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
Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project
Gelatin silver print, Native American little girl at. . . , Flickr Commons

Tie civics into units involving Native American history using relevant full- [...] »

Supreme Court Historical Society

The U.S. Supreme Court has shaped American ideals into practice since 1789, [...] »

HarpWeek: Explore History
Cartoon, 3 to 1 You Don't Get It, Sept. 1, 1860, Henry L. Stephens, Vanity Fair.

With illustrations, articles, editorials, and overviews, 22 exhibits cover a [...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
As American as Mom…

You know Mother's Day is all about mom, but do you know the history of the [...] »

Presidential Valentines

The politics of love—answer these questions about valentines to and from U.S [...] »

Memorializing Memorials

How do we relate to national memorials? Photographs can show us how we want [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
John Brown's Raid
Painting, John Brown, 1867, Thomas S. Noble, NYPL Digital Gallery

Did Northerners all respond the same way to Brown's infamous raid? [...] »

The Tet Offensive
Eddie Adams, Vietcong shooting prisoner cropped

American historians have depicted the Tet Offensive as the turning point for [...] »

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
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
Screenshot, "U.S. History Topics," Federal Resources for Educational Excellence

More than 1,600 learning resources from the federal government sorted by [...] »

Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery

American art makes the interpretive nature of historical knowledge clear. [...] »

National Agricultural Statistics Service

Why did George Washington start gathering national data on agriculture?

[...] »

Ask a Historian

On Gendering the Constitution
The Force of Truth, 19th century allegorical image

The agitation among women’s rights activists over the language of the 14th [...] »