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
Keffer Collection of Sheet Music, ca. 1790-1895
Lithograph, Ben. Franklin's Grave, 1855, Stayman & Brothers, Univ. of PA Library

What was popular music like in the 19th century?

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Kate and Sue McBeth, Missionary Teachers to the Nez Perce
Drawing, The Scalp Dance, 1855, Gustav Sohon, WA State Historical Society.

Presents the letters and diaries of Kate and Sue McBeth, late 19th-century [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Close Up on Hispanic American Heritage

Take a look at these fragments from U.S. history. What are they? Where do [...] »

Pre-Modern Pop Music

Before "pop" music reigned supreme, jazz and ragtime amassed great public [...] »

Vaccinations: Rites of Passage

Have you had your shots? Which childhood diseases do these public [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Causes of the American Revolution
Broadside, A card, New York, 1774, LoC, rbpe 10700100

What were the causes of the American Revolution? They were more complicated [...] »

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, [...] »

Rise of the Automobile
Photo, Model A Ford in front of antique gas pumps, August 4, 2007, Flickr

Americans today take cars for granted. How did they change American life? [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
U.S. Fire Administration
Photo, Angel Island Fire, Behind Alcatraz, October 12, 2008, LeeLeFever, Flickr

Give historical fires perspective through modern statistics.

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Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, the nation's [...] »

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 [...] »

Ask a Historian

What If...?: Reexamining the American Revolution
Photography, Redcoats & Rebels Revolutionary War Reenactment, 6 Aug 2010, Lee Wr

How different would "the United States of America" be if the British had won [...] »