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
Dox Thrash: An African American Master Printmaker Rediscovered
Photo, Dox Thrash Signing an Impression..., June 26 1941, J. Rolland, FWA:WPA.

View depictions of African American life by artist Dox Thrash.

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The American Experience

Discover briefs on more than 60 iconic points in U.S. history.

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Record of Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War, 1861-1865

Search this Civil War roster for data on the service of New Jersey soldiers [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Lewis Hine: Caption Critique

Does a caption change the meaning of a photograph?

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Stumbling Down the Road to Health

It seemed like a good idea at the time . . . which “healthful” ingredients [...] »

Go West, Young Woman!

Men and women both settled the West. Answer these questions on women’s [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Labor and Trade in Colonial America
Photo, Weavers at Colonial Williamsburg, May 29, 2010, animalvegetable, Flickr

Was colonial trade really triangular? What kinds of work did colonists do, [...] »

The Atomic Bomb: Hiroshima and Nagasaki
photographic print, Second atomic bombing of Nagasaki, 1945 August, LOC

Controversial issues are often simplified in textbooks. Discover the facts [...] »

Panic of 1873
Panic as a Health Officer Cleaning the Streets

Beginning in Europe, the Panic of 1873 quickly spread to the United States [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
Preserve America

Preserve America is a White House initiative uniting the work of 11 federal [...] »

Bureau of Justice Statistics
Graph, "Sentences for those convicted in federal court," BJS

Everyday you read about local crime in the newspaper, but are the rates [...] »

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Photo, Russ Hopcroft, from the University . . . , 2002, Ian MacDonald, NOAA

Explore the history of science and technology, maritime history, and the [...] »

Ask a Historian

The 4th Estate as the 4th Branch

The peculiar power of the press in America . . . what is the role of the [...] »