This online exhibit captures daily life in two World War II Japanese Internment camps in America from 1942 to 1946 through 38 photographic images from the camps. The Tule Lake camp in northern California was one of the most infamous camps in which prisoners frequently conducted strikes and demonstrations to demand their release. The 28 photographs in the Tule Lake section, drawn from the Special Collections Department of the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library, are grouped into four themes: Living, Labor, Education, and Buildings. They document the arrival, work, schools, homes, and businesses of the more than 18,000 Tule Lake residents. The ten camp photographs from Topaz, Utah, donated by George G. Murakami, an American from Berkeley, California, who was interned at Topaz, are a more personal account of internment. These images include 1944 and 1945 graduation announcements from the Topaz Camp High School as well as photographs of Murakami's friends and the school football team. Also included is an image of a 1990 letter from President George Bush to former internees. This site is somewhat limited in selection and scope and does not include captions or descriptive notes for the selected photographs; but for those researching the lives of Japanese Americans during World War II, this site offers a compelling glimpse into their everyday lives.

On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, UT, a rail line from Sacramento, CA met with another line from Omaha, NE. When the last spike was driven, the Central Pacific became the first transcontinental railroad. This site provides a vast collection of online materials documenting the history of the Central Pacific Railroad and rail travel in general, as well as material on the history of photography. The site boasts more than 2,000 photographs and images, including stereographs by Alfred Hart and Eadweard Muybridge; engravings and illustrations from magazines, travel brochures, and journals; and more than 400 railroad and travel maps. Also included are more than 60 links to images and transcriptions of primary documents dealing with the construction and operation of the railroad, including government reports, travel accounts and diaries, magazine and journal articles, travel guides, and railroad schedules.

A separate section documents the Chinese-American contribution to the transcontinental railroad, including four scholarly articles, two links to Harper's Weekly articles and illustrations about Chinese workers, a bibliography of 15 scholarly works, and links to more than 20 related websites. Timelines on the building of the transcontinental railroad from 1838 to 1869, the history of photography from 1826 to 1992, and the development of the railroad from 1630 to 1986 also help to contextualize the history of the railroad in America. The volume of information on the home pages make this site slow loading, unwieldy, and confusing to navigate, and there are no descriptive captions or other information on most of the images. But the site is keyword searchable, and for those interested in the history of railroads, this site is certainly worth the time.

Designed around a sample American history survey course, this site offers 10 teaching units, each comprised of eight to 12 documents (texts and images), and introductory essays by various scholars. Additionally, some units provide manuscript sources from the University of Virginia's (UVA) archival collections.

The units, covering American history from the Revolution to the First World War, are uneven, and the teaching suggestions are sparse. Still, the materials here are useful as a general introduction. The site, which includes links to teaching and history resources, is a product of a 1996 summer seminar held at UVA.

Click "A Sample U.S. History Resource Course" to reach the available units.

Created by a Western history enthusiast and Swedish immigrant, this gateway provides more than 500 links to educational and commercial sites related to Western history. Topics include westward expansion, western trails, Native Americans, European immigration, women of the west, gold and silver mining, railroads, outlaws, cowboys, Roy Rogers, Buffalo Bill, and "anything of interest or of significance west of the Mississippi River." In addition, visitors can post their stories, reviews, and comments about Western history.

Created to celebrate the American West, this site lacks categories explicitly relevant to issues of conquest and colonization; however, its extensive collection of links is indispensable for students, teachers, and researchers.

Created by a tribal member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. From five sections--History; Images and Maps; Genealogy: Cherokee and other Native Americans; Books and Newspapers; and Related Links--users can access excerpts from 12 historical texts; 18 images dealing with Cherokee history; and seven maps. In addition, the site provides a bibliography of 18 books and newspapers on Cherokee history; information on seven relevant booksellers; and 43 links on such topics as Cherokee genealogy, language, and tribal organizations. A useful starting point for those interested in Cherokee history and culture.

This megasite brings together resources for teaching U.S. and world history from the far corners of the web. Most of these websites boast large collections of primary sources from the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, the National Archives and Records Administration, and prominent universities. There are more than 600 websites listed for U.S. history alone, divided by time period and topic: Business & Work, Ethnic Groups, Famous People, Government, Movements, States & Regions, Wars, and Other Social Studies. While most of these websites are either primary source archives (for example, History of the American West, 1860-1920) or virtual exhibits, many offer lesson plans and ready-made student activities, such as EDSITEment, created by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A good place to begin is the (Subject Map), which lists resources by sub-topic, including African Americans (67 resources), Women's History (37 resources), and Natural Disasters (16 resources). Each resource is accompanied by a brief annotation that facilitates quick browsing.

This archive of thousands of photographs, paintings, maps, and other primary documents on the history and culture of the trails of the American West brings together the "western trails" collections of the six libraries and institutions. The main features are exhibits and search function, but the site also offers some limited teaching resources. "Trails through Time Exhibits" features 10 exhibits on Native American, explorer, military, settlement, freight, cattle, railroad, tourism, health, and population trails. Each exhibit has a short essay, images, and links to related exhibitions and websites. "Western Trail Collections" allows the visitor to browse through 10 pre-selected categories or conduct a keyword search by creator, title, subject, or date.

The teaching section, "Trails for Teachers," offers one lesson plan for grades 1-6, two plans for grades 6-8, and two multi-grade level plans, all utilizing the collection's materials. Subjects include such diverse topics as ranch life and the early history of Jews in Colorado. A useful resource for researching the history and culture of the American West and for a basic introduction to the various movements in and across the West.

This archive affords access to the local history material and collections in more than 45 Michigan libraries, including photographs, family papers, oral histories, public reports, notices, and documents. More than 3,000 items are available, on a wide range of subjects that include architecture, automobiles, churches, cities and towns, commerce and business, factories and industry, families, farming, geography and landscapes, housing, schools, and sports and recreation. The time period of the material is primarily from the post-Civil War era to the early 20th century. The material can be browsed by subject or institution and a keyword search is also available. A useful site for researching the cultural history of Michigan and its localities.