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.

FIND OUT MORE »

Website Reviews

Find quality websites & primary sources
Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project

Primary and secondary sources document the minority struggle for civil [...] »

The Oregon Encyclopedia
image from the Oregon centennial exposition fair

A comprehensive guide of everything you ever wanted to know about Oregon [...] »

Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America
Mezzotint, Of Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Hamilton Crawford, c. 1932, LoC

How much do you know about the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury?

[...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
First Impressions: The U.S. and Japan

In 1854, Japan signed a treaty with the U.S. How did the U.S. and Japan see [...] »

California or Bust

Who went west when? Answer questions about migration from 1935 to 2000.

[...] »
Remembering All Veterans

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

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
20th-century Jewish Immigration
Dry plate negative, approx. 1920-1930, Jewish colonies and settlements, LOC

Divided into two waves of immigration by textbooks, the continuity of [...] »

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
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Photo, Jason Tully, a CDC laboratorian. . . , ID# 7294, 2004, James Gathany, CDC

For when those historical figures suffered conditions you don't recognize. [...] »

Federal Trade Commission
Woodcut, Igirisujin Yokohama. . . , 1861, Sadahide Utagawa, LoC

Keeping businesses on the straight and narrow. Discover more about the [...] »

National Portrait Gallery

Allow students to "meet" their favorite historical figures.

[...] »

Ask a Historian

Dissent in the Ranks
mech. print, c. Henry Mosler, 1913, George Washington Crossing Delaware, LOC

George Washington's military career and reputation were not pure successes [...] »