Peter Karsten of the University of Pittsburgh outlines what he believes should be taught in schools about the wars the U.S. has participated in, including the effects of the wars on U.S. society and on the relationship of the military with U.S. society at large. This lecture was part of "What Students Need To Know About America’s Wars, Part I: 1622-1919: A History Institute for Teachers, held July 26-27, 2008 at the First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL, sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Wachman Center and by the Cantigny First Division Foundation.

Video and audio options are available.

Mark Grimsley of Ohio State University examines the military significance of the Civil War in terms of general U.S. military history, especially the ways in which it differed from other American wars. This lecture was part of "What Students Need To Know About America’s Wars, Part I: 1622-1919: A History Institute for Teachers, held July 26-27, 2008, at the First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL, sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Wachman Center and by the Cantigny First Division Foundation.

Video and audio options are available. Note that the "Listen to streaming MP3 audio" option links to a lecture on the Mexican-American War. However, audio is available by selecting "Download MP3 audio file."

Library of Congress historian Marvin Kranz discusses Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address, pointing out that research has revealed that some of the phrases in the speech were suggested to Lincoln by others, while at the same time praising Lincoln's self-taught prose writing style.

This lecture, created by the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, follows Abraham Lincoln's early life, including his family's arrival in Illinois, his first political campaign, his participation in the Black Hawk War, his time as a postmaster and surveyor, his election to the state legislature, and his beginning to study law. This lecture continues from the lecture "Lincoln's Biography, Part One: Boyhood and Migration, 1809–1830."

To view this documentary, select "Indian Fighting and Politics in New Salem, 1831-1836" under "Multimedia Slideshows."

This lecture, created by the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, follows Abraham Lincoln's life from his childhood years in Indiana to his family's move to Illinois. This lecture continues from the lecture "Lincoln's Biography: Introduction, Part Two."

To view this documentary, select "Boyhood and Migration, 1809-1830" under "Multimedia Slideshows."

This lecture, created by the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, outlines Abraham Lincoln's early years, including his childhood in Indiana, move to Illinois, participation in the Black Hawk War, election to the state legislature, work as a lawyer, political campaigning, marriage to Mary Todd, and reaction to the Mormon War.

This lecture, created by the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project, examines the role of women in 19th-century Illinois. It looks at the development of the idea of separate gender spheres of influence—work for men and the home for women; the application and adaptation of this idea in the frontier; the developing power of women in pushing for social reform; the status of Native American and African-American women; and the gender perceptions of Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd.

Smithsonian National Museum of American History curators share secrets of how they develop the individual stories presented in exhibitions such as "America on the Move." They then help students who are creating their own family stories by analyzing objects, documents, and other resources. This presentation continues from the presentation "America on the Move, Part One: Migrations, Immigrations, and How We Got Here."

To view this electronic field trip, select "America on the Move, Part Two: Creating Stories" under the heading "Electronic Field Trips."

Kathryn Kish Sklar of SUNY—Binghamton discusses the rising importance of successful schools in antebellum frontier towns and the feminization of the teaching profession that accompanied the new demand for teachers. Sklar also looks at the impact of the Second Great Awakening on the education of female teachers.

To view this clip, select "Education, Culture, and the Patterns of Frontier Settlement" under "Frontier Settlement Video."

Julie Roy Jeffrey of Goucher College discusses women's increasing involvement in politics in the antebellum U.S., focusing on their involvement in circulating and supporting anti-slavery petitions and publications and arranging events to support abolitionism.