November 5, 2025 This guide explores the relationship between secrecy and the First Amendment by exploring two interrelated legal problems: the rights of leakers and the press to publish secret information; and the bureaucratic process by which information is classified as secret in the first place. These issues are at the heart of recent conflicts about whistleblowers and classified information – individuals like Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden have faced jail time for sharing secrets with the public.
October 20, 2025 This teaching guide includes a structured guide to explaining the case to students, a classroom exercise on the value of tolerating hateful speech, and a classroom exercise to think about the harms of hateful speech.
October 6, 2025 This guide focuses on the history of free speech in one crucial year (1919), exploring how one influential Supreme Court justice changed his mind about the value of antiwar speech and in the process wrote opinions that have shaped our attitudes to free speech ever since. It provides students an opportunity to see the First Amendment evolve at a crucial hinge in its history, and it also provides them an opportunity to think about how far the rights to free speech should extend during wartime.
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 10, 2024 Help students understand the how policy and structural forces have shaped how people in the U.S. access housing.
August 13, 2018 A series of five primary source based learning modules that encourage high school students to explore American history through the stories found in Alexandria National Cemetery.
September 26, 2013 How was the 1955–1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott covered in Montgomery? Take a look with this archive from a Montgomery newspaper!
November 15, 2012 Wisconsin teachers, bring the Civil Rights Movement home to your students with this archive of primary sources.
October 1, 2012 Who was Dred Scott, and what was the significance of his case?
July 5, 2012 Historian Tona Hangen takes a look at Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s three-part documentary on Prohibition.
June 29, 2012 Covering urbanization and industrialization? This homicide index can help students understand social changes and tensions associated with both.
February 10, 2012 Improve your historical analysis skills by learning about different types of causes and evidence.
February 6, 2012 These African American civil rights activists affected more than the U.S.
November 2, 2011 How did the World War II internment of Japanese Americans happen? Historian Frank Wu examines Executive Order 9066.
October 24, 2011 What would life be like without freedoms we take for granted—of the press, right to assembly, and more?
October 21, 2011 Guam is often left out of discussions of U.S. history. Remedy the situation!
October 16, 2011 The U.S. was formed on ideals, but how do these ideals manifest in reality? Are they ever at odds?
October 15, 2011 Humanitarian law and history are hardly mutually exclusive.
July 13, 2011 Looking for resources on the Constitution? What better place to look than a center dedicated to its legacy?
June 29, 2011 The Supreme Court is the final law of the land. Uncover its intricacies with this resource from PBS.
June 29, 2011 Union strikes. Murder. Itinerant songwriting. The life of martyr Joe Hill could hardly have been more dramatic or mysterious.
June 23, 2011 Watch some Texas history, submit your own, or learn to make local documentaries.
June 23, 2011 Peruse an extensive collection of pamphlets related to African-American life leading up to, during, and following the Civil War.
June 20, 2011 If you need a succinct copyright overview for your students, this is a place to start.
June 19, 2011 What is Congress? Why should anyone care?
May 3, 2011 Americans of the 18th century took a much dimmer view of the institution of a professional army than current views of the U.S. military.
April 28, 2011 Frederick Douglass approached the abolition of slavery from within the confines of the Constitution.
April 15, 2011 With the new film, The Conspirator , out in theaters, here are a few resources to help you explore the story of Mary Surratt and America’s first presidential assassination.
April 11, 2011 Being born in the United States was not always a guaranteed path to citizenship.
April 8, 2011 Learn more about the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
April 1, 2011 The agitation among women’s rights activists over the language of the 14th Amendment.
March 8, 2011 Absolving the guilty and punishing the innocent. Historian Elizabeth Reis looks at primary sources recording testimony in witchcraft trials.
February 16, 2011 Are you a Virginia educator teaching VA state history? My your task easy! Explore the Library of Virginia’s 70 collections of digitized primary sources.
January 15, 2011 The obstacles and restraints on disposing of one’s human “property.”
December 23, 2010 The Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
December 8, 2010 Daunted by teaching the Bill of Rights and its complex vocabulary to students? Middle-school teacher Christine Valenti explains how she introduces her students to the Amendments.
November 28, 2010 Was it illegal? Was it dishonorable? Was it a duel or was it murder?
November 21, 2010 Part of a series of laws that displaced Native Americans from land allotted to them through treaties with the U.S. government.
November 20, 2010 The influence of the booming rail system on the growth and development of three political parties in the late 19th and early 20th century.
November 8, 2010 Veterans Day is for everyone who fought for the U.S.—including those who volunteered in the face of prejudice.
September 8, 2010 Explore these online Constitution Day resources for September 17 and throughout the year.
September 8, 2010 Burn the witch! Discover how historical coverage of the Salem Witch Trials has changed over time.
September 8, 2010 Pistols at noon, or handbags at dawn? Decode the Code of Honor by answering these questions on dueling etiquette.
September 5, 2010 Stand up (or sit down) for better working conditions! Test your knowledge of strikes in U.S. history.
September 4, 2010 Shellfish pirates stole from the rich to feed themselves—and make a little money on the side.
September 4, 2010 The ship’s on her beam-ends and all’s lost! Test your knowledge of maritime disasters.
September 3, 2010 Equality requires more than a Proclamation. Try to answer these questions on Jim Crow.
August 10, 2010 Professor Meredith Lair examines a 1971 political cartoon and what it says about U.S. reaction to the My Lai Massacre and the trial of Lt. Willam Calley.
June 24, 2010 Their differing philosophies of government set the stage for the permanent growth of political factions.
May 6, 2010 This site contains sources covering and reacting to the deplorable 1898 massacre in Wilmington, NC.
April 30, 2010 Surf an animated timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s life and times.
April 20, 2010 To indict or not to indict? Watergate raised complicated questions concerning Constitutional interpretation.
April 12, 2010 Relive the dream of the women’s vote through roleplay or interfacing with primary documents.
April 12, 2010 Explore the ins and outs of turn-of-the-century labor law, business, housing, and immigration.
April 8, 2010 How many children were at work on the eve of World War II? What types of jobs did they hold?
March 16, 2010 Watch 4th-graders analyze cartoons about Virginia and Brown v. Board of Education .
February 1, 2010 Leading up to the civil rights movement in a high school class? Explore 700 primary sources that examine one 1920 case of fatal racism.
February 1, 2010 Everyday you read about local crime in the newspaper, but are the rates really going up?
January 30, 2010 The peculiar power of the press in America . . . what is the role of the media?
January 26, 2010 Forcing the issue in Bleeding Kansas. The Lecompton Constitution, slavery, and children born to slaves.
January 5, 2010 From John Jay to Sonia Sotomayor, the Supreme Court is the final word in law.
December 17, 2009 How did women suffer no suffrage through the 14th Amendment?
December 16, 2009 What do slave receipts reveal? Ever considered using similar documents to teach?
December 14, 2009 How did the Secret Service begin protecting our leaders and solving crimes?
December 1, 2009 460 documents and images on civil rights in Arkansas, from before, during, and after the civil rights movement.
October 12, 2009 A Cherokee Nation Supreme Court document reveals the fluidity of racial identity.
October 7, 2009 Explore the infamous Scottboro case through a variety of primary source documents and images.
October 7, 2009 Explore radical activism and 1960s culture through the trial of the Chicago Seven.
October 7, 2009 Learn about Andrew Johnson’s impeachment through contemporary accounts and resources.
October 7, 2009 Uncover the inner workings and history of the US Electoral College. Click here to explore!
October 7, 2009 Provides a wealth of information on US presidential elections, with a particular focus on the 2000 election.
October 7, 2009 Explore the history of 17th century New England and, more specifically, the Salem Witchcraft Trials.
October 7, 2009 Search this archive from the Harper’s Weekly for a firsthand view into Andrew Johnson’s impeachment.
October 7, 2009 Peruse this collection of recently declassified foreign policy documents.
October 7, 2009 How does a nation react, legally and politically, to international terrorism?
October 7, 2009 A hodge podge of history: England, Missouri, and the greater U.S.
October 7, 2009 Experience life in Colonial Williamsburg without visiting Virginia.
October 7, 2009 Explore the history of “the forest city.”
October 7, 2009 How did WWI affect urban development? How did it impact housing and business in the cities?
October 7, 2009 Compare perspectives on educational desegregation. How did it affect the community?
October 7, 2009 Delve into Texas law from early colonization through 1897.
October 7, 2009 Consider assigning contextual reports on the lives of individual slaves.
October 7, 2009 Explore the history of education within the U.S, through writings and images.
October 7, 2009 Follow the formation of the African American community in the city of Hartford, CT
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 What has the U.S. deaf population experienced?
October 7, 2009 Introduce students to 25 documents selected by the National Archives for their historical importance.
October 7, 2009 Look to the past to consider the prospects of democracy in the U.S.
October 7, 2009 Source documents to help you approach 20th-century feminism.
October 7, 2009 Explore California oral histories, or learn to conduct your own interviews.
October 7, 2009 Explore women’s political history and activism from the 1960s onward.
October 7, 2009 Read the correspondence of lesser known founding father John Jay.
October 7, 2009 Gain inspiration for new ways to approach political history.
October 7, 2009 What were people reading around the time of the Civil War?
October 7, 2009 When was Texas part of Mexico? The U.S.? Separate?
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 Explore the largest collection of freedom suits available to U.S. researchers.
October 7, 2009 Meet the Oneida, and discover their role in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.
October 7, 2009 What crimes are most common? What is the demographic composition of the police force?
October 7, 2009 Unsure how to teach presidential history in an engaging manner? Try these activities and lessons.
October 7, 2009 Was Japanese American internment constitutional? Explore the Japanese American experience.
October 7, 2009 How many female lawyers can you think of in U.S. history?
October 7, 2009 Examine the events which led to and the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education .
October 7, 2009 Explore Brown v. Board of Education through interactive activities and personal recollections.
October 7, 2009 Access the human stories of the civil rights movement.
October 1, 2009 Keeping businesses on the straight and narrow. Discover more about the Federal Trade Commission.
September 14, 2009 Did you know that there is a specific law enforcement agency for firearm recovery?
September 14, 2009 Can’t tell an affadavit from an acquittal? Learn the legal lingo.
September 10, 2009 A unique website designed to foster communication regarding all of the planet’s native peoples.
September 10, 2009 An informative introduction to the practice and excitement of historical research.
September 10, 2009 This gateway site provides a wealth of resources pertaining to the American West.
September 10, 2009 View primary documents that helped to shape America’s history.
September 10, 2009 Explore 14 significant and compelling documents from the National Archive Holdings.
September 10, 2009 Relive media coverage of the famous Lindbergh Trial through this Hunterdon County Democrat database.
September 9, 2009 An extensive glimpse into slave life and the history of slavery in the United States.
September 9, 2009 Immerse yourself in the historical struggle for the African American vote in Mississippi.
September 9, 2009 Have a question about New York City or state history? More than 750 articles available.
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 9, 2009 Why is Las Vegas one of the world’s most popular destinations? How has it changed?
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 Gold mining, though often portrayed as lawless, was, in some cases, big business.
September 8, 2009 Tie civics into units involving Native American history using relevant full-text legal documents.
September 8, 2009 Search news articles, court cases, journals, broadcast transmissions, polls, data compilations, magazine articles, and more.
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 Review litigation studies ranging from mental health facilities and jail conditions to equal employment.
September 3, 2009 Uncover novels, readers, hymnals, almanacs, diaries, maps, treaties, and more from between 1801 and 1819.
September 3, 2009 Learn about Madison, WI, from early settlement through its time as the “queen of bootleggers.”
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?
July 28, 2009 How many “yeas” and “nays” on the path to being a Supreme Court justice?
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.
June 4, 2009 Tom C. Clark served as Supreme Court Justice from 1949 to 1967, a time of legal shift and reform. Learn more about cases from these years from his papers.
June 4, 2009 The U.S. Supreme Court has shaped American ideals into practice since 1789, but how much do you know about this influential institution?
June 4, 2009 Intimidated by teaching legal history? Find resources for thinking about and teaching 17 pivotal U.S. Supreme Court cases at this site, designed for educators.
June 4, 2009 Decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court change history—explore historical and present-day cases on this website.
March 25, 2009 Constitutional or not? Read about this 1803 landmark court case deciding issues of judicial review.
March 23, 2009 Apportionment in the House of Representatives and pay raises for Congress fell by the wayside—at least temporarily.
December 8, 2008 Unforeseen events and potential crises forced politicians and lawmakers to devise backup plans for presidential and vice-presidential elections.
April 25, 2008 Think the “Join or Die” snake first appeared during the American Revolution? Think again!
April 14, 2008 Social science data offered to member colleges and universities here covers a range of sociological and political areas.
April 14, 2008 Traces the history of the eugenics movement in the United States.
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 Discover connections between race and place in this archive documenting the effects of Jim Crow on a Virginia town.
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 Four collections of data and documents address Federal Indian policy in the late 19th century.
April 14, 2008 Learn more about Emma Goldman, radical and feminist activist, through this collection of primary and secondary sources.
April 14, 2008 From the Ku Klux Klan to the IWW, examine 129 historical documents from radical organizations.
April 14, 2008 More than 1,800 primary sources provide a window into the Temperance Movement and Prohibition.
April 14, 2008 Delve into the complex history of slavery and the law with this collection of primary sources.
April 14, 2008 Follow the proceedings of the Dred Scott case with facsimiles and transcriptions of 85 legal documents.
April 14, 2008 View contemporary coverage of the Civil Rights Movement from two Roanoke, VA television stations.
April 14, 2008 Primary and secondary sources document the minority struggle for civil rights in Seattle’s history.
April 14, 2008 A variety of primary sources and background essays explore the 1911 fire, a hallmark tragedy of the industrial age.
April 14, 2008 The court proceedings surrounding the Haymarket Affair look at the event that led to the first “Red Scare” in America.
April 14, 2008 Primary and secondary sources examine the growing divisions in Kansas and the nation prior to the Civil War.
April 14, 2008 Nine galleries explore the history of slavery in New York City.
April 14, 2008 Documents the birth of the conservation movement through published works, manuscripts, images, and motion picture footage.
April 14, 2008 Covers Congressional documents from the nation’s founding through early Reconstruction.
April 14, 2008 Collects photographs, texts, and oral histories drawn from 15 Kentucky colleges, universities, libraries, and historical societies.
April 14, 2008 Explore the 15-volume Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, from April 1636 to October 1776 .
April 14, 2008 Trace the history of Africans in America through Reconstruction, with 245 images, maps, and documents.
January 25, 2008 Provides teaching and reference materials on the women’s rights movement of the past 50 years.
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 Houses more than 40 million pages from more than seven million tobacco industry documents.
January 25, 2008 Digitally serves thousands of formerly secret documents in compliance with Freedom of Information Act requests.
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 Explore this archive of over 110 video interviews on Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
January 25, 2008 Follow the contentious election of 1896 with close to 100 political cartoons related to the presidential campaigns.
January 25, 2008 Read about crimes committed in the former Confederate states between 1865 to 1868.
January 25, 2008 Experience firsthand accounts of Jamestown and colonial history, dating from 1570 through 1720.
January 25, 2008 Documents and analytical essays emphasize the social history of Plymouth Colony from 1620 to 1691.
January 25, 2008 The Washington Post looks back at the Watergate scandal in this exhibit of primary sources.
January 25, 2008 Digitizes Indian Affairs, a seven-volume compendium of treaties, laws, and executive orders relating to U.S.-Indian affairs from 1778 to 1970.
January 25, 2008 Examine segregation and desegregation through summaries and the court’s opinions for two major cases.
January 25, 2008 150 oral history interviews and 16 collections of documents address the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.
January 25, 2008 Ansel Adams’s photographs preserve life at the Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II.
January 25, 2008 Examine the verbatim transcripts of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.
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 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 More than 400 speeches by women—politicians, scientists, and celebrities.
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 Showcases primary sources from more than 3,300 Supreme Court cases since 1955.