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
Crime and Justice Data Online

What crimes are most common? What is the demographic composition of the [...] »

Black Wings: African American Pioneer Aviators

What was life like for the African American pilots of World War II?

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Student Voices from World War II and the McCarthy Era

Imagine traveling from a university to work on a farm.

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History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Advice for Beachgoers

Long before sunblock, boogie boards, or bikinis...did ladies wear corsets to [...] »

Victory Vegetables

WWII Victory Gardens allowed citizens to raise food...and wage war!

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Early Telephone Etiquette

Should you leave your hat on when you talk on the telephone?

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Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
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?

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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 [...] »

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
Selective Service System
Lithograph, Don't wait for the draft--Volunteer, 1917, Library of Congress

Did you know that the draft was used in times of peace, as well as war?

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U.S. Coast Guard
Art, Auxliarist, Lew Jackson, U.S. Coast Guard

Who protects U.S. interests in international and domestic waters?

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Federal Emergency Management Agency
Silkscreen, Disaster Broadcast. . . , 1941-1943, Edward T. Grigware, LoC

When the weather's not on our side, FEMA's there to lend a hand.

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Ask a Historian

Texas and Mexico: Centers for Cultural Collision
Colored lithograph, Poblanas, 1836, Carl Nebel, LOC

In 1821, Anglo settlers migrated to Texas en masse. Discover the profound [...] »