku Klux Klan to the IWW, examine 129 historical documents from radical organizations.
Alcohol, Temperance, and Prohibition
More than 1,800 primary sources provide a window into the Temperance Movement and Prohibition.
African-American Experience in Ohio: From the Ohio Historical Society
Take a look through more than 30,000 items relating to African American life in Ohio between 1850 and 1920.
Images of Native Americans
Illustrations follow European interpretations of Native Americans, through images from popular culture, literary and political observations, and artistic representations.
Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project
Primary and secondary sources document the minority struggle for civil rights in Seattle’s history.
World War I Document Archive
Learn more about military, diplomatic, and political resources by browsing this archive of World War I documents and images.
Votes for Women: Selections from the NAWSA, 1848-1921
10,000 pages of records on the struggle for votes for women, including papers by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
A variety of primary sources and background essays explore the 1911 fire, a hallmark tragedy of the industrial age.
Spanish-American War in Motion Pictures
See how early film was used to capture and communicate the Spanish-American War.
SIRIS Image Gallery
Access close to 140,000 images from the Smithsonian Institution.
Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association Papers Project
Presents the life and work of black activist Marcus Garvey, leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).
Jewish Women's Archive
Learn more about American Jewish women’s contributions to their communities and the wider world with these exhibits and resources.
Frontera Collection of Mexican American Music
Listen to clips from more than 100,000 recordings of Mexican American vernacular music.
Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian
More than 2,000 striking images of North American tribes from between 1907 and 1930.
Digital Archive Collections at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library
Covering topics ranging from the annexation of Hawaii to World War II, 29 collections document the history of Hawaii and Micronesia.
Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project
Browse and listen to cylinder recordings, the first commercially produced sound recordings.
Clash of Cultures in the 1910s and 1920s
Supported by images and documents, this essay explores the culture wars of the 1910s and 1920s.
Anti-Saloon League, 1893-1933
Printed materials preserve the public campaigns of the Anti-Saloon League from 1893 to 1933.
American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870-1920
Follows the development of popular entertainment forms from the 1870s to the 1920s, through playscripts, playbills, and media clips.
Touring Turn-of-the-Century America
This database of images literally offers snapshots of late 19th to early 20th century America.
Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991
Displays nearly 4,000 panoramic photographs of cityscapes, landscapes, and group portraits.
Making of America
Provides more than 1.5 million pages of text in an effort to digitize more than 11,000 volumes and 100,000 19th-century journal articles.
Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920
Documents the birth of the conservation movement through published works, manuscripts, images, and motion picture footage.
David Rumsey Map Collection
More than 15,800 rare historical maps focus on North and South America.
USC Archival Research Center
With over 126,000 photographs, maps, and other documents, this site offers a comprehensive look at the history of Los Angeles and southern California.
Battle Lines: Letters from America's Wars
More than 30 letters cover conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812 to war in Iraq.
Sourcing a Primary Document
See sourcing in action, as a historian reads a document about the Scopes Trial.
America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures from 1894-1915
Collects 150 1894–1915 motion pictures on work, school, and leisure activities.
North American Slave Narratives, Beginnings to 1920
Explore all of the known published slave narratives, to better understand the experience of slavery and the culture that slaves created in the nation.
Florida State Archives Photographic Collection
Presents more than 137,000 photographs of Florida on specific localities from the mid-19th century to the present.
Map Collections: 1500-2003
16th-century to present-day maps, focusing on Americana and cartographic treasures.
Historical Thinking Matters
Presents four guided investigations—on the Spanish-American War, the Scopes Trial, Social Security, and Rosa Parks—designed to teach students to read primary sources and construct historical narratives.
Experiencing War: Stories from the Veterans History Project
Presents video and audio oral histories and additional material from American veterans of 20th-century wars.
Disability History Museum
Explore the experiences of those with disabilities through documents and images dating from the 18th century to the present.
The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War
A wonderful collection of chronologies, images, maps, and other materials on the Spanish-American War.
Photographs from the Chicago Daily News: 1902-1933
Presents more than 55,000 Chicago Daily News photographs taken in the early 20th century.
Medicine and Madison Avenue
Provides more than 600 health-related newspaper and magazine advertisements from 1910 to 1960.
First World War: The War to End All Wars
Provides an overview of World War I through essays, diaries, posters, audio files, and other primary and secondary sources.
Chinese in California, 1850-1925
Browse more than 8,000 objects related to Chinese immigrant life in California.
Amateur Athletic Foundation Digital Archive
Official documents and articles from periodicals record the history of the Olympics and sport.
1896: The Presidential Campaign
Follow the contentious election of 1896 with close to 100 political cartoons related to the presidential campaigns.
Without Sanctuary: Photographs and Postcards of Lynching in America
An assemblage of more than 80 photographs and postcards of lynchings, from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Urban Experience in Chicago: Hull-House and Its Neighborhoods, 1889-1963
Peruse this collection of over 900 items relating to Chicago’s Hull House to discover its influence on 20th century urban development.
Margaret Sanger Papers Project
Selected materials by and about the “birth control pioneer” Margaret Sanger.
Like a Family: The Making of a Southern Cotton Mill World
Offers oral history resources examining life in southern textile mill towns from the 1880s to the 1930s.
Inventing Entertainment: The Early Innovations of the Edison Companies
Early motion pictures, sound recordings, and related materials document Thomas Edison’s impact on the history of American entertainment.
Ad*Access
Archives more than 7,000 newspaper and magazine advertisements printed in the U.S. from 1911 to 1955.
Thomas A. Edison Papers
A vast database of Thomas Edison’s papers, including correspondence, technical drawings, and clippings about the inventor.
The Wizard of Oz: An American Fairy Tale
We’re off to see the wizard! Discover the cultural impact of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Small-Town America: Images from the Robert Dennis Collection, 1850-1920
More than 12,000 stereoscopic photographs depict life in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut small towns and rural areas from 1850 to 1920.
Sanborn® Fire Insurance Maps, UT
1,275 detailed historical maps, dating from 1867 through 1969, depict 40 cities in the state of Utah.
Red Hot Jazz Archive: A History of Jazz before 1930
Discover over 200 jazz bands and musicians active from 1895-1929, captured here in countless audio and video files.
Prairie Settlement: Nebraska Photographs and Family Letters
Nearly 3,500 images and approximately 318 letters illuminate life on the Great Plains from 1862 to 1912.
American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election
Access 59 sound recordings of 1918-1920 speeches by American leaders.
American Family Immigration History Center
Records of more than 25 million passengers and crew who passed through Ellis Island 1892-1924.
Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture
Explore Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin as the American cultural phenomenon it was.
Mark Twain in His Times
Focuses on Mark Twain’s life and career, including creation of his popular image, marketing and promotion of his texts, and live performances.
Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music
Scanned images of more than 18,000 pieces of sheet music, including covers, published prior to 1923.
California as I Saw It: First-Person Narratives of California, 1849-1900
40,000 written pages and more than 3,000 illustrations provide accounts of California history from the Gold Rush to the end of the 19th century.
Famous Trials
Presents balanced treatments of over 50 prominent court trials, including the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Peruse 11 exhibits, from the Gold Rush of 1849 to Japanese American internment during WWII.
Internet Moving Images Archive
Reproduces a privately held collection of American ephemeral films produced between 1927 and 1987.
Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties
Digitizes Indian Affairs, a seven-volume compendium of treaties, laws, and executive orders relating to U.S.-Indian affairs from 1778 to 1970.
The Stars and Stripes, 1918-1919
Peruse every edition of the “official newspaper” of the U.S. Army fighting forces during World War I.
The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire
Exhibit and archive featuring an extensive collection of primary source material on the 1906 natural disaster and the fire that followed.
South Texas Border, 1900-1920: The Robert Runyon Collection
This site showcases over 8,000 images documenting the history and development of South Texas and the border.
Reclaiming the Everglades: South Florida's Natural History, 1884-1934
Contains 10,000 pages and images on Everglades reclamation efforts and the history of south Florida.
HarpWeek: Explore History
With illustrations, articles, editorials, and overviews, 22 exhibits cover a variety of subjects dealing with 19th-century American history.
Around the World in the 1890s: Photographs, 1894-1896
Explore this archive of over 900 images by American photographer, William Henry Jackson.
American Indians of the Pacific Northwest
Documents the lives of Native Americans in the Northwest Coast and Plateau regions of the Pacific Northwest in text and photographs.
Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World
More than 400 speeches by women—politicians, scientists, and celebrities.
Making Sense of American Popular Songs
Don’t overlook song as a way of understanding the past.
Broadcasting Longevity
The roots of the Grand Ole Opry extend deep into radio broadcasting history.