September 30, 2025 This guide traces the history of ideological visa denial to explore the intersection between immigration law and the right to free speech. It includes: 1) An overview of the history of visa denial in early 20th century, which allows students to assess historical fears of radical immigrants through the close reading of a political cartoon. 2) A discussion of the denial of visas to communists and alleged radicals in the Cold War, through a classroom exercise and discussion of an excerpted newspaper article. 3) An assessment of the role of the First Amendment in challenging visa restrictions through a close reading of a Supreme Court decision in 1972.
October 18, 2024 Help students understand recent immigration history by exploring photographs of Asian immigrant communities in the U.S.
August 23, 2022 Primary sources from the Library of Congress help students explore a fascinating episode from U.S. history: the campaign to teach children to be more moral.
January 27, 2021 Students learn about the sixteenth president’s relationship with Jewish Americans and his policy of religious tolerance.
September 3, 2019 Analyze data from the U.S. Census Bureau in the social studies classroom.
September 5, 2012 What pushes and pulls people into new ways of life? In this lesson, students use artifacts, documents, and photographs to help them answer this question.
July 9, 2012 Where do Americans come from? Many places! Use these resources to teach immigration history.
June 25, 2012 American is built upon immigration. However, attitudes about immigration varied greatly from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
April 20, 2012 Students examine primary sources related to the life of an immigrant girl and her family to discover what life might have been like at the turn of the century.
March 9, 2012 Discover resources that will enable you to examine this unique area of American History.
February 6, 2012 These African American civil rights activists affected more than the U.S.
October 15, 2011 This site, produced by PBS, uses multiple resources to examine the history and influence of Jewish culture in the U.S.
October 9, 2011 There’s far more to West Virginia than stereotypes suggest. Why not take some time to explore the state?
September 23, 2011 Connect with your ELL students with this bilingual Puerto Rico Encyclopedia!
August 16, 2011 Go Where, Young Man?
June 28, 2011 Games can be more than mindless fluff. When content-rich, they can engage your students in learning during play.
June 23, 2011 Find a wide variety of classroom resources focused on social history, from classroom activities to primary sources.
April 11, 2011 Being born in the United States was not always a guaranteed path to citizenship.
March 22, 2011 Use this essay on Jewish immigration to flesh out a unit on the Civil War or immigration.
February 28, 2011 Kindergarten came to America in the 19th century on a wave of German Romantic Idealism.
February 3, 2011 How emigrants traveled from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1830.
October 28, 2010 The direct and indirect impacts of various trade routes during the 16th through 19th centuries.
September 4, 2010 Through performing art, U.S. minorities assert their identities. Answer these questions on multicultural music and theatre.
September 3, 2010 The Irish contributed more to the U.S. than shamrocks and folktales.
September 3, 2010 In the 19th century, no one expected Chinese food to take off in the United States.
August 3, 2010 At the virtual home of the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Culture, six exhibits highlight ethnic culture in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
July 30, 2010 From 1863 to 1935, this tenement building housed working immigrant families. View photographs of their lives, and engage in interactive learning opportunities.
July 28, 2010 The Bracero History Archive —a collaborative project of George Mason University, the Smithsonian, Brown University, and the University of Texas, El Paso—is an online collection of resources that documents the Bracero program, a guest worker initiative where millions of Mexicans came to work in American agriculture during the mid-20th century.
June 24, 2010 How citizenship determines eligibility for the U.S. presidency.
May 6, 2010 Washington State educators, bring diversity and reform activism into your classroom with resources on this civil rights movement.
April 23, 2010 Wisconsin educators, search the online collections of the oldest American historical society for primary sources.
April 20, 2010 Neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, father against son.
March 21, 2010 Examine this 1877 massacre from a total of 40 different perspectives.
January 29, 2010 Missouri teachers looking for primary sources, look no further. Explore this portal for resources from libraries, universities, archives, and heritage sites throughout the state.
December 4, 2009 More than 6,000 images related to U.S. social conditions and institutions.
October 23, 2009 On the trail of French Calvinists—apocryphal stories and actual immigrant populations.
October 7, 2009 View 22 census data samples and 65 million records from 13 federal censuses.
October 7, 2009 A comprehensive history of religion and major religious events within the United States.
October 7, 2009 Read this quarterly journal which focuses on a different topic in American History in each issue.
October 7, 2009 An impressive website for the study of Jews and Judaism in the United States.
October 7, 2009 Learn about the ethnically diverse history of Tucson, AZ.
October 7, 2009 A collection of primary sources detailing early Asian-Americans in Tucson, Arizona.
October 7, 2009 Explore the history of Florida folklife and culture.
October 7, 2009 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.
October 7, 2009 What was life like during Japanese American internment?
October 7, 2009 Frame your lessons on the Great Migration with the life and works of Jacob Lawrence.
October 7, 2009 See uncommon photograph subjects for the turn-of-the-century, such as street peddlers.
October 7, 2009 What questions have past censuses posed? What were the results?
October 7, 2009 How does an industrial past shape current work and play? How does it affect what professions still exist in cities?
October 7, 2009 What do Vegas showgirls have to say about their time in the city?
October 7, 2009 How does the settling of the Siberian frontier compare to that of the U.S. West?
October 7, 2009 Imagine traveling from a university to work on a farm.
October 7, 2009 How do Native Americans preserve their heritage in the world of today?
October 7, 2009 Hundreds of lesson plans, right at your fingertips. Incorporate them in the classroom.
October 7, 2009 Peruse maps of Spanish and Portuguese colonization, exploration, and military ventures.
October 7, 2009 There’s more to the West than cowboys.
October 7, 2009 How many hospital beds did New Orleans have in 1960? Was it able to accommodate the poor and sick?
October 7, 2009 Analyze data to understand the impact of slavery on the colonies and nation.
October 7, 2009 We all know the role of the wagon in westward expansion, but what of ships?
October 7, 2009 Relive the 20th century through iconic imagery—more than 70 photographs represent major U.S. events.
October 7, 2009 Right this way for Seattle and Washington state history resources.
October 7, 2009 Gain inspiration for new ways to approach political history.
October 7, 2009 Meet singer Florence Ahn, minister Soon Hyun, and others.
October 7, 2009 Explore Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin life through rare books.
October 7, 2009 View early films of New York City life.
October 7, 2009 Explore the history of Brooklyn, 1841 through 1902, with historical newspaper issues.
October 7, 2009 If you were a pioneer, what would you have to say about your schooling? Students take up their pens and invoke their democratic freedom of the press.
October 7, 2009 Create your own thematic exhibits using Library of Congress images.
October 7, 2009 Delve into more than 85 million records related to U.S. history.
October 7, 2009 More than 50 virtual exhibits ranging from Julia Child to West Point.
October 7, 2009 Looking for maps with an environmental focus? Try here.
October 7, 2009 What would your life have been like as a Belgian immigrant in Wisconsin?
October 7, 2009 What crimes are most common? What is the demographic composition of the police force?
October 7, 2009 Begin genealogical projects on the right foot with these databases and tools.
October 7, 2009 Discover blues, country, bluegrass, gospel, Cajun, Zydeco, Tejano, and Native American music.
October 7, 2009 Was Japanese American internment constitutional? Explore the Japanese American experience.
October 7, 2009 What on earth is “swamp pop”?
October 7, 2009 Explore the thoughts of Samuel F. Morse, artist and father of the electromagnetic telegraph.
October 7, 2009 Make this your first stop for topics related to Washington state history!
October 7, 2009 What did women think of their work at home, in the arts, and in business?
October 7, 2009 Try lesson plans based on the Library of Congress’ American Memory collections.
October 7, 2009 These curious photos created by the War Relocation Authority put a positive spin on Japanese American internment.
October 7, 2009 State standards require you to teach VA history? Worry not! This site covers Virginia history from prehistoric times to the present.
October 7, 2009 Take a look at the “Constitution State,” with approximately 14,000 images depicting Connecticut’s history from the 19th through the 20th century.
October 7, 2009 Imagine life as a Moravian in Bethlehem, PA.
September 10, 2009 An impressive gateway site for all humanities subjects.
September 10, 2009 Explore the clash of ideas and ideologies in early 20th century America.
September 10, 2009 Learn about the history of the United States up to 1815 with this website dedicated exclusively to early American history.
September 10, 2009 Midwest teacher looking for local history primary sources? Try these nine digital collections.
September 10, 2009 One of the few resources dedicated to Seneca Village and the creation of Central Park.
September 10, 2009 Navigate a virtual exhibit of a 1991 archaeological undertaking.
September 10, 2009 This gateway site provides a wealth of resources pertaining to the American West.
September 10, 2009 Learn about all of America’s most famous female writers of color with this comprehensive website.
September 10, 2009 History grab bag! This gateway site has an eclectic mix of over 1,000 historical sites.
September 10, 2009 Visit this website to learn the history of many of the 384 areas under the stewardship of the National Park Service.
September 10, 2009 Witness farming at the turn of the 20th century with this collection of photographs.
September 10, 2009 View the early history of California through this collection of over 30,000 photographs.
September 10, 2009 Explore the Irish Famine of 1846 through the eyes of Irish and English newspapers.
September 10, 2009 Use this site as a gateway to primary sources and online resources detailing Japanese Internment
September 10, 2009 Go back in time and witness the harsh conditions at Japanese Internment Camps during World War II.
September 10, 2009 Imagine what it might have been like growing up over 100 years ago.
September 9, 2009 Peruse this online exhibit on the history of Jewish life in the United States.
September 9, 2009 Which ethnic groups have made their homes in the Columbia River Basin?
September 9, 2009 Explore Jewish heritage outside of the Mid-Atlantic or the Holocaust.
September 9, 2009 Have a question about New York City or state history? More than 750 articles available.
September 9, 2009 View streaming videos on American folk culture from fox hunting to Zydeco.
September 9, 2009 What roles have Jewish women played in the Second Wave of feminism?
September 9, 2009 Texas educators, looking for primary resources on state history? Search this portal for thousands of images and documents drawn from Texas-based archival collections.
September 8, 2009 Familiarize yourself with New Jersey history using images, maps, and official documents.
September 8, 2009 A diverse array of Antebellum, Civil War, and Gilded Age lesson plans for your convenience.
September 8, 2009 Listen to, read, and sing sources from the Gilded Age canvassing women, religion, and more.
September 8, 2009 Did you know that Micronesia was once a U.N. trusteeship administered by the United States?
September 8, 2009 Silicone Valley is known as a high-tech industry center, but has it always been?
September 8, 2009 Primary documents, background information, and lesson plans for Wisconsin history.
September 8, 2009 Imagine your life in 19th and 20th-century Chicago with this extensive collection of images.
September 8, 2009 Explore the politics, neighborhoods, culture, and arts of Harlem.
September 8, 2009 What can oral histories tell us about girlhood, adolescence, and more in the United States?
September 8, 2009 Experience selected artworks by African American artist Jacob Lawrence while learning about his life.
September 3, 2009 Explore the assassination of President McKinley and the social context thereof.
September 3, 2009 Review litigation studies ranging from mental health facilities and jail conditions to equal employment.
September 3, 2009 Connect 20th-century events and daily life with real human experiences through oral history audio files.
September 3, 2009 Learn about Madison, WI, from early settlement through its time as the “queen of bootleggers.”
September 3, 2009 Can you imagine starting your life over in the U.S. following the Holocaust?
September 3, 2009 Interested in the history of tourism? This site examines the topic within Miami, FL.
September 3, 2009 Criminal history, the Jazz Age, and the Red Scare all in one legal case. Understand the early 20th century through the Case of Sacco and Vanzetti.
September 3, 2009 Did you know that adoption was only recognized as a legal U.S. operation in 1851?
September 3, 2009 Looking for a new way to teach history? Peruse new media and educational resources.
September 3, 2009 Sit back and enjoy folk and popular music recordings from 1930s California natives and immigrants.
August 26, 2009 Very few of us have ancestors who were not immigrants. Bring the topic of immigration to life.
July 29, 2009 An 8th-grade teacher asks: Was early 20th-century America a “melting pot” or a “salad bowl”?
July 16, 2009 Looking for ways to use fiction in your elementary history curriculum? Read on for suggestions!
April 29, 2009 Learn about the experiences of immigrants detained at Angel Island and how this impacted their opinion of the US.
December 17, 2008 Just before the Revolution, between 2,000 and 3,000 Jews lived in the colonies.
September 18, 2008 Ireland’s revolutionary struggle against Britain played out in North America as well as in Europe.
April 14, 2008 Traces the history of the eugenics movement in the United States.
April 14, 2008 In full-text narratives, more than 2,000 people from northeast Ohio discuss issues significant to the state and the nation.
April 14, 2008 Sixty-four photographs taken by Lewis W. Hine between 1908 and 1912 document child labor conditions.
April 14, 2008 History can be revealed through the study of maps, as these exhibits containing more than 600 maps and related documents explain.
April 14, 2008 Primary and secondary sources document the minority struggle for civil rights in Seattle’s history.
April 14, 2008 With over 126,000 photographs, maps, and other documents, this site offers a comprehensive look at the history of Los Angeles and southern California.
January 25, 2008 Memorializes Roland Marchand with more than 6,100 images, including more than 2,000 advertisements, and 48 lesson plans drawn from his collection.
January 25, 2008 Explore this archive of over 110 video interviews on Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
January 25, 2008 Browse more than 8,000 objects related to Chinese immigrant life in California.
January 25, 2008 Peruse this collection of over 900 items relating to Chicago’s Hull House to discover its influence on 20th century urban development.
January 25, 2008 Access 59 sound recordings of 1918-1920 speeches by American leaders.
January 25, 2008 Records of more than 25 million passengers and crew who passed through Ellis Island 1892-1924.
January 25, 2008 Provides full-text transcriptions and page images of 1815–1865 Sunday school books addressing religious instruction for youth.
January 25, 2008 Explore California from Japanese American internment or the Free Speech Movement to oral histories.
January 25, 2008 Peruse 11 exhibits, from the Gold Rush of 1849 to Japanese American internment during WWII.