Is the Story of George Washington and the Colt a True Story?
Is it all right to make up stories about real people to teach children about honesty? In the 19th century, some people thought so.
Register for Your Virtual Seat: Smithsonian Education Online Lincoln Conference
If you missed this two-day online event, watch the videos from the Abraham Lincoln: a Smithsonian Education Online Conference on the website.
Save the Date! National Teach-In on Lincoln!
Register now for this program with expert historians geared for middle and high schoolers.
Presidential Death During the Election Process
Unforeseen events and potential crises forced politicians and lawmakers to devise backup plans for presidential and vice-presidential elections.
Was There an African American President Before Barack Obama?
Historians cannot claim to prove beyond doubt that occurrences in the past did or did not happen.
A New Look at Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln turned to the developing field of photography to broaden his public presence.
What Happened to the Fenians After 1866?
Ireland’s revolutionary struggle against Britain played out in North America as well as in Europe.
Quoting Economic Policy
Milton Friedman and Herbert Hoover are excellent sources.
Teaching about Presidential Elections
A wealth of historical material exists on the web to support teaching about presidential elections.
Court Packing Controversies
What do Presidents Ulysses Grant and Franklin Roosevelt have in common? Both were accused of packing the Supreme Court.
Premonition of Death
Accounts of Abraham Lincoln’s dream of a presidential assassination vary, and so do the interpretations.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
Through oral history interviews, audio files, texts, and other primary sources, learn about life and presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson.
Prosperity and Thrift: Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy
An array of primary sources follows the rise of the consumer economy under Coolidge.
The History of Social Security
We all know what the Social Security Administration does, but do you know how it was formed?
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Digital Archives
Photographs, audio clips, documents, and more preserve the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Tax History Project
Follows the history of American taxation through a collection of primary and secondary sources.
Public Papers of the Presidency
From Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush—discover the public messages, statements, and speeches of the presidents.
Television News of the Civil Rights Era
View contemporary coverage of the Civil Rights Movement from two Roanoke, VA television stations.
Territorial Kansas Online
Primary and secondary sources examine the growing divisions in Kansas and the nation prior to the Civil War.
Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920
Documents the birth of the conservation movement through published works, manuscripts, images, and motion picture footage.
Envisaging the West: Thomas Jefferson and the Roots of Lewis and Clark
Follows Jefferson’s life, political participation, and accumulation of scientific geographical knowledge from 1735 to 1804.
Abraham Lincoln Papers
Approximately 20,000 documents provide a window into President Abraham Lincoln’s life.
Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project
This site examines Illinois history and the life of Abraham Lincoln in the years 1831 through 1860.
Kentuckiana Digital Library
Collects photographs, texts, and oral histories drawn from 15 Kentucky colleges, universities, libraries, and historical societies.
Hypertext on American History from the Colonial Period until Modern Times
Collects more than 375 documents related to United States history from the colonial period to the present.
American President: An Online Reference Resource
Presents detailed information on all 43 of the nation’s presidents.
Diary, Correspondence, and Papers of Robert "King" Carter, 1701-1732
Offers letters and diary entries by Robert “King” Carter (1663–1732), wealthy Virginian landowner and public figure.
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000
Offers 45 mini-monographs on U.S. women’s history, each organized around an analytical question concerning a social movement.
Florida State Archives Photographic Collection
Presents more than 137,000 photographs of Florida on specific localities from the mid-19th century to the present.
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, 1992-2001
Digitized versions of 20 volumes of Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, from 1992 to 2004.
Herblock's History: Political Cartoons from the Crash to the Millennium
View 150 cartoons drawn between 1929 and 2000 by Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Herbert Block.
Women in Journalism
Archives 44 “full-life” interviews with American women journalists.
Presidential Recording Program
Offers over 2,500 hours of White House recordings by six American presidents between 1940 and 1973.
Parallel History Project on Cooperative Security
More than 350 recently declassified documents reveal previously hidden aspects of Cold War military strategy.
History and Politics Out Loud
Captures significant events and personalities of the 20th century through 107 audio items, including speeches, addresses, and private telephone conversations.
The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War
A wonderful collection of chronologies, images, maps, and other materials on the Spanish-American War.
Photographs from the Chicago Daily News: 1902-1933
Presents more than 55,000 Chicago Daily News photographs taken in the early 20th century.
First World War: The War to End All Wars
Provides an overview of World War I through essays, diaries, posters, audio files, and other primary and secondary sources.
1896: The Presidential Campaign
Follow the contentious election of 1896 with close to 100 political cartoons related to the presidential campaigns.
American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election
Access 59 sound recordings of 1918-1920 speeches by American leaders.
Lost Museum
Recreates the P.T. Barnum Museum as an interactive 3D exhibit and an archive of images, documents, accounts, and essays on 16 original Barnum exhibits.
George Washington Papers, 1741-1799
Presents the largest set of original Washington documents in the world.
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.
Digital Library of Georgia
Examines the history and culture of the state of Georgia, presenting an extensive range of primary sources.
Watergate Revisited
The Washington Post looks back at the Watergate scandal in this exhibit of primary sources.
Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952-2008
More than 250 television commercials trace campaign issues and the selling of American presidential candidates.
Internet Moving Images Archive
Reproduces a privately held collection of American ephemeral films produced between 1927 and 1987.
Thomas Jefferson Digital Archive
Peruse more than 1,700 texts written by or to Thomas Jefferson—from correspondence to books and papers.
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.
Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World
More than 400 speeches by women—politicians, scientists, and celebrities.
Documents in Law, History, and Government
Houses more than 3,500 full-text documents addressing the legal, economic, and political history of the U.S.