Professor Lucas E. Morel looks at the history of slavery in the U.S., examining the Founding Fathers' attitudes towards slavery and the policies on slavery written into the founding documents of the U.S.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Monday, June 21st, 9:00 am-10:30 am session; and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.
An older version of this lecture can be found here.
Professor Gordon Lloyd looks at the Constitutional Convention and the debate over what form the new government and its constitution should take. He focuses on the Committee of Detail and the Slave Trade Committee. This lecture continues from the lecture "Constitutional Convention II: The Connecticut Compromise."
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Tuesday, June 22nd, 4:30 pm-6:00 pm session; and select either the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of text.
An older version of this lecture can be found here.
Professor Gary Quinlivan examines the economic conditions during the Great Depression, the New Deal policies that Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted in response to these conditions, and their effects.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the Monday, August fourth, guest lecture; and select either the RealAudio image or link to the left of the main body of text.
Professor Robert Alt examines the notion of limited government and how much the U.S. Supreme Court has held to this concept and contradicted it. He uses the 1995 U.S. Supreme Court case United States v. Lopez and the 1942 case Wickard v. Filburn, in both of which the Court used the Commerce Clause to allow the government power.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to the guest lecture after session six, and select the RealAudio link to the left.
Professor Ken Masugi looks at the functioning of the Supreme Court. He then examines the 1952 Supreme Court Case Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company v. Sawyer, in which the steel company Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. petitioned that President Harry Truman exceeded his presidential powers by instructing Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer to seize control of the U.S. steel industry, under wartime powers.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to session one, and select the RealAudio link to the left of the main body of text.
Professor David Tucker examines the presidency of Andrew Jackson and his image as a powerful, forceful president. Tucker looks at Jackson's veto of the Bank Bill; and examines the general perception of presidents—why they are perceived as they are, and what qualities are seen as representative of good "character" in a president.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to session 5, and select the RealAudio image or link in the gray bar to the left of the main body of the text.
Professor John Moser compares and contrasts the presidencies of Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, looking at how they are perceived today and why they are perceived in this way.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to session four, and select the RealAudio link to the left of the main body of text.
This lecture provides a narrative account of the rapid migration to and development of California during the Gold Rush years, from 1849 through 1884. It describes the wild scramble for profit, exploitation of resources, and relative lawlessness during the early years, while also emphasizing the role of farmers in the Gold Rush—first as supporters of the miners, and then in conflict with the miners.
To listen to this lecture, scroll to "Like America Only More So: The Origins and Power of California's Image," and select "Listen to Broadcast."
The Southwest branch of the National Archives provides access to documents—such as letters, photographs, architectural drawings, and maps—which originated from federal agencies and courts. Documents on the premises date from the 1800s to late 1900s; and were created in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
Areas of collection emphasis include Native American removal, westward expansion, Chinese exclusion, segregation, repatriation, the World Wars, economic history, oil, the Civil War, slavery, and the U.S. space program.
Groups and classes are welcome to visit—with advance notice—for activities such as research, tours, internships, exhibit viewing, lectures, learning to teach history with primary sources, and genealogy workshops.
Educators may be interested in available professional development workshops on archival holdings and using primary sources. If the workshop does not take place at the archives, travel expenses may require payment.
You may also want to check the main page for links to the latest annual K-12 education newsletters.
If you are looking for a way to bring the archives into your classroom, rather than taking your class to Fort Worth, several digital options are available. For one, you could make use of student activities, such as an examination of historical U.S. census documents. You can also explore lesson plans on the domestic slave trade or illegal Chinese immigration, created by teachers; or you can even submit you own, inspired by the archives' sources. Finally, you might consider scheduling a roughly hour-long distance learning program. Available topics vary, but all programs are document-based and provided free of charge.
Interested in art? Looking for more lesson plans? Consider taking some time to explore Art and Archives, a collaboration between the Southwest branch of the National Archives and the Sid Richardson Museum. The website defines primary and secondary sources, offers art and archival vocabulary lists, and contains a collection of lesson plans which utilize art to think about history. Topics include Lewis and Clark, westward expansion, the Louisiana Purchase, cowboys, Wounded Knee, and black soldiers in the Civil War. These lesson plans are generally for middle and high school students. However, a version of the Louisiana Purchase lesson plan is listed for grade five.
If you happen to be looking for federal primary sources from Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, or Illinois, a good spot to check is the Chicago office of the National Archives and Records Administration. Records available include bankruptcy records, Chinese Exclusion case files from Chicago and St. Paul, Michigan and Illinois Selective Service System Name Index records, and naturalization records. Other topics represented in the collections include, but aren't limited to, African American history, Depression era history, disasters, espionage, and maritime history.
Consider looking through the site's finding aids to get a sense of the collections available on location.
When visiting, be ready with an official photo ID and willingness to fill out a short form concerning your interests. Leave your pens behind (pencils are permitted), and prepare to leave your belongings in a locker or in your car.
Looking for more directed opportunities? Check out the archives' upcoming events. If you teach in Illinois or Indiana, you may even be eligible for continuing education credit.
In addition to the aforementioned public programs, there are workshops designed specifically for teachers. Find them (and more opportunities) under the Workshops heading.
Archivists are ready and willing to help your students define their research topics and select appropriate primary sources, for National History Day projects or other endeavors.