Spotlight on Elementary Education

History has been shaped and influenced by the out come of ancient trials—such as the Trial of Socrates in 399B.C.—to Rosenberg Trial in the 1950s. This site offers a comprehensive look at 50 prominent court trials throughout history and its resources can be used to give young learners an introduction to the history of the modern judicial system.

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Website Reviews

Find quality websites & primary sources
The Wizard of Oz: An American Fairy Tale

We're off to see the wizard! Discover the cultural impact of L. Frank Baum's [...] »

Archive of Early American Images
Image, The Archive of Early American Images.

Collects more than 4,000 images from books created in Europe between 1492 [...] »

American Slave Narratives
Photo, Arthur Cooper, nha.library, Flickr Commons

Read and listen to firsthand narratives on slave life during the 19th [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Remembering All Veterans

Veterans Day is for everyone who fought for the U.S.—including those who [...] »

Back to School

Binders, buses, and backpacks—consider the history of these back-to-school [...] »

Thanksgiving: Presidential Turkeys

How many turkeys have presidents pardoned?

[...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
The Modern Civil Rights Movement: A River of Purposeful Anger
Dynamics of Idealism- Volunteers for Civil Rights, 1965-1982 432x240

Textbooks are silent about defining race and racism, even though the modern [...] »

Causing the Civil War
Postcard, Train Load of Cotton for Export, South, 1902-1903, NYPL

Did King Cotton cause the Civil War? Or should you look further?

[...] »
Slavery
Photo, "An ex-slave," 1897, New York Public Library Digital Gallery

What was it like to be a slave in 19th-century America? Accounts contrast. [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
Federal Judiciary

Can’t tell an affadavit from an acquittal? Learn the legal lingo.

[...] »
U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk

A comprehensive current and historical look at this legislative body and its [...] »

U.S. Senate Historical Office
Lithograph, "The Great Congressional Tramp. . . ," 1882, Mayer, U.S. Senate site

Political cartoons, photos, oral histories, artifacts, essays, and facts. [...] »

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The Proclamation of 1763
map, Cantonment of the forces in North America 11th. Octr. 1765, LOC Geography a

Discover the history behind this important Proclamation by King George III [...] »