Digital Library on American Slavery
The Digital Library on American Slavery is a database of primary sources related to slavery, comprising three types of materials: North Carolina slave …
Comanche Nation and "Manifest Destiny": A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Help students better understand the history behind the term “Manifest Destiny” by exploring the history of the Comanche people using primary sources from the Library of Congress.
Rethinking "Westward Expansion": A Guide for Preservice Teachers
Help students reconsider the how the expansion of the United States from 1865 to 1890 was perceived by Native peoples in the west using primary sources from the Library of Congress.
Mormons and Westward Expansion: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Teachers guide students to create interactive digital maps detailing the migration of Mormons using Library of Congress primary sources.
Statistics in Schools
Analyze data from the U.S. Census Bureau in the social studies classroom.
Touring Monticello
Tour Monticello with TAH teachers and learn about the history behind Thomas Jefferson’s home.
Monticello: Jefferson's Experiment
TAH teachers get an introduction to Monticello as Thomas Jefferson’s ’laboratory.'
Pockets from the Past: Daily Life at Monticello
What do the contents of pockets say about their owners? TAH teachers model strategies for examining and questioning artifacts.
Smithsonian American Art Museum: Teaching with 19th-Century Art
Watch Suzannah Niepold of the Smithsonian American Art Museum guide teachers in analyzing four works of art.
Smithsonian American Art Museum: "Westward the Course of Empire"
Watch Suzannah Niepold guide TAH teachers through analyzing the differences between two versions of Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze’s Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way.
Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty
Educators tour the NMAAHC exhibit “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty” and ask about approaches to presenting the lives of Thomas Jefferson and his enslaved workers.
Defining Dred Scott
Who was Dred Scott, and what was the significance of his case?
Teaching the Emancipation Proclamation on Constitution Day
This Constitution Day, the National Endowment for the Humanities asks, how is the Emancipation Proclamation like the U.S. Constitution?
Women's Rights: Sarah Bagley Letters
What do these letters from a women’s rights activist reveal about social causes in the 1840s?
Bleeding Kansas
What were the origins of this infamous controversy?
Exploring Historical Fiction
Make the Lewis and Clark expedition and life on the Oregon Trail come alive with these suggestions!
Resources for Flag Day
Flag Day may not fall during the school year for many, but Flag Day resources are valuable all year long.
Westward Expansion: Image vs. Reality
East or West? See if you can determine which region produced these images on westward migration!
Earth Day: Lost to History
Human history affects more than human beings.
Instigating a Ban on "Spirituous Liquors"
Discover the motivations fueling the 19th-century temperance movement.
Who Won the War (of 1812)?
How do textbooks from different countries treat the War of 1812?
Clio Visualizing History
This site offers a grab bag of digital history exhibits. Definitely worth perusal.
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.
Texas and Mexico: Centers for Cultural Collision
In 1821, Anglo settlers migrated to Texas en masse. Discover the profound impact this movement had on the relationship between whites and hispanic Tejanos.
Resources for Teaching the War of 1812
Earlier this year, we looked at what historic sites were doing to celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812. But how can you teach the bicentennial in your classroom?
African American History Month: Civil Rights Worldwide
These African American civil rights activists affected more than the U.S.
A Sailor's Life for Me!
Explore Old Ironsides—live the life of a ship’s boy or learn about the people who fought aboard her.
All Hands on Deck
Get classroom attention by using the “swashbuckling” history of the USS Constitution as a knowledge vehicle.
The Bicentennial of 1812
How much do your students know about the War of 1812? Find resources on the bicentennial of this often-overlooked war.
Abolitionist Speeches by African American Women
How do the speeches of Sojourner Truth and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper differ? Historian Carla Peterson examines documents for answers.
1804 Inventory
What can an inventory tell you about daily life in Delaware in 1804? Curator Barbara Clark Smith asks this document four questions.
Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener"
Is reading a piece of historic literature once enough? Not if you want to get the most out of literary sources.
1853 Daguerreotype
What does an 1853 daguerreotype have to say? Plenty, says Frank Goodyear, particularly about tourist culture and the rise of railroads and photography.
Film Review: The Alamo
Remember the Alamo! But what does the U.S. remember? Historical fact or historical mythology? Historian Stanley Corkin looks at the film The Alamo.
Slave Badges
Slave badges were used in Charleston to keep track of slaves. Can you build a lesson for 4th graders around them?
Tippecanoe and Walking Canes Too
A family’s oral history intersects with larger events in U.S. history.
Industrializing Women
Did industrialization result in more women working outside the home or in more women in domestic spheres only?
U.S. Naval Power, 1775-1815
Believe it or not, the U.S. wasn’t always particularly supportive of increasing naval strength.
Sewall-Belmont House Museum Collections
Allow the National Woman’s Party to show you their collection on women’s progress to equality.
Creating a More Perfect Union: 1861-1865
Interested in teaching about the Civil War from a maritime perspective?
DocsTeach
Team up with the National Archives and Records Administration to bring primary sources into your classroom!
Open Yale Courses
Looking for a little professional development? Miss your college classes? Try Yale’s.
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.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858
Compare Republican and Democrat accounts of the great debates.
Center on Congress
What is Congress? Why should anyone care?
Ron Gorr on Socratic Seminars with Primary Documents
Anchor Socratic seminars in primary sources and watch your students work together to arrive at historical understanding.
American Resistance to a Standing Army
Americans of the 18th century took a much dimmer view of the institution of a professional army than current views of the U.S. military.
Political Animals
A menagerie of terms for politicians, parties, factions, and movements.
In Pursuit of Freedom
Frederick Douglass approached the abolition of slavery from within the confines of the Constitution.
Divided Allegiance
Being born in the United States was not always a guaranteed path to citizenship.
Researching the Mexican American War
Whether you are writing a paper or just curious, here are some great resources on the Mexican American War.
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.
Practicing Medicine on the Presidents
When the presidents’ maladies threatened to affect their performance.
Keep Your Top Eye Open
Boston abolitionists on the lookout for slave-catchers in 1851.
Elizabeth Schaefer's Vocabulary in Motion!
As spring weather approaches, are your students getting antsy? Eighth-grade teacher Elizabeth Schaefer gets students out of their seats with American Expansionism.
The Ways West
How emigrants traveled from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1830.
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.
Stop Action and Assess Alternatives
Teach students to explore contingency with this great lesson plan idea.
The California Gold Rush
“Seeing the elephant” in California.
Selling a Slave
The obstacles and restraints on disposing of one’s human “property.”
Ron Gorr's Trifecta: Primary Sources, Technology, and Student Interaction in One Activity!
How can you bring 21st-century teaching into curriculum you’ve already developed and use? AP U.S. History teacher Ron Gorr substituted online and in-person research and discussion for a quiz and a lecture.
The Disaster of Innovation
How the cotton gin revolutionized the use of slaves and the production of cotton in the Southern United States.
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!
Turkey Tracking
Thanksgiving—how much do you know about the history of this popular holiday?
Causation: The War of 1812 and the Star-Spangled Banner
A great way for students to learn more about the War of 1812 and our nation’s emblem: the Star-Spangled Banner.
Trade Routes and Emerging Colonial Economies
The direct and indirect impacts of various trade routes during the 16th through 19th centuries.
The Barbary Pirates: Letter from Tripoli
Two letters from 1800 Tripoli lead into a story of piracy, privateering, slavery, international politics, and war at sea and on land.
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.
By the Numbers: Election Maps
What can historical election maps tell us? Take a look at the electoral vote for several 19th-century presidential elections.
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?
In Our Own Time: Native American Timekeeping
Pre-Columbian calendars were very different from the ones we use today. Are these statements about Native American timekeeping true?
Booth's Reason for Assassination
In an attempt to salvage a failed Confederate agenda, John Wilkes Booth swore to destroy President Abraham Lincoln’s policy of extending civil liberties to African Americans.
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.
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.
Presidential Moments: Inauguration
The first day on the new job is difficult for everybody—including U.S. presidents.
Presidential Moments: Inaugural Addresses
Can you match these famous first words with their presidential speakers?
Pre-Modern Pop Music
Before “pop” music reigned supreme, jazz and ragtime amassed great public popularity.
Dueling Logic
Pistols at noon, or handbags at dawn? Decode the Code of Honor by answering these questions on dueling etiquette.
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.
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.
Alien Invasions
For each pair of animal and plant species, identify the one that is not native to America.
American Personalities: Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty
Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty are popular American icons. How much do you know about their history?
The Many Roots of African American Cooking
Africa, Europe, and North America—mix, and serve. Explore the foods that African Americans developed in the colonies, and later in the nation.
Go West, Young Woman!
Men and women both settled the West. Answer these questions on women’s records of the experience.
A-mouldering in the Grave
“John Brown’s Body” keeps reappearing. What do you know about the song?
When Whales Lit the World
Up to the 20th century, whalers provided oil for the industrial revolution. How much do you know about these iron men and wooden ships?
Back to School
Binders, buses, and backpacks—consider the history of these back-to-school basics.
State of the Union
What can 214 State of the Union addresses tells us about American politics and rhetoric?
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.
African and Native Americans in Colonial and Revolutionary Times
African Americans and Native Americans have had a long and complex relationship, often characterized by their similar exclusion from the fruits of freedom envisioned during the American Revolution.
Bank Notes of the Second Bank of the United States
The impermanence of paper money was matched by the impermanence of the bank that issued it.
The Era of Reform
Was the antebellum period the height of reform movements in U.S. history?
Quebec City Fire
Were the great fires of 1845 the result of arson or accident?
PhilaPlace
Pennsylvania educators, or teaching urban history? Explore two neighborhoods in Philadelphia using an interactive map and more than 1,240 primary sources.
Mass Moments
MA educators—explore a historical moment (and accompanying primary source) for every day of the year.
Monticello Explorer
Can’t travel to Monticello? Take your students on a virtual tour of Jefferson’s estate with this website.
Lincoln Archives Digital Project
Surf an animated timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s life and times.
University of Wyoming Digital Collections
Wyoming educators, explore more than 10,000 primary sources on Wyoming’s 19th- and 20th-century history.
Ulysses S. Grant Digital Archive
Deepen your coverage of the late 19th century with the letters of Ulysses S. Grant, war-hero-turned-president.
Building the Erie Canal
Cutting through New York from the ocean to the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal changed lives.
A Clear Shot across the Continent
President Polk, the fortunes of war, territory, and the ever-present compromises of history.
Senatorial Division
A Congressional balance of power between North and South on slavery
The Mountain Meadows Massacre in Public Discourse
Examine this 1877 massacre from a total of 40 different perspectives.
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?
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.
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.
Presidential Patent
How many presidents have applied for and received patents?
Remember the Alamo
How did the Alamo happen?
Slave Receipts
What do slave receipts reveal? Ever considered using similar documents to teach?
Wisconsin Historical Society: Freedom's Journal
All 102 issues of the first African American newspaper conveniently presented in PDF format.
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.
Platte River Basin in Nebraska
Forty diverse documents about the history, geology, and hydrology of the Platte River, from 1843 to the present.
Library of Southern Literature
Full texts of more than 130 works of literature by more than 75 Southern authors.
Early American Newspapers: Series 1, 1690-1876
17th- through 19th-century newspaper articles from 23 states and DC.
Freedom and the National Debt
Old Hickory’s hard currency—what are useful focal points in Jacksonian-era economic history?
Frederick Douglass's Autobiographies
Use autobiographies to deconstruct views of slavery and historical heroes.
Narratives of Slavery
One institution, two very different perspectives. An expert contrasts records.
Daily Objects, 19th-century America
With the advent of industry and western expansion, U.S. businesses mass produced dreams of affluence and progress.
Jefferson's Confidential Letter to Congress
Jefferson, surprised by the Louisiana Purchase? Maybe not. Historian Leah Glaser looks at a letter from Jefferson requesting funding for the Corps of Discovery.
Savannah Images Project
A useful local history project which focuses on the history of Savannah and the Georgia coastline.
John Brown's Holy War
A variety of resources focused on the life and times of infamous abolitionist John Brown.
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series
View 22 census data samples and 65 million records from 13 federal censuses.
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!
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.
Death of the Dream: Farmhouses in the Heartland
Begin your background research on prairie farmhouses with this website.
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.
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.
Jewish American History on the Web
An impressive website for the study of Jews and Judaism in the United States.
Images of African Americans from the 19th Century
Your first resource for photographs and images depicting African Americans during the 19th century.
The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship
A comprehensive guide consisting of over 240 primary source items detailing African American history.
The Underground Railroad
Travel the Underground Railroad with this interactive website.
Mathew Brady's Portraits
A collection of portraits and photographs by acclaimed photographer Matthew Brady.
Map History/History of Cartography: The Gateway to the Subject
A collection of 3,000 historical maps and information about the history of cartography.
Oregon Trail
A companion site to a PBS documentary, this website hosts a wealth of information on the Oregon Trail.
John Brown and the Valley of the Shadow
A comprehensive collection of primary source materials which cover the infamous Harper’s Ferry raid.
U.S. Women's History Workshop
A collection of primary source material for teaching women’s history and mid-19th century culture.
American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920
What impressions did the average citizen or foreigner form of early America and its people?
National Geographic Online: The Underground Railroad
Would you have survived along the Underground Railroad?
Spain, The United States, and The American Frontier: Historias Paralelas
If you need primary sources on the Spanish in North America, try this site.
Federal Township Plats of Illinois, 1804-1891
View maps created during the early stages of surveying Illinois.
National Postal Museum
The mail always comes, rain or shine; but how?
Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition
What was said, written, and drawn about slavery? Gain a more complete image of the institution, its evil effects, and how it felt to be a slave.
Knowing Poe
Introduce your students to one of America’s great masters of horror.
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.
Freedom: A History of Us
What exactly is freedom, and who possesses it?
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Teaching Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War? Explore this storehouse of Lincolnian history.
Urban Planning, 1794-1918: An International Anthology
How did WWI affect urban development? How did it impact housing and business in the cities?
Streetscape and Townscape of Metropolitan New York City, 1860-1942
See uncommon photograph subjects for the turn-of-the-century, such as street peddlers.
Early Washington Maps: A Digital Collection
Washington was once part of an area contested for between the U.S. and Great Britain.
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.
Nineteenth-Century Texas Law Online: Gammel's The Laws of Texas
Delve into Texas law from early colonization through 1897.
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.
Digital Archive of American Architecture
Explore U.S. architectural styles and ornamentation, or date the buildings in your town.
Physical Sciences Collection: Surveying and Geodesy
What tools do men use to turn wilderness into private property?
Meeting of Frontiers
How does the settling of the Siberian frontier compare to that of the U.S. West?
History of American Education Web Project
Explore the history of education within the U.S, through writings and images.
Mark Twain: A Film Directed by Ken Burns
Enjoy an interactive experience depicting the life of Mark Twain.
George Washington: A National Treasure
What can you learn from the Lansdowne portrait of George Washington?
The Hartford Black History Project
Follow the formation of the African American community in the city of Hartford, CT
Lesson Plans Library
Hundreds of lesson plans, right at your fingertips. Incorporate them in the classroom.
AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History
One convenient source for major historical U.S. documents.
Washington During the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865
What did patent examiner Taft have to say on the Civil War homefront?
Lift Every Voice: Music in American Life
What work can be accomplished through music?
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.
The Yale Map Collection: Online Maps
What kind of map might you have used as an explorer? An early urbanite?
The Luso-Hispanic World in Maps
Peruse maps of Spanish and Portuguese colonization, exploration, and military ventures.
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?
Brooklyn's Eighteenth-Century Lott House
Conduct your own “virtual dig” of a Dutch farmhouse.
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.
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.
The Capital and the Bay, ca. 1600-1925
What picture have people painted of the Washington, D.C. in written works?
American Colonization Society Collection: Maps of Liberia, 1830-1870
View maps of Liberia acquired during efforts to restore freedmen to Africa.
Heading West and Touring West
View maps of the West, while simultaneously looking into the lives of traveling performers.
Democratic Vistas: The William Clyde DeVane Lecture Series
Look to the past to consider the prospects of democracy in the U.S.
Texts from Collections of the University of Wisconsin, Madison
Access a selection of rare 19th-century books online.
Keffer Collection of Sheet Music, ca. 1790-1895
What was popular music like in the 19th century?
Slave Movement During the 18th and 19th Centuries
Analyze data to understand the impact of slavery on the colonies and nation.
Private Passions, Public Legacy: Paul Mellon's Personal Library
Enjoy this sneak peek at the Mellon Collection of Virginia history.
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.
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.
Papers of John Jay
Read the correspondence of lesser known founding father John Jay.
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.
19th Century Advertising, Harper's Weekly
Can I interest you in a metallic artificial leg?
James Fenimore Cooper Society
Teenagers in love? By the author of The Last of the Mohicans?
Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Rare Books c. 1820-1910
Explore Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin life through rare books.
America Singing: 19th-century Song Sheets
How did people learn the latest music trends without electronics?
Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film
Do films capture your students’ attention? Introduce them to Roosevelt in motion.
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 19th Century in Print: Periodicals
What magazines do you read? What did people read in the 1800s?
The 19th Century in Print: Books
What were people reading around the time of the Civil War?
The Texas Constitutions Digitization Project
When was Texas part of Mexico? The U.S.? Separate?
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?
Presidential Elections and the Electoral College
Look to the Library of Congress for your election and electoral congress needs.
Florida Heritage Collection
Explore Florida state, regional, and local history.
New Perspectives on the West
Peruse lesson plans about the West on this companion site to a Ken Burns documentary.
River of Song
Follow the evolution of American music along the Mississippi.
Gold Rush!
Bring yourself up to speed on the Gold Rush, including the minorities involved.
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.
Across the Generations: Exploring U.S. History through Family Papers
Experience Caucasian, middle-class Northeastern life through the collections of four families.
St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project
Explore the largest collection of freedom suits available to U.S. researchers.
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.
FamilySearch
Begin genealogical projects on the right foot with these databases and tools.
The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden
Unsure how to teach presidential history in an engaging manner? Try these activities and lessons.
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?
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!
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!
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?
Voices from the Days of Slavery: Former Slaves Tell Their Stories
Hear the recollections of ex-slaves and freedmen in their own voices.
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.
San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection
Imagine San Francisco as it would have been as early as 1850.
Freedom Bound: The Underground Railroad in Lycoming County, PA
How did the Underground Railroad work? Listen to an insider’s story.
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.
Bethlehem Digital History Project
Imagine life as a Moravian in Bethlehem, PA.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
How can you incorporate digital technology into your teaching, study, or understanding of history?
Democracy in America: Alexis de Tocqueville
Visit this website to learn more about the United States during the time of Tocqueville’s landmark tour and book.
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.
Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
Visit the companion site to the Ken Burns documentary which chronicles the Lewis and Clark expedition.
NativeWeb: Resources for Indigneous Cultures Around the World
A unique website designed to foster communication regarding all of the planet’s native peoples.
The Internet African-American History Challenge
A great website for introducing African American history to young or new students.
The Alexis de Tocqueville Tour: Exploring Democracy in America
Everything you never knew you wanted to know about Alexis de Tocqueville’s trip through the United States. You’re welcome!
Seneca Village
One of the few resources dedicated to Seneca Village and the creation of Central Park.
Women's History: The 1850 Worcester Convention
Learn about the First National Women’s Rights Convention and the greater women’s rights movement.
Lewis and Clark: Maps of Exploration 1507-1814
Explore cartography and the exploration of the North American continent.
Mapping History
Explore American and world history through this collection of maps.
At Home in the Heartland
Learn about family life and social history in the northern Midwest.
The Five Points Site
Navigate a virtual exhibit of a 1991 archaeological undertaking.
The Digital Classroom
An informative introduction to the practice and excitement of historical research.
American Museum of Photography
View fantastic photography throughout the ages in over 15 exhibits.
Chickasaw Historical Research Page
Learn about the Chickasaw Indians, originally from the American South, with this website.
American Women's History: A Research Guide
Speed up your online search for resources on American women’s history with this research guide.
Third Person, First Person: Slave Voices
Explore American slavery through this website’s 33 primary source documents.
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.
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.
California Heritage Collection
View the early history of California through this collection of over 30,000 photographs.
American Originals
Explore 14 significant and compelling documents from the National Archive Holdings.
Views of the Famine
Explore the Irish Famine of 1846 through the eyes of Irish and English newspapers.
Women in America: 1820 to 1842
Peruse this website to explore comments made by Tocqueville, Beaumont, and others on the early 19th-century American woman.
Women's Studies Database
Your starting point for research in the field of Women’s Studies.
National Women's History Project
Start your research into Women’s history with the National Women’s History Project.
Children in Urban America: A Digital Archive
Imagine what it might have been like growing up over 100 years ago.
New Jersery History Partnership Project
Use New Jersey during the American Revolution as a national microcosm.
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.
Lest We Forget: The Triumph Over Slavery
Explore slavery in America from nine thematic perspectives.
Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive
Which ethnic groups have made their homes in the Columbia River Basin?
Rebellion: John Horse and the Black Seminoles
What role did runaway slaves and free African Americans play in the Second Seminole War?
Adams Family Papers
You probably know about John Adam’s political career, but what of the Adams’ domestic life?
Slavery and the Making of America
An extensive glimpse into slave life and the history of slavery in the United States.
Library of Congress: Webcasts
Access more than 500 webcasts from the Library of Congress.
Dolley Madison Project
Read the letters of Dolley Madison while learning about her life—from childhood to widowhood.
Vincentian Postcards
Explore 200 years of postcards which document the Vincentian religious order of educators and nurses.
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.
The History Box
Have a question about New York City or state history? More than 750 articles available.
Historic Pittsburgh
Acquaint yourself with Pittsburgh history through full texts, images, maps, census data, and lesson plans.
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.
New Jersey Public Records and Archives
Familiarize yourself with New Jersey history using images, maps, and official documents.
The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students at UNC
What did college students think about their lives and larger issues in the 19th-century?
Teaching Future Historians: U.S. History Lesson Plans Using Primary Documents
A diverse array of Antebellum, Civil War, and Gilded Age lesson plans for your convenience.
Silicon Valley History Online
Silicone Valley is known as a high-tech industry center, but has it always been?
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.
Walt Whitman Archive
Get to know the life, mind, works, and criticisms of poet Walt Whitman.
Historic Missouri Newspaper Project
Peruse articles, images, and advertisements drawn from 14 Missouri newspapers, 1835 through 1988.
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.
Tennessee Documentary History Collection, 1796-1850
Geared toward K-12 education, this site presents antebellum life in Tennessee through letters and images.
Stephen Foster's Sketchbook
Ever wondered what a composer’s drafts look like? View Foster’s sketchbook.
Dickinson Electronic Archives
Learn about Dickinson’s family through their own writings and wider critical response to her poetry.
Liberian Letters
What was life like for freed slaves returned to Africa? Read letters to former owners.
Dolley Madison Digital Edition
Read Dolley Madison’s personal correspondence from her youth through her widowhood.
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.
Home Sweet Home: Life in 19th-Century Ohio
Examine 19th-century domestic life through sheet music and audio song files.
Getting the Message Out! National Political Campaign Materials, 1840-1860
What were common presidential campaign strategies between 1840 and 1860?
Early American Imprints, Series II: Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801-1819
Uncover novels, readers, hymnals, almanacs, diaries, maps, treaties, and more from between 1801 and 1819.
American State Papers, 1789-1838
Access Congressional documents from the first 25 Congresses.
American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series I, 1760-1900
Explore American life through advertisements, literature, poetry, Civil War envelopes, and more!
The Lincoln Institute
Explore Lincoln’s presidency; and access related classroom resources, including lesson plans.
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 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.
Recovered Notebooks from the Thomas Harned Walt Whitman Collection
Experience personal accounts of Civil War hospitals and read poetry drafts in Walt Whitman’s journals.
George Catlin and His Indian Gallery
Explore the meeting of the Plains Indians and Anglo Americans through the fine arts.
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.
First Century of the First State University: The Creation of UNC
Primary sources document the history of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the first U.S. public university.
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.
Why Did President Polk Want War with Mexico?
During the 1840s, Manifest Destiny remained an effusive spirit rather than an agenda for empire.
Marbury v. Madison
Constitutional or not? Read about this 1803 landmark court case deciding issues of judicial review.
American Experience: We Shall Remain
Coming soon to your local PBS station: a new look at the Native American experience.
Another Kind of American Idol
Explore the history of America’s most iconic image—the American flag. But remember: lip-syncing is not allowed!
Lincoln Bicentennial: A Teachable Moment (updated February 24)
An ongoing reference to exhibits, events, lectures, reenactments, ceremonies, and other tributes commemorating the significance of Lincoln’s life and his presidency during this 200th-year anniversary.
Register for Your Virtual Seat: Smithsonian Education Online Lincoln Conference
If you missed this two-day online event, watch the videos from the Abraham Lincoln: a Smithsonian Education Online Conference on the website.
Save the Date! National Teach-In on Lincoln!
Register now for this program with expert historians geared for middle and high schoolers.
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.
Three Perspectives on Native American Removal and Westward Expansion
Check out this lesson on arguments surrounding the 1830 forced removal of the Cherokee peoples from their homeland.
Abraham Lincoln
This lesson leads students to see how Lincoln’s life in Springfield influenced important national issues.
Namesake of a Peacekeeper
Historians have attempted to account for the great admiration that whites had for Tecumseh.
Lewis and Clark: Same Place, Different Perspectives
How geography influenced interactions among Lewis, Clark, & Native Americans.
A Look at Slavery through Posters and Broadsides
How to identify the author, audience, date, and message of historical posters.
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.
Wright American Fiction, 1851-1875
Digitizing 19th-century American fiction, this site offers close to 3,000 texts by 1,456 authors.
Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection
With over 300,000 pages available for full-text searching, this is one of the richest collections of anti-slavery and Civil War materials in the world.
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.
Slaves and the Courts, 1740-1860
Delve into the complex history of slavery and the law with this collection of primary sources.
Rivers, Edens, Empires: Lewis and Clark and the Revealing of America
180 documents and artifacts interpret 19th-century westward exploration and the concept of Manifest Destiny.
Primary Documents in American History
The Library of Congress presents 35 of the most important documents from early American history.
Images of Native Americans
Illustrations follow European interpretations of Native Americans, through images from popular culture, literary and political observations, and artistic representations.
Dred Scott Case
Follow the proceedings of the Dred Scott case with facsimiles and transcriptions of 85 legal documents.
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.
Slavery in New York
Nine galleries explore the history of slavery in New York City.
Mexican-American War and the Media
More than 5,500 transcribed newspaper articles related to the Mexican-American War.
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.
First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820
Explore sources from the mid-18th-to-early-19th-century European migration into the Ohio River Valley.
Edgar Allan Poe
Annotated materials about Poe published during his lifetime.
David Rumsey Map Collection
More than 15,800 rare historical maps focus on North and South America.
Century of Lawmaking: Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873
Covers Congressional documents from the nation’s founding through early Reconstruction.
American Transcendentalism Web
Presents texts by and about the major figures of American Transcendentalism.
Abraham Lincoln Papers
Approximately 20,000 documents provide a window into President Abraham Lincoln’s life.
Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project
This site examines Illinois history and the life of Abraham Lincoln in the years 1831 through 1860.
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.
Documenting the American South
Nearly 1,400 documents covering Southern life from the 18th to early 20th centuries.
Africans in America
Trace the history of Africans in America through Reconstruction, with 245 images, maps, and documents.
Nineteenth-Century American Children and What They Read
Examines 19th-century children in America: what they read, what was written about them, and what was written for them.
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.
Map Collections: 1500-2003
16th-century to present-day maps, focusing on Americana and cartographic treasures.
American Shores: Maps of the Middle Atlantic Region to 1850
Explore the mid-Atlantic region with more than 1,852 maps created before 1850.
Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture
Explore Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin as the American cultural phenomenon it was.
Sunday School Books: Shaping the Values of Youth in 19th-Century America
Provides full-text transcriptions and page images of 1815–1865 Sunday school books addressing religious instruction for youth.
Lost Museum
Recreates the P.T. Barnum Museum as an interactive 3D exhibit and an archive of images, documents, accounts, and essays on 16 original Barnum exhibits.
Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music
Scanned images of more than 18,000 pieces of sheet music, including covers, published prior to 1923.
Daguerreotype Portraits and Views, 1839-1864
Examples of early photographs preserve the likenesses of cities, famous figures, and other subjects.
Trails to Utah and the Pacific: Diaries and Letters, 1846-1869
Get up close-and-personal with western migrants. Explore personal accounts of westward treks from the perspective of 45 men and four women.
Religion and the Founding of the American Republic
Explore the significance of religion in early American history and its influence on republican institutions.
James Madison Papers
Explore James Madison’s life through his correspondence, personal notes, drafts of letters and legislation, and legal and financial documents.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Peruse 11 exhibits, from the Gold Rush of 1849 to Japanese American internment during WWII.
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.
Thomas Jefferson Digital Archive
Peruse more than 1,700 texts written by or to Thomas Jefferson—from correspondence to books and papers.
Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Presents the complete text of the Nebraska edition of the Lewis and Clark journals, along with supplementary secondary sources.
Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: A Visual Record
Showcases more than 1,230 images depicting the enslavement of Africans, the Atlantic Slave Trade, and slave life in the New World.
Accessible Archives
Presents articles from 18th- and 19th-century newspapers, magazines, and books, with a focus on the Mid-Atlantic region.
Archive of Early American Images
Collects more than 4,000 images from books created in Europe between 1492 and 1825.
Making Sense of American Popular Songs
Don’t overlook song as a way of understanding the past.