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
Finishing the Dream: Learning from the Civil Rights Era
Screenshot, Civil Rights Workers Slain in Mississippi, Finishing the Dream

This collection of short videos recognizes the civil rights movement as [...] »

Today in History

A daily exhibit which showcases a particular event in American History each [...] »

Civil War Letters of Galutia York
Photo, Professor Maillefert. . . , c. 1860-1865, Matthew Brady, Flickr Commons

Read about the Civil War from private Galutia York's perspective.

[...] »

History Quiz

Test your history knowledge
Constitution Day Count

How does the Constitution measure up to other important documents in U.S. [...] »

Presidential Moments: Inaugural Addresses

Can you match these famous first words with their presidential speakers?

[...] »
Discovering Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus—a legend without a face? Answer these questions about [...] »

Beyond the Textbook

Question textbook narratives
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?

[...] »
The Modern Civil Rights Movement: A River of Purposeful Anger
Dynamics of Idealism- Volunteers for Civil Rights, 1965-1982 432x240

Textbooks are silent about defining race and racism, even though the modern [...] »

Jim Crow Segregation: The Difficult and Anti-Democratic Work of White Supremacy
Print, For the Sunny South. An Airship. . . , 1913, Library of Congress

The fight against segregation and its discriminatory practices does not [...] »

National Resources

Federal teaching resources
National Museum of African American History and Culture

What does it mean to be an American? Answer this question through the lens [...] »

Smithsonian
Negative, Dinsmore, Frances. Of Smithsonian. . . , 1915, Harris & Ewing, LoC

What can 19 museums, nine research centers, and the National Zoo offer your [...] »

National Center for Education Statistics
Marginalia, CHNM

Ever wondered about the numbers behind the latest teaching trends?

[...] »

Ask a Historian

Colonial Teenagers
New England Kitchen a Century Ago, 1876, Library of Congress

Young people in their teens were not thought of as a distinct group, but as [...] »