Touring Monticello
Tour Monticello with TAH teachers and learn about the history behind Thomas Jefferson’s home.
Pockets from the Past: Daily Life at Monticello
What do the contents of pockets say about their owners? TAH teachers model strategies for examining and questioning artifacts.
Ford's Theatre: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
Ford’s Theatre Society’s Sarah Jencks leads teachers through Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and follow-up activities, in this example of on-site TAH professional development.
Slave Life at Mount Vernon
How do the buildings and artifacts at Mount Vernon reflect the lives of the people who lived and worked there? Educators explore the slave quarters and question what they find.
Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: Paradox of Liberty
Educators tour the NMAAHC exhibit “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty” and ask about approaches to presenting the lives of Thomas Jefferson and his enslaved workers.
Presidents Day: Growing Up to Be President
Even American presidents were babies once!
Resources for Presidents Day
February 20 marks Presidents Day, 2012. What does this holiday mean to you?
Thanksgiving: Presidential Turkeys
How many turkeys have presidents pardoned?
Elizabeth Schaefer on a New Approach to President Lincoln
Summer is the time for professional development! Eighth-grade teacher Elizabeth Schaefer reports on her professional development experiences at DC’s Lincoln’s Cottage.
John Adams: Great or Not?
What does historical “greatness” mean, anyway?
Presidents in the Library
Happy Presidents Day! What better place to turn to for presidential history resources than libraries dedicated to the presidents?
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
Teaching the Reconstruction? Ford’s Theatre’s Sarah Jencks leads teachers through Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and follow-up activities.
From War to Revolution
Can you answer these questions on figures who took part in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution?
Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century
Teaching 20th century presidential history or political events? Explore this site for interactive timelines, exhibits, and over 1,500 primary sources.
Turkey Tracking
Thanksgiving—how much do you know about the history of this popular holiday?
Presidential Moments: Campaigns
Think the mudslinging in modern campaigns is bad? Campaigns have always been “dirty” to amass support for one politician over another.
Presidential Moments: Hail to the Chief Nicknames
Fond or far-fetched, everyone has one—but as president, nicknames garner the respect and allegiance of the nation.
Presidential Moments: Inauguration
The first day on the new job is difficult for everybody—including U.S. presidents.
Presidential Moments: Inaugural Addresses
Can you match these famous first words with their presidential speakers?
Presidential Valentines
The politics of love—answer these questions about valentines to and from U.S. presidents
Teaching the 20th
When does the past go from ‘recent’ to ‘history?’ Consider these questions about textbook portrayals of late 20th-century events.
FDR's Fireside Chats
High school teacher Joe Jelen combines roleplaying and critical analysis—by having students roleplay critics of the New Deal. Jelen’s students listen to one of FDR’s Fireside Chats and respond to the speech from the perspective of one of FDR’s many historical critics.
FDR's Fireside Chats
Historian Allida Black analyzes FDR’s April 28, 1935 Fireside Chat. What ideas and arguments does FDR present to the American people?
State of the Union
What can 214 State of the Union addresses tells us about American politics and rhetoric?
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library
Teaching modern presidencies and politics? Take advantage of the virtual resources of the Foundation and Library.
Nixtontapes.org
Teaching Watergate? Introduce students to the Nixon tapes with more than 2,000 hours of recordings.
Monticello Explorer
Can’t travel to Monticello? Take your students on a virtual tour of Jefferson’s estate with this website.
Lincoln Archives Digital Project
Surf an animated timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s life and times.
Ulysses S. Grant Digital Archive
Deepen your coverage of the late 19th century with the letters of Ulysses S. Grant, war-hero-turned-president.
Watergate and the Constitution
To indict or not to indict? Watergate raised complicated questions concerning Constitutional interpretation.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library eLibrary
More than 5,700 documents related to Woodrow Wilson’s life and presidency.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
This presidential library presents sources from the 35th President’s life and times.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
Visit the Gerald Ford Presidential Library for a wealth of resources regarding Ford’s presidency.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
Teaching Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War? Explore this storehouse of Lincolnian history.
Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film
Do films capture your students’ attention? Introduce them to Roosevelt in motion.
Presidential Elections
How has campaigning changed over the years? Need to know details on major campaign issues?
The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden
Unsure how to teach presidential history in an engaging manner? Try these activities and lessons.
Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America
How much do you know about the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury?
Kennedy and Castro: The Secret History
Did you know that Kennedy considered softening the national platform on Cuba?
Rediscovering George Washington
Take in the latest scholarship on the life of the first U.S. president.
Presidents of the United States - POTUS
Compare inauguration promises or cabinet members. See the image of the United States’ government over time.
The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection
Explore the federal government’s extensive collection of resources pertaining to the JFK assassination.
When Did July 4 Become the Fourth of July?
Even Thomas Jefferson got his dates mixed up.
What Events Led to Lincoln's Assassination?
Elementary students investigate the first presidential assassination and debate whether it was avoidable.
New Visitor's Center Opens at Monticello
What would Thomas Jefferson Say?
Happy Presidents Day
What exactly is Presidents Day?
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.
Lincoln Bicentennial: A Teachable Moment (updated February 24)
An ongoing reference to exhibits, events, lectures, reenactments, ceremonies, and other tributes commemorating the significance of Lincoln’s life and his presidency during this 200th-year anniversary.
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.
Classroom Resources: Presidential Inaugurals
Inaugural parades and balls are as integral to the nation’s history as the solemnity of the presidential oath of office and the inaugural address.
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.
The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations
Documents and audio files explain the range of early political viewpoints on the League of Nations.
The Great Depression and Today
Does the current financial crisis echo the Great Depression?
Abraham Lincoln
This lesson leads students to see how Lincoln’s life in Springfield influenced important national issues.
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.
American Presidents
Analyze letters written by America’s presidents to learn more about these men.
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.
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.
Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920
Documents the birth of the conservation movement through published works, manuscripts, images, and motion picture footage.
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.
We're Listening To
Podcasts in the classroom can bring the voices, sound, and even the documents and material culture of history alive.
History and Art: George Washington Goes Back to School
Celebrate President’s Day with a framed, replica of Rembrandt Peale’s Porthole Portrait of George Washington and accompanying lesson plans free from the Mount Vernon historic site.
The Presidents
Profiles all 42 of the nation’s completed presidencies.
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.
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.
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.
Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music
Scanned images of more than 18,000 pieces of sheet music, including covers, published prior to 1923.
George Washington Papers, 1741-1799
Presents the largest set of original Washington documents in the world.
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.