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

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American Historical Association
American Historical Association screenshot

Research the history professional field, communicate with other historians, [...] »

1939 World's Fair Photograph Collection
[Staunton Military Academy is rated by the War  Department as an honor military

What images does a state choose to describe its way of life to the nation? [...] »

Edgar Allan Poe
Photograph, Edgar Allan Poe, 1848, W.S. Hartshorn, Library of Congress.

Annotated materials about Poe published during his lifetime.

[...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Columbus Day: Stories of Exploration

Which tales of daring exploration do you believe?

[...] »
Manias of the Gilded Age

Fads, crotchets, crazes, rages, and cultural fevers. Test your knowledge of [...] »

Close Up on Hispanic American Heritage

Take a look at these fragments from U.S. history. What are they? Where do [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
Women's Reform Movement
Print, A downright gabbler, or a goose that deserves to be hissed, 1829

The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments in 1848 reflected the voices of [...] »

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 [...] »

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? [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
National Atlas

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

U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency

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

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

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

Ask a Historian

Gettysburg: Turning Point or a Small Stepping-Stone to Victory?
colored lithograph, The battle of Gettysburg, 1863, Currier & Ives, LOC

History is often muddled by modern hindsight. Discover the true meaning of [...] »