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
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley poster c. 1910

Annie Oakley could shoot 6 holes in a playing card before it touched ground [...] »

American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election
Photograph, The trouble with senators who oppose the League, 1911, LoC.

Access 59 sound recordings of 1918-1920 speeches by American leaders.

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Famous Trials

Presents balanced treatments of over 50 prominent court trials, including [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Textbook Twisters: Salem Witch Trials

Burn the witch! Discover how historical coverage of the Salem Witch Trials [...] »

Give Me (Nuclear) Shelter

How much do you know about these iconic emblems of Cold War fears?

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The Garden of Infants

Kindergarten came to America in the 19th century on a wave of German [...] »

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, [...] »

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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National Resources

Federal teaching resources
Indian Health Service
Photo, "Baby being weighed by nurse," IHS, 1887-1969, Dept. of Health

Disease ravaged colonial-era Native American populations. What health [...] »

U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency

How did recreational drug use grow into a U.S. drug culture? How did it [...] »

National Museum of African Art

Approach African American history and culture through African art.

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Ask a Historian

A History of Fundamentalism
Evangelist Billy Sunday

What does fundamentalism mean and how has that meaning changed over time? [...] »