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
The Crisis of the Union

An impressive array of tracts (and more) brought together for your [...] »

America Singing: 19th-century Song Sheets
Song sheet, Let me kiss him for his mother, Charles Magnus, LoC

How did people learn the latest music trends without electronics?

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Building an Archives

Learn about the history of the National Archives as well as how to start [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
The Ice Cream Wars

Was there conflict in the past over one of our favorite summer treats?

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African American History Month: Civil Rights Worldwide

These African American civil rights activists affected more than the U.S. [...] »

War of Invaders

What do these biased narratives of the French and Indian War tell us?

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Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Panic of 1873
Panic as a Health Officer Cleaning the Streets

Beginning in Europe, the Panic of 1873 quickly spread to the United States [...] »

Slavery
Photo, "An ex-slave," 1897, New York Public Library Digital Gallery

What was it like to be a slave in 19th-century America? Accounts contrast. [...] »

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 [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
Anacostia Community Museum
Photo, "Ms. Yavocka Wilson," March 11, 1997?, Anacostia Community Museum

What is community? What does it do for us, and how does it shape who we are [...] »

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 [...] »

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

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

Ask a Historian

The New World: A Stage for Cultural Interaction
Engraving, Trophies and ceremonies after a victory, 1591, Jacques Le Moyne de Mo

Religion and profit were driving motivations behind European colonization. [...] »