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
St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project
Case document, Nov Case Number 4 - Clark, William v. Bourguion, Charles, 1809

Explore the largest collection of freedom suits available to U.S. [...] »

Florida Folklife from the WPA Collections, 1937-1942
Photo, Greek orchestra, Tarpon Springs, ca. August 1939, Stetson Kennedy, LoC.

Explore the history of Florida folklife and culture.

[...] »
Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection

Discover the men, ideas, and process behind discovering that mosquitoes [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Riding the Rails

How many cows could a cowcatcher catch, if a cowcatcher could catch cows? [...] »

Veterans Day: Medals and Merit

You know the Purple Heart, but can you identify these honors?

[...] »
Textbook Twisters: Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the greatest conflicts between the US [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Coal and the Industrial Revolution
Photo, At the close of the day, January 1911, Lewis Hine, Library of Congress

How can the story of coal help students understand the nature of today's [...] »

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? [...] »

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, [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
National Atlas

Explore maps that enable you to better understand the country that you live [...] »

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

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

U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency

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

Ask a Historian

Silverites, Populists, and the Movement for Free Silver
chromolithograph, A hard game of "follow your leader", 1900 July 18, Udo J. Kepp

Why were the people living in rural areas more likely to support "free [...] »