Monticello: Jefferson's Experiment
TAH teachers get an introduction to Monticello as Thomas Jefferson’s ’laboratory.'
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.
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.
On a Mission: Junípero Serra in New Spain
Discover how missionary work impacted Native Americans.
The "Cradle" of America?
Historians often consider Puritan New England a model for the development of America as a whole. Is this correct or an example of regional bias?
Slavery in Colonial British North America
Slavery in colonial America was not an exclusively Southern institution.
Earth Day: Lost to History
Human history affects more than human beings.
Success and Failure in the New World
Why did some colonies in the New World succeed while others faded away?
Probing Probate
How do we know what people in the past owned and valued?
Mapping the Past
A map can tell you more than east, west, north, and south.
The Fighting Canadiens
Discover how French Canadians reacted to the American Revolution.
Teaching Thanksgiving 2011
Prepare for Thanksgiving with our spotlight page on the holiday!
Which Witch?
Words constantly evolve and change over time. What did “witch” mean to these artists?
European Explorers in North America after Columbus
Who else left Europe following the call of wealth, fame, religion, or other lures?
Slave Badges
Slave badges were used in Charleston to keep track of slaves. Can you build a lesson for 4th graders around them?
John Smith Map
Watch Smithsonian curator Barbara Clark Smith discuss John Smith’s Map of Virginia published in London in 1612.
What Really Happened? Comparing Stories of the First Thanksgiving
Take a variety of perspectives into account before moving past the first Thanksgiving.
Ron Gorr on Socratic Seminars with Primary Documents
Anchor Socratic seminars in primary sources and watch your students work together to arrive at historical understanding.
What Do You Mean?: How Language Changes Over Time
This creative lesson transforms language into a historic artifact and enables students to analyze how language changes over time.
American Resistance to a Standing Army
Americans of the 18th century took a much dimmer view of the institution of a professional army than current views of the U.S. military.
War of Invaders
What do these biased narratives of the French and Indian War tell us?
Divining America: Religion in American History
Use this essay on Jewish immigration to flesh out a unit on the Civil War or immigration.
The Salem Witch Trials
Absolving the guilty and punishing the innocent. Historian Elizabeth Reis looks at primary sources recording testimony in witchcraft trials.
How to Introduce Students to Primary Sources
Introducing your students to primary sources for the first time? Watch fourth-grade teacher Marty MacKenzie guide her students through analyzing John White’s drawings of the Powhatans.
Selling a Slave
The obstacles and restraints on disposing of one’s human “property.”
Taxation to Revolution
It was reasoned that no colonists could fear an act that made them drink cheaper tea.
From War to Revolution
Can you answer these questions on figures who took part in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution?
Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History
Slavery, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement—you have to teach these topics, so check out these essays to enrich your curriculum!
Jennifer Orr on Teaching Thanksgiving
How do you broach the complicated issues surrounding Thanksgiving with early primary students? First-grade teacher Jennifer Orr doesn’t have all of the answers, but she has some suggestions.
Martha Ballard
Learning about the life of a midwife in 18th-century Maine through her diary and other sources.
Trade Routes and Emerging Colonial Economies
The direct and indirect impacts of various trade routes during the 16th through 19th centuries.
Charters for Colonies
To legally exist, English colonies needed charters from the monarchy. Answer these questions about colonies and charters.
Stamping Out Free Speech?
The Stamp Act of 1765 had colonists crying foul. Answer these questions about this most hated act.
Jennifer Orr on Questioning Columbus
First-grade teacher Jennifer Orr answers the question, how do you teach when you don’t have the answers to all the questions? Answer: Be honest! Here, she suggests sources for opening up the story of Christopher Columbus.
Europe Encounters the Western Hemisphere
Can you answer these questions about the “exploration race” that brought Europeans to North and South America?
New England Puritans
Trying to build a New Jerusalem on the coast of Massachusetts.
New World Wonders
How did explorers describe the plants and animals they discovered in America?
In Our Own Time: Native American Timekeeping
Pre-Columbian calendars were very different from the ones we use today. Are these statements about Native American timekeeping true?
The Royal We: Princesses of the Past
Daughters of rulers and subjects of history…are these statements on women of monarchical lineage true or false?
Textbook Twisters: Salem Witch Trials
Burn the witch! Discover how historical coverage of the Salem Witch Trials has changed over time.
A Culture Productive of Infinite Wretchedness
How did the American colonies get addicted to growing tobacco?
Jamestown: The Starving Time
Only 60 settlers out of 600 survived the winter of 1609–1610 in Jamestown Virginia. Was “the Starving Time” due to natural circumstances or planned extermination?
Alien Invasions
For each pair of animal and plant species, identify the one that is not native to America.
Turning Turtle: Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea
The ship’s on her beam-ends and all’s lost! Test your knowledge of maritime disasters.
The Many Roots of African American Cooking
Africa, Europe, and North America—mix, and serve. Explore the foods that African Americans developed in the colonies, and later in the nation.
Exploration and Innovation
Crossing vast oceans required specialized tools and knowledge. Discover more about navigation and exploration.
African and Native Americans in Colonial and Revolutionary Times
African Americans and Native Americans have had a long and complex relationship, often characterized by their similar exclusion from the fruits of freedom envisioned during the American Revolution.
Iroquois and the Founding Fathers
Historians argue over whether the Founding Fathers’ knowledge of Native American forms of confederation influenced their early plans for the government of the United States.
Colonial Teenagers
Young people in their teens were not thought of as a distinct group, but as young adults who were obliged to work for their living, whether they lived at home or not.
Conococheague
How do you pronounce (and spell) Conococheague and how do we know?
PhilaPlace
Pennsylvania educators, or teaching urban history? Explore two neighborhoods in Philadelphia using an interactive map and more than 1,240 primary sources.
New Jersey's Quakers and the American Revolution
Did you know the Quakers were pre-Revolution abolitionists?…
Mass Moments
MA educators—explore a historical moment (and accompanying primary source) for every day of the year.
American Indian Women
Different kinds of power in different cultures. Perceptions of dignified and proper work vary across time and place.
Mundane Lives and Extreme Adventures
What were the primary concerns of English colonists in early 17th-century America?
Religious Orders of Women in New France
Lives dedicated to teaching and nursing.
Resources for Units on Early American Government
When unit planning is daunting, look to exceptional examples online.
Toolbox Library: Primary Resources in U.S. History and Literature
Eight “toolboxes” enable secondary teachers to enhance existing U.S. History units.
Library of Southern Literature
Full texts of more than 130 works of literature by more than 75 Southern authors.
Early American Newspapers: Series 1, 1690-1876
17th- through 19th-century newspaper articles from 23 states and DC.
Thomas Jefferson Papers
The largest collection of original Jefferson documents in the world. Really, we’re serious.
Virginia Historical Society
View the Virginia Historical Society’s extensive collection of materials documenting Virginia history.
Famous American Trials: Salem Witchcraft Trials
An ideal website for researching basic information regarding the Salem Witch Trials.
Historical Maps of the United States
A collection of U.S. and military maps useful for a variety of research.
Discovery and Exploration [Maps]
A collection of maps which chronicle the age of European discovery.
Divining America: Religion and the National Culture
A comprehensive history of religion and major religious events within the United States.
17th-Century Colonial New England
Explore the history of 17th century New England and, more specifically, the Salem Witchcraft Trials.
Leslie Brock Center for the Study of Colonial Currency, University of Virginia
Learn about the American colonial economy and currency.
The American Colonist's Library
This extensive database contains influential documents and literature spanning from 500BC to the 1800s.
Map History/History of Cartography: The Gateway to the Subject
A collection of 3,000 historical maps and information about the history of cartography.
NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art
Learn about Native American technology, including wigwams, beadwork, pottery, and tools.
Salem Witchcraft Hysteria: A National Geographic Interactive Site
An interactive website which takes visitors through the Salem witch trials.
Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1800
Looking for a one-stop spot for all your quick 1639-1800 research needs?
American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920
What impressions did the average citizen or foreigner form of early America and its people?
Spain, The United States, and The American Frontier: Historias Paralelas
If you need primary sources on the Spanish in North America, try this site.
National Postal Museum
The mail always comes, rain or shine; but how?
University of Missouri-Columbia: Digital Library Collections
A hodge podge of history: England, Missouri, and the greater U.S.
The Pilgrims in American Culture: Thanksgiving
Were the Pilgrims really shorter than us? Discover the answer to all your Thanksgiving queries here!
Colonial Williamsburg
Experience life in Colonial Williamsburg without visiting Virginia.
Best of History Websites
Find top notch history web resources, as well as advice on using technology for teaching.
Museum of Musical Instruments (MoMI)
Find out about the guitar players who came before you, and perhaps, even perfect your own abilities.
Digital Archive of American Architecture
Explore U.S. architectural styles and ornamentation, or date the buildings in your town.
Physical Sciences Collection: Surveying and Geodesy
What tools do men use to turn wilderness into private property?
Meeting of Frontiers
How does the settling of the Siberian frontier compare to that of the U.S. West?
Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy, 1718-1820
Consider assigning contextual reports on the lives of individual slaves.
History of American Education Web Project
Explore the history of education within the U.S, through writings and images.
George Washington: A National Treasure
What can you learn from the Lansdowne portrait of George Washington?
The Hartford Black History Project
Follow the formation of the African American community in the city of Hartford, CT
Thomas Jefferson Papers
What did Thomas Jefferson read?
AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History
One convenient source for major historical U.S. documents.
Brief Timeline of American Literature, Music, and Movies
Explore film, music, and literature in its social context and chronology. Understand the cultural dynamics that lent themselves to the media.
The Yale Map Collection: Online Maps
What kind of map might you have used as an explorer? An early urbanite?
The Luso-Hispanic World in Maps
Peruse maps of Spanish and Portuguese colonization, exploration, and military ventures.
HistoryWired: A Few of Our Favorite Things
What American history items do Smithsonian curators like best?
Brooklyn's Eighteenth-Century Lott House
Conduct your own “virtual dig” of a Dutch farmhouse.
Today in History Web Resources
Need to check a date? Have students report on their birth dates? Try here.
American Originals Part II
Introduce students to 25 documents selected by the National Archives for their historical importance.
Virginia Historical Inventory (VHI)
View Virginia’s antebellum architectural culture.
The Capital and the Bay, ca. 1600-1925
What picture have people painted of the Washington, D.C. in written works?
Heading West and Touring West
View maps of the West, while simultaneously looking into the lives of traveling performers.
Slave Movement During the 18th and 19th Centuries
Analyze data to understand the impact of slavery on the colonies and nation.
Private Passions, Public Legacy: Paul Mellon's Personal Library
Enjoy this sneak peek at the Mellon Collection of Virginia history.
Papers of John Jay
Read the correspondence of lesser known founding father John Jay.
History Cooperative
Catch up on the latest scholarly research, and learn and incorporate new scholarship or innovative findings into the classroom.
Civics Online
Gain inspiration for new ways to approach political history.
Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Rare Books c. 1820-1910
Explore Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin life through rare books.
The American Revolution and Its Era: Maps and Charts
See Revolutionary War-era maps evolve from draft to completion.
Mapping the National Parks
Track the exploration and use of Acadia, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and the Great Rocky Mountains.
Florida Heritage Collection
Explore Florida state, regional, and local history.
New Perspectives on the West
Peruse lesson plans about the West on this companion site to a Ken Burns documentary.
Web de Anza
Check out this site to see “how the West was won.”
Common-Place: The Interactive Journal of Early American Life
Immerse yourself in early U.S. history with this scholarly journal.
Great Lakes Maritime History Project
Delve into Wisconsin’s maritime history. Discover the multiple ways in which water shaped the history of the state.
The History of Sanitary Sewers
Few engineering feats are so overlooked by history as the creation of sewers worldwide.
Historical Maps Online
View 400 hundred years of cartography from the Illinois area.
Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America
How much do you know about the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury?
The Pill
How has the birth control pill altered sexuality and feminine gender expectations?
Jonathan Edwards Online
Jonathan Edwards was the grandfather of Aaron Burr, and entrenched in the Great Awakening movement.
Military Campaign Maps
Where exactly were troops stationed in a given battle? Visualize the military campaigns, and imagine what the troops saw when they were able to initiate fighting.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia
Need a comprehensive site on Georgia history? Why, here you go!
American Memory Learning Page
Try lesson plans based on the Library of Congress’ American Memory collections.
The United States and Brazil: Expanding Frontiers, Comparing Cultures
How are Brazil and the U.S. similar? How are they different?
Colonial House
Companion to a PBS television program, this site provides insight into everyday colonial life.
Maine Memory Network
Explore the history of Maine, and create your own digital album.
New France, New Horizons: On French Soil in America
Explore French Louisiana, Canada, and the Great Lakes region.
Rediscovering George Washington
Take in the latest scholarship on the life of the first U.S. president.
The Story of Virginia
State standards require you to teach VA history? Worry not! This site covers Virginia history from prehistoric times to the present.
Bethlehem Digital History Project
Imagine life as a Moravian in Bethlehem, PA.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
How can you incorporate digital technology into your teaching, study, or understanding of history?
Rare Map Collection
Explore maps from throughout America’s history, with a special focus on 19th century Georgia.
A Curriculum of United States Labor History for Teachers
Learn about labor politics and economics throughout American history.
Voice of the Shuttle: Web Page for Humanities Research
An impressive gateway site for all humanities subjects.
Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture
Learn about the history of the United States up to 1815 with this website dedicated exclusively to early American history.
NativeWeb: Resources for Indigneous Cultures Around the World
A unique website designed to foster communication regarding all of the planet’s native peoples.
Lewis and Clark: Maps of Exploration 1507-1814
Explore cartography and the exploration of the North American continent.
At Home in the Heartland
Learn about family life and social history in the northern Midwest.
American Women's History: A Research Guide
Speed up your online search for resources on American women’s history with this research guide.
Excerpts from Slave Narratives
The 46 first-person accounts on this website effectively chronicle slavery in the United States.
History: The National Park Service
Visit this website to learn the history of many of the 384 areas under the stewardship of the National Park Service.
WWW-Virtual Library, History Central Catalogue
This large gateway site provides a starting point for any and all historical research.
Words and Deeds in American History
View primary documents that helped to shape America’s history.
Thomas Jefferson on Politics and Government
Learn about Jefferson’s political views through this collection of quotations from his writings.
Archiving Early America
Explore the early history of America with reproductions of important documents and newspapers.
New Jersery History Partnership Project
Use New Jersey during the American Revolution as a national microcosm.
From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America
Peruse this online exhibit on the history of Jewish life in the United States.
Lest We Forget: The Triumph Over Slavery
Explore slavery in America from nine thematic perspectives.
Rebellion: John Horse and the Black Seminoles
What role did runaway slaves and free African Americans play in the Second Seminole War?
Adams Family Papers
You probably know about John Adam’s political career, but what of the Adams’ domestic life?
Slavery and the Making of America
An extensive glimpse into slave life and the history of slavery in the United States.
Benjamin Franklin: In His Own Words
Get to know Benjamin Franklin through his own writings, cartoons, and letters.
Library of Congress: Webcasts
Access more than 500 webcasts from the Library of Congress.
A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life
Explore Jewish heritage outside of the Mid-Atlantic or the Holocaust.
Ancient Architects of the Mississippi
How did the Moundbuilders create the massive earthworks for which they are known?
Medicine in the Americas, 1619-1914
Access works on medicine and health by Clara Barton, Benjamin Coleman, Benjamin Rush, and others.
Portal to Texas History
Texas educators, looking for primary resources on state history? Search this portal for thousands of images and documents drawn from Texas-based archival collections.
New Jersey Public Records and Archives
Familiarize yourself with New Jersey history using images, maps, and official documents.
Silicon Valley History Online
Silicone Valley is known as a high-tech industry center, but has it always been?
Oxford African American Studies Center
Access more than 5,000 biographies, maps, and images relevant to African American history.
Early Recognized Treaties with American Indian Nations
Inspect nine early land dispute treaties between the Native Americans and the British or U.S.
American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series I, 1760-1900
Explore American life through advertisements, literature, poetry, Civil War envelopes, and more!
North American Women's Letters and Diaries: Colonial Times to 1950
Read the personal correspondence and diaries of women such as Phyllis Wheatley and Margaret Fuller.
Alabama Maps
How have boundaries changed over time? Compare the maps of yesteryear with those of today.
Red White Blue & Brimstone: New World Literature and the American Millennium
Texts throughout U.S. history have featured imagery from the Book of Revelations, including the the documents on this site.
Which Native American Tribes Allied Themselves with the French?
Historians endeavor to uncover Native American perspectives.
American Experience: We Shall Remain
Coming soon to your local PBS station: a new look at the Native American experience.
From Medieval Europe to Colonial America
What did Colonial America and Medieval Europe have in common?
Quantity of Soldiers—not Quality of Their Aim—Won Battles
Linear battle formations date at least to the early 17th century.
A Look at Slavery through Posters and Broadsides
How to identify the author, audience, date, and message of historical posters.
Images of Native Americans
Illustrations follow European interpretations of Native Americans, through images from popular culture, literary and political observations, and artistic representations.
Slavery in New York
Nine galleries explore the history of slavery in New York City.
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.
USC Archival Research Center
With over 126,000 photographs, maps, and other documents, this site offers a comprehensive look at the history of Los Angeles and southern California.
Cultural Readings: Colonization and Print in the Americas
Examine texts about the Americas produced in Europe from the 15th to 19th centuries.
Colonial Connecticut Records, 1636-1776
Explore the 15-volume Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, from April 1636 to October 1776.
Center for Archaeological Studies
Showcases archaeological excavations at Mobile and elsewhere in Alabama through images and exhibits.
American Journeys
Firsthand accounts of exploration range from Viking stories to early 19th-century trappers’ journals.
Africans in America
Trace the history of Africans in America through Reconstruction, with 245 images, maps, and documents.
Picturing America
Presents 27 iconic works of art as examples for the use of art and primary sources in history classrooms.
Using Maps as Primary Sources
A 4th-grade teacher shows strategies for encouraging and supporting student analysis of maps.
Historical Context and Roleplaying
A 5th-grade teacher teaches historical context through roleplaying activities.
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.
North American Slave Narratives, Beginnings to 1920
Explore all of the known published slave narratives, to better understand the experience of slavery and the culture that slaves created in the nation.
American Shores: Maps of the Middle Atlantic Region to 1850
Explore the mid-Atlantic region with more than 1,852 maps created before 1850.
Virtual Jamestown
Experience firsthand accounts of Jamestown and colonial history, dating from 1570 through 1720.
Religion and the Founding of the American Republic
Explore the significance of religion in early American history and its influence on republican institutions.
Raid on Deerfield: The Many Stories of 1704
Documents the 1704 raid on Deerfield, MA, by 300 French and their Native American allies.
Plymouth Colony Archive Project
Documents and analytical essays emphasize the social history of Plymouth Colony from 1620 to 1691.
James Madison Papers
Explore James Madison’s life through his correspondence, personal notes, drafts of letters and legislation, and legal and financial documents.
Salem Witch Trials: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project
Examine the verbatim transcripts of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.
Geography of Slavery in America
Provides transcriptions and images of more than 4,000 newspaper advertisements for runaway slaves and indentured servants between 1736 and 1803.
Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: A Visual Record
Showcases more than 1,230 images depicting the enslavement of Africans, the Atlantic Slave Trade, and slave life in the New World.
Accessible Archives
Presents articles from 18th- and 19th-century newspapers, magazines, and books, with a focus on the Mid-Atlantic region.
Archive of Early American Images
Collects more than 4,000 images from books created in Europe between 1492 and 1825.