Digital Public Library of America
Search more than 4,500,000 primary sources from across the country from one website!
Guampedia
Guam is often left out of discussions of U.S. history. Remedy the situation!
Hope for America
Do you want to use humor to your advantage in the classroom? Hope for America examines comedy and satire in American popular culture and its influence on political history.
Shays' Rebellion and the Making of a Nation
Engage your students in historical thinking with this interactive site on the rebellion led by Daniel Shays.
Joe Hill
Union strikes. Murder. Itinerant songwriting. The life of martyr Joe Hill could hardly have been more dramatic or mysterious.
DocsTeach
Team up with the National Archives and Records Administration to bring primary sources into your classroom!
HERB: Social History for Every Classroom
Find a wide variety of classroom resources focused on social history, from classroom activities to primary sources.
New York Philharmonic Digital Archives
Sift through the music and entertainment of the past.
Shaping the Constitution
What role did Virginia play in defining the U.S. and upholding rights we now consider basic and essential?
National Jukebox
Dance the jitterbug, or enjoy lunch break to the sounds of a brass band.
Slavery in Canada
Slavery in Canada? Who were these people? What were their lives like?
Children and Youth in History
Bring history home to young students with sources they can relate to—and prompt older students to think about the construction of concepts like “child” and “teenager.”
Paul Laurence Dunbar Digital Collection
Read the books and poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar, internationally famous African American writer.
Ulysses S. Grant Digital Archive
Deepen your coverage of the late 19th century with the letters of Ulysses S. Grant, war-hero-turned-president.
Tennessee 4 Me
Three years in the making, this project of the Tennessee State Museum outlines TN state history from pre-history to the present.
Old Time Radio
Let your students compare the entertainment of yesteryear—radio—with the TV shows and other media in their homes today.
The Leonard Bernstein Collection, ca.1920-1989
An extensive collection of primary resources concerning renowned composer Leonard Bernstein.
Band Music from the Civil War Era
Listen to an overview of popular brass band music from the Civil War era.
Now What a Time : Blues, Gospel, and the Fort Valley Music Festivals, 1938-1943
Listen to African American Blues from the Fort Valley Music Festivals of 1938-1943.
African American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
View 1,300 pieces of sheet music composed by and about African Americans.
Mr. Lincoln's Virtual Library
A keyword-searchable archive containing over 2,000 of Abraham Lincoln’s papers.
Marian Anderson: A Life in Song
Travel through the life and works of Marion Anderson with this online exhibit.
Virginia Historical Society
View the Virginia Historical Society’s extensive collection of materials documenting Virginia history.
The Mercury Theater on the Air
Visit this sound archive to listen to all Mercury Theatre on the Air productions, including “War of the Worlds.”
Hispano Music and Culture from the Northern Rio Grande
Learn about Hispanic culture with the Juan B. Rael collection of upper Rio Grande folk music.
The Aaron Copland Collection, ca. 1900-1990
An extensive collection of primary and secondary resources detailing the life of composer Aaron Copeland.
Tending the Commons: Folklife and Landscape in Southern West Virginia
Learn about life in the Big Coal River Valley in West Virginia.
Florida Folklife from the WPA Collections, 1937-1942
Explore the history of Florida folklife and culture.
Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier: The Henry Reed Collection
Learn about the 20th century resurgence of fiddle music and Appalachian folk culture.
Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1800
Looking for a one-stop spot for all your quick 1639-1800 research needs?
National Geographic Online: The Underground Railroad
Would you have survived along the Underground Railroad?
Civil Rights Oral History Interviews: Spokane, Washington
From racism to civil rights movement music, listen to the memories of these eight individuals.
The Official George and Ira Gershwin Website
Discover the works of songwriting brothers Ira and George Gershwin.
Fats Waller Forever Digital Exhibit
Meet legendary jazz pianist Fats Waller. Be at the forefront of musical history.
The Official Leonard Bernstein Site
Explore the life of a major classical conductor.
Charles H. Templeton Sheet Music Collection
Looking for World War era, minstrel, or showtune sheet music?
Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia
Although painful to view, racist memorabilia reminds us of past mindsets and ethics.
Museum of Musical Instruments (MoMI)
Find out about the guitar players who came before you, and perhaps, even perfect your own abilities.
Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry
Listen to the recordings of the creator of the microphone and gramophone player.
AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History
One convenient source for major historical U.S. documents.
Lift Every Voice: Music in American Life
What work can be accomplished through music?
Dismuke's Virtual Talking Machine
Swing to the beats of the early 1900s.
Brief Timeline of American Literature, Music, and Movies
Explore film, music, and literature in its social context and chronology. Understand the cultural dynamics that lent themselves to the media.
Labor Arts
What role has art had in the depiction and reality of U.S. labor?
The Irving Fine Collection, Ca. 1914-1962
Experience the life and works of lesser known American classical composer Irving Fine.
Keffer Collection of Sheet Music, ca. 1790-1895
What was popular music like in the 19th century?
Max Hunter Folk Song Collection
A top notch concept: combining traveling sales with anthropological fieldwork.
Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1870-1885
What do the songs people sing tell us about their lives? Do they sing about tragedy? About love and happiness? How do their tunes reflect their personal stories?
Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
What do the songs people sing tell us about their lives?
America Singing: 19th-century Song Sheets
How did people learn the latest music trends without electronics?
Omaha Indian Music
Listen to a century of Omaha speeches and songs. Hear the influences of Native American music on contemporary tunes.
Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns
Can you tell New Orleans jazz from Bebop? Can you hear the variations in style and instrumental parts?
The American Experience
Discover briefs on more than 60 iconic points in U.S. history.
Club Kaycee, Golden Age of Kansas City Jazz
Listen to jazz from the ’20s and ’40s while learning about music greats and hot spots.
A More Perfect Union
Was Japanese American internment constitutional? Explore the Japanese American experience.
The Primeline Midi Library
Browse more than 630 ragtime Midi files.
Perfessor Bill Edwards Ragtime/Old-time Piano Gallery
Introduce yourself to ragtime music and the time which gave birth to it.
Goldband Records: "Every One a Musical Treat"
What on earth is “swamp pop”?
Popular American Music
What songs were on the “Top 20” in the 1850s? Was it as much of a social concern as it is nowadays to stay musically trendy?
Democracy in America: Alexis de Tocqueville
Visit this website to learn more about the United States during the time of Tocqueville’s landmark tour and book.
Center for the Study of the American South
An interesting collection of cultural resources pertaining to the American South.
At Home in the Heartland
Learn about family life and social history in the northern Midwest.
New Deal Stage: Selections from the Federal Theatre Project, 1935-1939
Learn about the New Deal through the Federal Theatre Project, designed to employ actors during the Great Depression.
Documents from the Women's Liberation Movement
Explore over 50 documents which chronicle the history of the Women’s Liberation Movement.
Still Going On: Celebrating The Life and Times of William Grant Still
Learn about famous composer William Grant Still through this online exhibit.
Benjamin Franklin: In His Own Words
Get to know Benjamin Franklin through his own writings, cartoons, and letters.
Florida Folklife Collection
Explore the folk lore of Florida—from musical performances and art to occupational lore.
Louisiana State Museum Jazz Collection
Listen to New Orleans jazz while learning about Louis Armstrong and other famed musicians.
Virtual Museum and Archive of the SEC and Securities History
If you want to understand big business, it would be wise to examine the SEC’s history.
Harlem History
Explore the politics, neighborhoods, culture, and arts of Harlem.
Seattle Black Panther Party History and Memory Project
Who exactly were the Black Panthers? Explore the history and memories of the Seattle chapter.
Automobile in American Life and Society
Enter the world of automotive history through oral histories and scholarly essays.
Coming of Age in the Twentieth Century, Stories from Minnesota and Beyond
What can oral histories tell us about girlhood, adolescence, and more in the United States?
Getting the Message Out! National Political Campaign Materials, 1840-1860
What were common presidential campaign strategies between 1840 and 1860?
Musicians Local No. 627 and the Mutual Musicians Foundation
Have you heard of musicians’ unions? Learn about a 20th-century African American jazz organization.
Archives of African American Music and Culture
Interested in jazz, hip hop, blues, doo-wop, spirituals, or rock? Explore African American music history.
California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties
Sit back and enjoy folk and popular music recordings from 1930s California natives and immigrants.
Lionel Hampton: His Life and Legacy
Jazz musician Lionel Hampton and the University of Idaho shared a rich relationship, explored in this tribute site.
William P. Gottlieb: Photographs from the Golden Age of Jazz
Explore writer-photographer William P. Gottlieb photographs of 1938–1948 jazz culture.
Performing Arts in America, 1875-1923
Browse primary sources reflecting the performing arts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Voices from the Dust Bowl: 1940-1941
Great Depression documentation of migrant work camps in central California.
Nineteenth-century California Sheet Music
Scanned images from more than 2,700 pieces of sheet music provide insight into life in 1852–1900 California.
Alcohol, Temperance, and Prohibition
More than 1,800 primary sources provide a window into the Temperance Movement and Prohibition.
SCETI: Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image
Search and browse a collection of resources covering topics ranging from the Civil War to the ENIAC computer.
Library of Virginia Digital Library Program
Houses more than 1.2 million items on Virginia and life in the South.
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
A variety of primary sources and background essays explore the 1911 fire, a hallmark tragedy of the industrial age.
Frontera Collection of Mexican American Music
Listen to clips from more than 100,000 recordings of Mexican American vernacular music.
Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project
Browse and listen to cylinder recordings, the first commercially produced sound recordings.
Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project
This site examines Illinois history and the life of Abraham Lincoln in the years 1831 through 1860.
History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web
Provides links, primary sources, and eight modules for teachers and students in three main features: WWW.History, Many Pasts, and Making Sense of Evidence.
The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip
Archives audio files of more than 700 folk tunes recorded in the South in 1939.
First World War: The War to End All Wars
Provides an overview of World War I through essays, diaries, posters, audio files, and other primary and secondary sources.
Inventing Entertainment: The Early Innovations of the Edison Companies
Early motion pictures, sound recordings, and related materials document Thomas Edison’s impact on the history of American entertainment.
Red Hot Jazz Archive: A History of Jazz before 1930
Discover over 200 jazz bands and musicians active from 1895-1929, captured here in countless audio and video files.
Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture
Explore Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin as the American cultural phenomenon it was.
Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music
Scanned images of more than 18,000 pieces of sheet music, including covers, published prior to 1923.
Raid on Deerfield: The Many Stories of 1704
Documents the 1704 raid on Deerfield, MA, by 300 French and their Native American allies.
Digital Scriptorium
12 collections provide primary sources on ads, health and medicine, the Civil War, sheet music, and more.
Alexander Street Press
Databases of digitized firsthand accounts and literary works document periods in American history, the experiences of minorities, and other topics.
American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
The Library of Congress offers an archive of more than 9 million primary sources dating from 1490 to the present.
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Website
The Holocaust must be remembered. This site will give your students a closer look at the atrocities of this genocide.