National Portrait Galley curator Sid Hart discusses Thomas Jefferson and John Adam's relationship, Jefferson's time as vice president, and his campaign for the presidency and contentious election.
In 12 short video clips, University of Maryland professor Whitman Ridgway demonstrates scholarly analysis of the Bill of Rights.
In 12 short video clips, ranging in length from approximately one minute to over three minutes, Brown University professors Gordon Wood and Michael Vorenberg look at the U.S. Constitution, the environment in which it was conceived, and its evolution over time. Intended to accompany the Choices Program's curriculum A More Perfect Union: American Independence and the Constitution, these clips may still be used independently.
Registration is required, but free.
In 37 short video clips, ranging in length from 43 seconds to over three minutes, scholars James Campbell, Keith Stokes, Joanne Pope Melish, Gordon Wood, and Michael Vorenberg look at the triangle trade that brought Africans to the U.S. as slaves and at perceptions of slavery in colonial New England, particularly examining the views of abolitionists. Intended to accompany the Choices Program's curriculum A Forgotten History: The Slave Trade and Slavery in New England, these clips may still be used independently.
Registration is required, but free.
Linda B. Osborne discusses her book, Traveling the Freedom Road, which draws on interviews with former slaves in the Library of Congress collections to convey the aspirations, sorrows, courage, and hopes of ordinary people living through this period. More than 80 archival images complement the text. Major events covered include the rise of the domestic slave trade, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Republican Congress' Reconstruction policies.
In this Face-to-face Talk, Ann Shumard of the National Portrait Gallery details the life of Samuel Morse (1791-1872), including his early interest in portraiture and art, his career as an inventor and his work on the telegraph, and his support of Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype.
Maurice Jackson discusses Anthony Benezet, the founder of the antislavery movement in America in the mid-1700s. Benezet believed the British ban on slavery should have been extended to the colonies, and worked to convince his Quaker brethren that slave-owning was not consistent with Christian doctrine.
Eighth-grade American history educator Eric Langhorst describes how he uses articles from a magazine produced by the Daughters of the American Revolution—American Spirit—in his classroom.
Historian Gary Nash serves as lead advisor for this professional development series that begins with pre-contact Native American history and continues through Reconstruction.
America's History in the Making is designed to enrich middle school and high school teachers' American history knowledge, while introducing teaching methods that will help them develop their own classroom applications. America's History in the Making is composed of 11 units, each containing video and text materials, Web interactives, and hands-on activities built around primary and secondary source materials. The materials can be used as standalone units or as a full four-credit professional development course.
Free registration is required to stream videos and download all workshop materials, including comprehensive facilitator guides. Certificates of Participation to those working in groups are available and may be used for inservice or recertification credit. Colorado State University offers graduate-level semester credits, for a fee, to those who complete the sequence of sessions and the required assignments.
Talking History's Fred Nielsen discussed the complex story of George Washington, and his action of granting freedom to his slaves, with Henry Wiencek, author of An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America.
To listen to this podcast, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select "MP3 Format" under "Best of Talking History Program 4: Washington's Slaves."