From the Gilder Lehrman Institute:
What does the Constitution say about racial equality? Larry Kramer, Dean at Stanford Law School, explains the role of the Reconstruction amendments and the challenges faced by the Supreme Court in shaping civil rights legislation in the years before Brown v. Board of Education.
I am working to develop an activity around myths or controversial information about people, places, and events of the American Western Frontier (about 18501900). I'm looking for suggestions on people, places, or events. . . This is a high school level course.
One could spend an entire lifetime studying the mythic and historical American West, but with your unit coming up, maybe it’s best to get you right into some resources that you can implement in the classroom.
First, check out Exploring the West, a project of the Bill Lane Center for the Study of the North American West. They have three units available on their website, one of which is on the role of cowboys in the historical myth of the West.
Another good resource is PBS’s New Perspectives on the West. The website has a number of good lesson plans and resources, including Making Myths: The West in Public and Private Writings. If you have time, it might be worth browsing around on the New Perspectives website—it’s full of rich material.
Debunking the Myth of the West is a useful unit plan for your purposes. A project of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, the plan includes three lessons and a guide to resources. And the Library of Congress’s American Memory page also has these great resources on the West, some of which explore the creation of a mythic Western past.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute on American History explores many facets of the American West. One page directly addresses your question on myth by examining the iconic Buffalo Bill. It also contains a teaching module that has complete lesson plans with primary and secondary sources listed.
Finally, if you have time to do some reading, the University of Virginia has Henry Nash Smith’s Virgin Land: the American West as Symbol and Myth posted as a hypertext online. It also hosts a companion page on the life of Buffalo Bill Cody, exploring the myth of the West through Buffalo Bill.
A quarterly journal inaugurated in September 2004 designed to "promote the study of American history" with articles by historians and teaching resources. Past issues on elections, primary sources on slavery, immigration, and American national holidays are also available on the site.
Each issue has six main features. "In This Issue" provides an introduction and overview. "The Historian's Perspective" offers four to six scholarly essays by noted historians on the issue's topic. "From the Teacher's Desk" has lesson plans for high school, middle school, and elementary school levels with links to related websites. "Interactive History" provides either timelines, quizzes, or interactive maps. The "Digital Drop Box" allows site visitors to post comments, suggestions, sample lesson plans, or stories from the classroom. "Ask the Archivist" has suggested sources and a section for questions and answers.
From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website:
"Alice Kessler-Harris is the R. Gordon Hoxie Professor of American History at Columbia University, in New York City. She specializes in the history of American labor and the comparative and interdisciplinary exploration of women and gender."
Michael Kazin, professor of History at Georgetown University, explores cultural change and cultural backlash in America during the 1920s in reaction to the influx of immigrants in the early part of the century. This lecture is part two of two. Click for part one.
Michael Kazin, professor of History at Georgetown University, explores the turbulent two decades between World War I and World War II. He describes the radical shifts in American political power and social institutions during that time. This lecture is part one of two. Click for part two.
Introduces the National Women's History Project, "a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information as well as educational material and programs." Includes a 5,000-word essay on the history of the women's rights movement and a 7,000-word timeline. The site gives detailed information about the organization's activities, including efforts to bring women's history into public life, a list of curricular ideas for teachers, material concerning National Women's History Month, and a 15-question quiz on Women's History.
Perhaps most valuable, the site furnishes approximately 200 partially annotated links, arranged into 12 broad categories such as "Politics," "World History," and "Math and Science." Though lacking in primary source material, this site provides useful beginning resources for the study and practice of women's history.
This extensive archive offers more than 13,200 photographs taken in California between 1921 and 1965 by Jervie Henry Eastman. The collection includes photographs, negatives, and postcards "for a wide variety of northern California locations and events, including dam construction, logging, mining, food processing, and community buildings and activities." Eastman established his photo studio in 1921.
Clicking on the thumbnail images brings up a larger version of the photograph with descriptive data. For some of the images it is necessary to select "more information about this image" to find the specific subject of the photograph. This selection also provides a subject cross-reference list. Search is by keyword only. The collection is of interest to those researching the history of northern California and those interested in urban history or historical geography.
From the History Faculty website:
"In 1924 Congress passed the Johnson-Reed, or National Origins, Act, declaring racial and ethnic background as the most important determinant in gaining American citizenship. Those with Asian backgrounds were barred altogether. This session examines both the run-up to this crucial legislation and its impact on immigration up until it was superseded in 1966."
Dr. Kevin Yuill, Senior Lecturer in American History at the University of Sunderland, presents this lecture. To access part two of this lecture, click here.
Free registration is required to view the video. Audio and video options are available.
Theodore Roosevelt was only 50 years old when he left the White House in 1909, but his boundless energy kept him very much in the public eye until his death in 1919. In this lecture, historian Patricia O'Toole recounts the last decade of T.R.'s fascinating life, which included an unsuccessful run for the presidency as a third-party candidate, an attempt to raise and then command a battalion of American soldiers in World War I, and the tragic death of his son Quentin.