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 17, 2024 Help students understand the events of 9/11 and how such events are commemorated via informal and formal memorials.
January 22, 2021 Help students make connections between religion, technology, and American culture in this teaching module.
June 13, 2019 Make large-scale historic events like the Holocaust personal with artifacts and stories from individual human lives.
December 3, 2012 Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1898. Why did it take more than 60 years for it become a state?
September 12, 2012 Discover the resources you need to “globalize” your U.S. history lesson plans!
August 17, 2012 Ninth-grade teacher Jamie Kimbrough asked her students to stand in Kennedy’s shoes. How did they decide to resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis?
June 1, 2012 Summer or winter, the Olympics bring together countries worldwide—including the U.S. How can you teach with Olympic history?
April 13, 2012 In this lesson, students will organize photographs both chronologically and conceptually in order to construct a narrative of the Holocaust.
March 26, 2012 The cherry trees in Washington, DC were a gift from Japan. What does their history tell us?
March 23, 2012 This site offers a grab bag of digital history exhibits. Definitely worth perusal.
March 23, 2012 How do people talk about and understand the Holocaust today in the U.S. and around the world?
March 22, 2012 Discover the rich history of DC’s cherry trees and what they reveal about U.S./Japan relations.
February 29, 2012 What did U.S. sailors mean when they refer to seeing “the meatball”? What did Japanese pilots think about the attack?
February 29, 2012 Letters from U.S. soldiers during the Philippine-American War reveal perspectives very different from the official language of liberation.
February 28, 2012 View testimonies on the Holocaust, create videos, and learn the importance of ethical editing.
January 25, 2012 How was the TV-viewing world introduced to the events of 9/11 in the U.S. and around the world?
January 18, 2012 Get out of the political arena and teach your students about the emergency response and human issues that resulted from 9/11.
January 17, 2012 Was Nixon as reluctant to initiate the Christmas bombing as his memoirs suggest, or was he as eager as he claimed Kissinger to be?
December 26, 2011 Get classroom attention by using the “swashbuckling” history of the USS Constitution as a knowledge vehicle.
December 26, 2011 If you’re searching for 9/11 materials, this website offers easy access to materials across the Library of Congress’s collections.
November 21, 2011 Diaries give a personal view of historical events. Historian Peter Hahn interprets the diary of Robert Ode, kept as he was held hostage in Iran.
November 18, 2011 Explore the rise of animosity between the U.S. and Japan through primary source documents and related classroom activities.
September 23, 2011 Connect with your ELL students with this bilingual Puerto Rico Encyclopedia!
August 25, 2011 Looking for official documents concerning the U.S. stance on terrorism?
August 25, 2011 View photographs taken by everyday people as they came to terms with the 9/11 attacks, or watch oral histories.
July 14, 2011 What coverage did websites give the 9/11 attacks?
July 14, 2011 Access children’s pictures and Italian oral histories regarding 9/11, among other sources.
July 14, 2011 What does our choice of memorial design say about the U.S. today?
June 23, 2011 Watch some Texas history, submit your own, or learn to make local documentaries.
June 23, 2011 Looking for a little professional development? Miss your college classes? Try Yale’s.
June 23, 2011 Find a wide variety of classroom resources focused on social history, from classroom activities to primary sources.
June 21, 2011 What role did Virginia play in defining the U.S. and upholding rights we now consider basic and essential?
May 12, 2011 Scratch the surface of Asian Pacific American history this May, and keep digging.
April 11, 2011 Being born in the United States was not always a guaranteed path to citizenship.
March 29, 2011 What happens when cartoon characters go to war?
March 29, 2011 Re-enact the Paris Peace Conference with your students, and let them experience dissatisfaction (or satisfaction) with the results themselves.
March 18, 2011 With the Mar. 11 earthquake in Japan, your students may be asking about international aid. Here are some places to start learning about when and why the U.S. helps.
March 7, 2011 In 1854, Japan signed a treaty with the U.S. How did the U.S. and Japan see each other during this exchange?
February 28, 2011 Allow students to explore historical events through multiple perspectives with this lesson.
February 4, 2011 As spring weather approaches, are your students getting antsy? Eighth-grade teacher Elizabeth Schaefer gets students out of their seats with American Expansionism.
February 1, 2011 George Washington’s military career and reputation were not pure successes. His military losses caused some to question his ability to lead a nation.
January 21, 2011 How political cartoons illustrate international events and the artists beliefs.
January 12, 2011 Segregation and equality in America was a case of double standards.
November 10, 2010 Immerse your students in World War II battles, veterans, and services for Veteran’s Day projects with these handy websites.
November 9, 2010 Websites that assist students in compiling information on WWII battles, veterans, and services for Veteran’s Day projects.
October 28, 2010 The direct and indirect impacts of various trade routes during the 16th through 19th centuries.
October 26, 2010 How do you teach the effects of WWI on art and literature? Transforming a content standard into a solid lesson plan.
October 20, 2010 Two letters from 1800 Tripoli lead into a story of piracy, privateering, slavery, international politics, and war at sea and on land.
September 30, 2010 Eighth-grade U.S. history teacher Elizabeth Schaefer introduces students to interview techniques and historical thinking with a lesson on 9/11.
September 16, 2010 Paring down a larger idea to answer one specific question.
September 15, 2010 Politicians get hot under the collar when discussing the hottest of topics—the sun’s light. Which statements about Daylight Saving Time are true?
September 15, 2010 Daughters of rulers and subjects of history…are these statements on women of monarchical lineage true or false?
September 9, 2010 The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the greatest conflicts between the US and Cuba. How did both nations interpret the Crisis?
July 7, 2010 Teaching modern presidencies and politics? Take advantage of the virtual resources of the Foundation and Library.
May 11, 2010 Teaching Watergate? Introduce students to the Nixon tapes with more than 2,000 hours of recordings.
April 12, 2010 Did Revere’s ride really look like that? Use historical documents to analyze flights of artistic fancy.
April 8, 2010 President Polk, the fortunes of war, territory, and the ever-present compromises of history.
April 8, 2010 Looking for the Red in the Red, White, and Blue?
April 8, 2010 Creating political blowback in the Middle East
February 1, 2010 Isolated and expansive at the same time.
January 18, 2010 T Roosevelt: “Let us pay with our bodies for our souls’ desire.”
December 8, 2009 Find out how to pronounce tricky names, and listen to official international radio programs.
December 2, 2009 When unit planning is daunting, look to exceptional examples online.
November 25, 2009 More than 355,000 items produced by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, from 1817-1994.
November 20, 2009 This presidential library presents sources from the 35th President’s life and times.
October 7, 2009 The largest collection of original Jefferson documents in the world. Really, we’re serious.
October 7, 2009 Visit the Gerald Ford Presidential Library for a wealth of resources regarding Ford’s presidency.
October 7, 2009 An extensive collection of primary documents pertaining to the American withdrawal from Vietnam.
October 7, 2009 The companion site to a PBS documentary, this website is a useful resource for scholars of the American Revolution.
October 7, 2009 This website gives a broad introduction to the Marshall Plan and is home to over 30 primary sources.
October 7, 2009 A companion site to a PBS series, this website contains a wealth of resources relating to Vietnam.
October 7, 2009 An oral history of 1968, as told by a variety of Rhode Island residents, focusing on Civil Rights and Vietnam.
October 7, 2009 Listen to four telephone conversations recorded by Lyndon B. Johnson related to the Vietnam War.
October 7, 2009 Peruse this collection of recently declassified foreign policy documents.
October 7, 2009 A recently declassified study on the CIA’s intelligence assessments concerning Vietnam.
October 7, 2009 Looking for a one-stop spot for all your quick 1639-1800 research needs?
October 7, 2009 How does a nation react, legally and politically, to international terrorism?
October 7, 2009 What was the nature of Nixon and Echeverria’s political relationship?
October 7, 2009 If you need primary sources on the Spanish in North America, try this site.
October 7, 2009 Explore World War II’s color film footage.
October 7, 2009 Compare U.S. and Hawaiian opinion on Hawaiian annexation.
October 7, 2009 Discover the men, ideas, and process behind discovering that mosquitoes transfer yellow fever.
October 7, 2009 A hodge podge of history: England, Missouri, and the greater U.S.
October 7, 2009 How did World War I effect the lives of the everyday North Carolinian?
October 7, 2009 Experience life in Colonial Williamsburg without visiting Virginia.
October 7, 2009 Peruse this national source for all things Eisenhower.
October 7, 2009 See how the federal government promoted nationalism in a widespread media movement.
October 7, 2009 Read up on the NRO, NSA, and the use of satellite imaging for intelligence collection.
October 7, 2009 Trace U.S.-China relations from the 60s through present day.
October 7, 2009 How does the settling of the Siberian frontier compare to that of the U.S. West?
October 7, 2009 Examine the impact of Robert F. Kennedy’s anti-apartheid trip to South Africa.
October 7, 2009 What goes through the mind of a Nobel-prize winning chemist?
October 7, 2009 Hundreds of lesson plans, right at your fingertips. Incorporate them in the classroom.
October 7, 2009 One convenient source for major historical U.S. documents.
October 7, 2009 View political cartoons by Herbert Block, father of the term, “McCarthyism.”
October 7, 2009 Project “Acoustic Kitty,” anyone? With different code names for missions, the CIA has shielded some vital information from the public.
October 7, 2009 Explore one of the country’s least discussed major military conflicts, the Korean War.
October 7, 2009 Introduce students to 25 documents selected by the National Archives for their historical importance.
October 7, 2009 James Bond, anyone? Delve into the States’ history of espionage.
October 7, 2009 Browse a wealth of memos from the Kennedy administration.
October 7, 2009 Look to the past to consider the prospects of democracy in the U.S.
October 7, 2009 What did the U.S. government think of its own attempt to overthrow Castro?
October 7, 2009 Looking for historical economics statistics? The NBER Macrohistory Database should be a central resource for you.
October 7, 2009 Read the correspondence of lesser known founding father John Jay.
October 7, 2009 Compare global statistics on topics from infant mortality to literacy.
October 7, 2009 From telegrams to meeting notes, this site catalogs Cuban Missile Crisis documents.
October 7, 2009 Meet singer Florence Ahn, minister Soon Hyun, and others.
October 7, 2009 For your eyes only: photos and previously classified Cold War documents.
October 7, 2009 Do films capture your students’ attention? Introduce them to Roosevelt in motion.
October 7, 2009 Have you ever wondered about the international politics of Puerto Rico?
October 7, 2009 When was Texas part of Mexico? The U.S.? Separate?
October 7, 2009 We all remember the Lorax, but who remembers Seuss’s political cartoons?
October 7, 2009 Brush up on your understanding of international relations with these interviews.
October 7, 2009 Explore the history of Brooklyn, 1841 through 1902, with historical newspaper issues.
October 7, 2009 Read official documents on U.S. intelligence and positions from the Cold War through present day.
October 7, 2009 Hear the conviction and charisma of seven renowned turn-of-the-century speakers.
October 7, 2009 Take a peek at Seattle protest history through the WTO Ministerial Week.
October 7, 2009 Meet the Oneida, and discover their role in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.
October 7, 2009 Try lesson plans based on the Library of Congress’ American Memory collections.
October 7, 2009 A highly comprehensive look at the Vietnam War.
October 7, 2009 How are Brazil and the U.S. similar? How are they different?
October 7, 2009 Did you know that Kennedy considered softening the national platform on Cuba?
October 7, 2009 Explore French Louisiana, Canada, and the Great Lakes region.
September 24, 2009 Follow the development of Weapons of Mass Destruction through the protection of the people of the U.S.
September 14, 2009 Did you know that there is a specific law enforcement agency for firearm recovery?
September 10, 2009 Learn about the Hard Hat Riots of New York with this innovative website.
September 10, 2009 Visit this website to learn more about the United States during the time of Tocqueville’s landmark tour and book.
September 10, 2009 A good starting point for student research regarding the Vietnam War and its aftermath.
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 A unique website designed to foster communication regarding all of the planet’s native peoples.
September 10, 2009 A collection of Soviet archival documents which take visitors inside the highest levels of the Soviet Government.
September 10, 2009 An informative introduction to the practice and excitement of historical research.
September 10, 2009 View primary documents that helped to shape America’s history.
September 10, 2009 Witness the U.S. Army’s occupation of Bohol through the eyes of officer George Percival Scriven.
September 10, 2009 A collection of primary sources detailing the American war effort in World War II.
September 10, 2009 Learn about Jefferson’s political views through this collection of quotations from his writings.
September 10, 2009 Explore 14 significant and compelling documents from the National Archive Holdings.
September 10, 2009 Learn about Hiroshima and the history of nuclear warfare and non-proliferation through this website.
September 10, 2009 View rare photographs of Nagasaki which chronicle the destructive power of nuclear warfare.
September 10, 2009 Visit Trenches on the Web for all your World War I research needs.
September 10, 2009 Visit this website for a comprehensive introduction to the Vietnam War.
September 10, 2009 View documents relating to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
September 9, 2009 Explore campus protest ephemera and the youth movements of the 1960s and 70s.
September 9, 2009 You probably know about John Adam’s political career, but what of the Adams’ domestic life?
September 9, 2009 Fortify your knowledge of Eisenhower’s international and domestic policies.
September 9, 2009 Get to know Benjamin Franklin through his own writings, cartoons, and letters.
September 9, 2009 Ever wonder what lunar surface crew members and mission control said to each other?
September 9, 2009 Access more than 500 webcasts from the Library of Congress.
September 8, 2009 Did you know that Micronesia was once a U.N. trusteeship administered by the United States?
September 8, 2009 What alternatives were suggested to dropping nuclear weapons on Japan? What is radiation poisoning?
September 8, 2009 Explore the official beginning of U.S.-Japan international relations.
September 8, 2009 Do you think armed resistance is a justifiable reaction to racism? Explore Rob William’s motives.
September 8, 2009 Read Dolley Madison’s personal correspondence from her youth through her widowhood.
September 8, 2009 Inspect nine early land dispute treaties between the Native Americans and the British or U.S.
September 3, 2009 How did recreational drug use grow into a U.S. drug culture? How did it become such a hot topic and a social concern?
September 3, 2009 Explore the assassination of President McKinley and the social context thereof.
September 3, 2009 Access Congressional documents from the first 25 Congresses.
September 3, 2009 Explore the positions and words of a former PA Governor and Attorney General.
September 3, 2009 Brush up on your knowledge of Carter’s staff, family, and the events of his administration.
September 3, 2009 What better way to explore Johnson’s presidency than through the words of his associates?
August 5, 2009 You’ve seen spy movies, but what is the real history of U.S. intelligence operations?
August 5, 2009 Who protects U.S. interests in international and domestic waters?
July 21, 2009 Increase your knowledge of the people, past, and technology of the United States Army.
July 16, 2009 Looking for ways to use fiction in your elementary history curriculum? Read on for suggestions!
June 4, 2009 In 1971, the “Pentagon Papers” formed the center of a legal debate over freedom of speech. Follow the Supreme Court’s process and decisions.
November 20, 2008 In Hawaii today, a large number of people might be considered heirs or pretenders to the Hawaiian throne, were it ever to be revived.
November 20, 2008 To some extent, the Boston Tea Party was the result of unintended consequences.
October 23, 2008 Documents and audio files explain the range of early political viewpoints on the League of Nations.
September 18, 2008 Ireland’s revolutionary struggle against Britain played out in North America as well as in Europe.
April 14, 2008 Explore the cultural, intellectual, and political trends of the 1950s in a diverse array of primary and secondary sources.
April 14, 2008 Social science data offered to member colleges and universities here covers a range of sociological and political areas.
April 14, 2008 Covering 1945 through the late 1990s, sources from the former Communist bloc provide a different perspective on the Cold War.
April 14, 2008 Participants in Operation Desert Storm talk about their experiences in oral history interviews.
April 14, 2008 Pamphlets and documents from 1875 to 1900 highlight African American leaders and organizations.
April 14, 2008 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.
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 From environmental agreements to rules of warfare, read the text of international multilateral treaties, agreements, and conventions.
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 Secondary and primary sources describe 13 African American migration experiences.
April 14, 2008 In French and English, explore the history of the French in North America from the 1500s through the 1800s.
April 14, 2008 Government documents, oral histories, photographs, and political cartoons trace Harry S. Truman’s presidency.
April 14, 2008 Follow historical trends in national, international, and regional economic activity using the Bureau’s data.
April 14, 2008 See how early film was used to capture and communicate the Spanish-American War.
April 14, 2008 Presents the life and work of black activist Marcus Garvey, leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).
April 14, 2008 Listen to clips from more than 100,000 recordings of Mexican American vernacular music.
April 14, 2008 Covering topics ranging from the annexation of Hawaii to World War II, 29 collections document the history of Hawaii and Micronesia.
April 14, 2008 This database of images literally offers snapshots of late 19th to early 20th century America.
April 14, 2008 Explore the life and works of one of the most famous revolutionaries—Thomas Paine.
April 14, 2008 Nine galleries explore the history of slavery in New York City.
April 14, 2008 More than 5,500 transcribed newspaper articles related to the Mexican-American War.
April 14, 2008 More than 15,800 rare historical maps focus on North and South America.
April 14, 2008 Explore the 15-volume Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, from April 1636 to October 1776 .
April 14, 2008 Showcases archaeological excavations at Mobile and elsewhere in Alabama through images and exhibits.
April 14, 2008 More than 30 letters cover conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812 to war in Iraq.
April 14, 2008 Trace the history of Africans in America through Reconstruction, with 245 images, maps, and documents.
January 25, 2008 Listen to oral history interviews with Americans who served overseas and on the home front during World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the Cold War.
January 25, 2008 Displays 416 situation maps from World War II.
January 25, 2008 Offers 45 mini-monographs on U.S. women’s history, each organized around an analytical question concerning a social movement.
January 25, 2008 Primary sources point out cultural connections between the experiences of African and Irish Americans.
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 Browse through a multitude of resources on Vietnam and the Vietnam War, including oral histories, video interviews, and primary source documents.
January 25, 2008 Digitized versions of 20 volumes of Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, from 1992 to 2004.
January 25, 2008 16th-century to present-day maps, focusing on Americana and cartographic treasures.
January 25, 2008 View 150 cartoons drawn between 1929 and 2000 by Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Herbert Block.
January 25, 2008 Digitally serves thousands of formerly secret documents in compliance with Freedom of Information Act requests.
January 25, 2008 Offers over 2,500 hours of White House recordings by six American presidents between 1940 and 1973.
January 25, 2008 More than 350 recently declassified documents reveal previously hidden aspects of Cold War military strategy.
January 25, 2008 Provides access to facsimiles of 100 declassified documents relating to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
January 25, 2008 Captures significant events and personalities of the 20th century through 107 audio items, including speeches, addresses, and private telephone conversations.
January 25, 2008 Presents four guided investigations—on the Spanish-American War, the Scopes Trial, Social Security, and Rosa Parks—designed to teach students to read primary sources and construct historical narratives.
January 25, 2008 Includes more than 300 U.S. government pamphlets and books on home front issues from World War II.
January 25, 2008 Presents video and audio oral histories and additional material from American veterans of 20th-century wars.
January 25, 2008 Listen to more than 12 hours of oral interviews taken in the first three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
January 25, 2008 A wonderful collection of chronologies, images, maps, and other materials on the Spanish-American War.
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 Explore the mid-Atlantic region with more than 1,852 maps created before 1850.
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 Archives more than 7,000 newspaper and magazine advertisements printed in the U.S. from 1911 to 1955.
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 Scanned images of more than 18,000 pieces of sheet music, including covers, published prior to 1923.
January 25, 2008 Peruse 60 primary and secondary materials concerning the voyages of Sir Francis Drake.
January 25, 2008 Documents the 1704 raid on Deerfield, MA, by 300 French and their Native American allies.
January 25, 2008 Presents digitized selections from the official record of major declassified U.S. foreign policy decisions and diplomatic activity.
January 25, 2008 Peruse 11 exhibits, from the Gold Rush of 1849 to Japanese American internment during WWII.
January 25, 2008 The Holocaust must be remembered. This site will give your students a closer look at the atrocities of this genocide.
January 25, 2008 Peruse every edition of the “official newspaper” of the U.S. Army fighting forces during World War I.
January 25, 2008 This site showcases over 8,000 images documenting the history and development of South Texas and the border.
January 25, 2008 Explore this archive of over 900 images by American photographer, William Henry Jackson.
January 25, 2008 Ansel Adams’s photographs preserve life at the Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II.
January 25, 2008 Provides transcriptions and images of more than 4,000 newspaper advertisements for runaway slaves and indentured servants between 1736 and 1803.
January 25, 2008 Showcases more than 1,230 images depicting the enslavement of Africans, the Atlantic Slave Trade, and slave life in the New World.
January 25, 2008 Presents 100 milestone documents in American history, from the Richard Henry Lee Resolution of June 7, 1776, to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
January 25, 2008 Houses more than 3,500 full-text documents addressing the legal, economic, and political history of the U.S.
January 25, 2008 Collects more than 4,000 images from books created in Europe between 1492 and 1825.