Resources for Independence Day
Why do we celebrate the Fourth of July instead of the Second of July? Teach the context of the Declaration of Independence with these resources!
Creating the United States
Even the Founding Fathers wrote rough drafts! Interact with early versions of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
Declaration of Independence
Historian Rosemarie Zagarri reads the Declaration of Independence closely, taking time to define its context and its effects.
Elizabeth Schaefer on the Interactive Declaration of Independence
Eighth-grade U.S. history teacher Elizabeth Schaefer “warps” the Declaration of Independence into the future with interactives from the Library of Congress.
Founding Documents
History lessons on the founding documents invariably include the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Charters of Freedom
Explore documents that helped to shape the history of our nation.
Teaching the Declaration without Overwhelming Students
Is the Declaration of Independence challenging for your students? Check out these ideas to make this text more accessible.
Declaration of Independence: Rough Draft to Proclamation
How did the final version of the Declaration differ from Jefferson’s draft?
Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention
274 sources focusing on the work of the Continental Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution.
Our Documents
Presents 100 milestone documents in American history, from the Richard Henry Lee Resolution of June 7, 1776, to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.