Rethinking "Westward Expansion": A Guide for Preservice Teachers
Help students reconsider the how the expansion of the United States from 1865 to 1890 was perceived by Native peoples in the west using primary sources from the Library of Congress.
American Tourists and the Holy Land, 1865-1900
Help students make connections between religion, technology, and American culture in this teaching module.
Statistics in Schools
Analyze data from the U.S. Census Bureau in the social studies classroom.
A Close Look at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial
Historian Christopher Hamner engages educators in close questioning of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington, DC.
National Portrait Gallery: Teaching with 19th-Century Portraits
Watch Briana Zavadil White introduce teachers to portraits of inventors and presidents from the 19th century.
Smithsonian American Art Museum: Close Observation
Close observation and an inquisitive mind are all the tools you need to start analyzing primary sources! Teachers model analyzing works of art.
For Us the Living
A series of five primary source based learning modules that encourage high school students to explore American history through the stories found in Alexandria National Cemetery.
After Slavery
Does your textbook make Reconstruction sound simple? Explore the real pain and complexity of Reconstruction with primary sources focusing on the Carolinas.
Families on the Farm
What was life like for women and girls on late 19th- and early 20th-century farms?
Film Review: Amelia
What is the cultural terrain staked out by Amelia, the Hollywood biopic about the intrepid flyer Amelia Earhart?
Homicide in Chicago 1870-1930
Covering urbanization and industrialization? This homicide index can help students understand social changes and tensions associated with both.
The Many Faces of Immigration
American is built upon immigration. However, attitudes about immigration varied greatly from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
Olympic Spirit: Teaching with the Olympics
Summer or winter, the Olympics bring together countries worldwide—including the U.S. How can you teach with Olympic history?
Little Wolf and President Grant
Why did Little Wolf, a Cheyenne leader, go to Washington in 1873?
Resources for Flag Day
Flag Day may not fall during the school year for many, but Flag Day resources are valuable all year long.
Westward Expansion: Image vs. Reality
East or West? See if you can determine which region produced these images on westward migration!
Reading a Cartoon: Nast's "Milk Tickets for Babies"
What do you see in this 1876 cartoon?
Earth Day: Lost to History
Human history affects more than human beings.
Clio Visualizing History
This site offers a grab bag of digital history exhibits. Definitely worth perusal.
White House Historical Association
There’s more to the White House than the President himself—music, art, staff, pets. . .
Voices of Women's Reform
There’s more to it than Seneca Falls.
Letters from the Philippines
Letters from U.S. soldiers during the Philippine-American War reveal perspectives very different from the official language of liberation.
African American History Month: Civil Rights Worldwide
These African American civil rights activists affected more than the U.S.
Stop and Source!
Students get more out of historical photographs when they take the time to explore who took them, where, and why.
Thanksgiving: Presidential Turkeys
How many turkeys have presidents pardoned?
Which Witch?
Words constantly evolve and change over time. What did “witch” mean to these artists?
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Virtual Museum Exhibit
What was life like in abolitionist Frederick Douglass’s home in Washington, DC? The NPS takes a look.
Thomas Nast Cartoon
Today, we accept paper—and electronic—money as a fact of life. Historian Michael O’Malley analyzes an 1876 cartoon criticizing “greenbacks.”
America's Shifting Western Frontier
Go Where, Young Man?
Industrializing Women
Did industrialization result in more women working outside the home or in more women in domestic spheres only?
Ballyhoo!: Posters as Portraiture
Think of all the celebrity advertisements you see everyday. Why pick that particular person for that particular poster?
Sewall-Belmont House Museum Collections
Allow the National Woman’s Party to show you their collection on women’s progress to equality.
Gilded Age Plains City
Delve into Great Plains urban development c. 1900 by way of a compelling, unsolved murder mystery.
DocsTeach
Team up with the National Archives and Records Administration to bring primary sources into your classroom!
From Slavery to Freedom: The African-American Pamphlet Collection, 1822-1909
Peruse an extensive collection of pamphlets related to African-American life leading up to, during, and following the Civil War.
William Steinway Diary, 1861-1896
Daily life in 19th-century New York City, music history, and Civil War commentary all in one place.
Center on Congress
What is Congress? Why should anyone care?
Questioning History Using the Census
Historian Alex Stein poses questions about population shift in Detroit, and models using census data and other sources to answer his question.
Manias of the Gilded Age
Fads, crotchets, crazes, rages, and cultural fevers. Test your knowledge of these short-lived obsessions.
Cintia Cabib's Interdisciplinary Gardening
Walk through the history of student gardening with documentarian Cintia Cabib, and see how you can use gardens in the classroom.
Ron Gorr on Go to the Source (GTTS) Activities
Primary sources are crucial for historical study. AP history teacher Ron Gorr suggests ways to better incorporate them into lesson plans.
Divided Allegiance
Being born in the United States was not always a guaranteed path to citizenship.
Divining America: Religion in American History
Use this essay on Jewish immigration to flesh out a unit on the Civil War or immigration.
First Impressions: The U.S. and Japan
In 1854, Japan signed a treaty with the U.S. How did the U.S. and Japan see each other during this exchange?
The Garden of Infants
Kindergarten came to America in the 19th century on a wave of German Romantic Idealism.
Riding the Rails
How many cows could a cowcatcher catch, if a cowcatcher could catch cows?
The Great Black Hope
These African American athletes drew crowds with their skill and determination in the early 20th century.
Innovation and Technology in the 19th Century
Of all the discoveries and developments that occurred in the 19th century, two proved to be the main force behind the development of the New Age.
Diversity in the 1920s
Segregation and equality in America was a case of double standards.
Great Expectations for the Civil War
Many believed the Civil War would be a short, bloodless battle. The reality of the drawn out combat led many soldiers in the North and South to desert the military to return home to farm and family.
The Disaster of Innovation
How the cotton gin revolutionized the use of slaves and the production of cotton in the Southern United States.
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.
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!
Lone Wolf v Hitchcock
Part of a series of laws that displaced Native Americans from land allotted to them through treaties with the U.S. government.
Intertwined Development: Railroads and Political Parties
The influence of the booming rail system on the growth and development of three political parties in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students
Using the premise of a mystery, elementary students act as history detectives as they explore a historical question and formulate and test hypotheses.
Civil War Photos: What Do You See?
Analysis of photographs of Civil War artillery broadens students understanding of the American Industrial period.
DocsTeach
Find primary sources and the tools to present them to students—in one place.
Baseball in Black and White
Baseball might be America’s favorite past time, but it has not always been inclusive. Can you answer these questions about African American ball players?
Advice for Beachgoers
Long before sunblock, boogie boards, or bikinis…did ladies wear corsets to the beach?
Paradise in a Breakfast Bowl
A morning meditation on flakes: Do your morals and values help you decide which cereal to eat in the morning?
Saving Daylight
Politicians get hot under the collar when discussing the hottest of topics—the sun’s light. Which statements about Daylight Saving Time are true?
Plays You Won't See in the Superbowl
Football has always been a great American sport, but how much do you know about its beginnings?
The Ice Cream Wars
Was there conflict in the past over one of our favorite summer treats?
American Myths: Popular Music
Each song has a story. What inspired it? When was it made? By whom?
Constitution Day 2010
Explore these online Constitution Day resources for September 17 and throughout the year.
The Cost of Industrialization
Use the Triangle Shirtwaist fire to examine the benefits and costs of industrialization.
Potent Quotables: Every Vote Counts
After more than two centuries of citizenship, much has been said about voting. Can you tell who said what?
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.
Pre-Modern Pop Music
Before “pop” music reigned supreme, jazz and ragtime amassed great public popularity.
Voices in the Whirlwind
To each prophet, a certain way of speaking. Match civil rights leaders with their words.
Patents as Primary Sources
Patents as primary sources? These documents can give your students clues to development of U.S. science, technology, business, and social concerns.
United We Stand: Industry and Famous Strikes
Stand up (or sit down) for better working conditions! Test your knowledge of strikes in U.S. history.
Yo, Ho, Ho and a . . . Bushel of Oysters?
Shellfish pirates stole from the rich to feed themselves—and make a little money on the side.
Alien Invasions
For each pair of animal and plant species, identify the one that is not native to America.
Dance, But Not That Way . . .
Do you know how to dance the Sleigh Bell Polka? Learn the proper way to perform 19th and 20th century dances.
Turning Turtle: Shipwrecks and Disasters at Sea
The ship’s on her beam-ends and all’s lost! Test your knowledge of maritime disasters.
American Personalities: Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty
Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty are popular American icons. How much do you know about their history?
Theatre of the People
Through performing art, U.S. minorities assert their identities. Answer these questions on multicultural music and theatre.
Presidential Valentines
The politics of love—answer these questions about valentines to and from U.S. presidents
Go West, Young Woman!
Men and women both settled the West. Answer these questions on women’s records of the experience.
Column A and Column B
In the 19th century, no one expected Chinese food to take off in the United States.
Stumbling Down the Road to Health
It seemed like a good idea at the time . . . which “healthful” ingredients and inventions that had unintended consequences?
When Whales Lit the World
Up to the 20th century, whalers provided oil for the industrial revolution. How much do you know about these iron men and wooden ships?
Playing History
Board games preserve the past in squares, paper money, and toy tokens. Answer these questions about the history of play.
Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Culture
At the virtual home of the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Culture, six exhibits highlight ethnic culture in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
State of the Union
What can 214 State of the Union addresses tells us about American politics and rhetoric?
Paul Laurence Dunbar Digital Collection
Read the books and poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar, internationally famous African American writer.
Indiana Historical Society Digital Image Collections
Indiana educators, looking for visual primary sources? Search more than 38,000 photographs from the 19th century to the present.
Playing House—Homemaking for Children
How have childhood and gender roles changed over time? Browse five housekeeping books for girls.
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
From 1863 to 1935, this tenement building housed working immigrant families. View photographs of their lives, and engage in interactive learning opportunities.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Learn about race in the Progressive Era through the life of Jack Johnson, the original African American Heavy Weight Champion of the World.
PhilaPlace
Pennsylvania educators, or teaching urban history? Explore two neighborhoods in Philadelphia using an interactive map and more than 1,240 primary sources.
Seattle General Strike Project
In 1919, Seattle workers launched the first general strike in U.S. history. Explore labor history with over 100 newspaper articles and other sources on the strike.
Politics of a Massacre: Discovering Wilmington 1898
This site contains sources covering and reacting to the deplorable 1898 massacre in Wilmington, NC.
Mass Moments
MA educators—explore a historical moment (and accompanying primary source) for every day of the year.
Wisconsin State Historical Society Online Collections
Wisconsin educators, search the online collections of the oldest American historical society for primary sources.
Washington State Digital Archives
Attention Washington State educators! Looking for primary sources? With more than 84.5 million documents, this archive has what you need.
University of Wyoming Digital Collections
Wyoming educators, explore more than 10,000 primary sources on Wyoming’s 19th- and 20th-century history.
Ulysses S. Grant Digital Archive
Deepen your coverage of the late 19th century with the letters of Ulysses S. Grant, war-hero-turned-president.
Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment
Relive the dream of the women’s vote through roleplay or interfacing with primary documents.
The Progressive Era
Explore the ins and outs of turn-of-the-century labor law, business, housing, and immigration.
All Wrapped Up in the Flag
Flinging the first American flag to the breeze.
Bubbles, Panics, and Crashes: A Century of Financial Crises, 1830s-1930s
Do your students think the Great Depression was the only previous slump in the U.S. economy?
Everyday Life in the 19th Century
Wandering through time into our ancestors’ attic.
Missouri Digital Heritage
Missouri teachers looking for primary sources, look no further. Explore this portal for resources from libraries, universities, archives, and heritage sites throughout the state.
Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project
75 full-text cookbooks let you or your students prepare the foods from the 19th to the early 20th century.
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley could shoot 6 holes in a playing card before it touched ground. Invite this sharpshooter into your classroom!
Third Graders Analyzing Historical Sources
A 3rd-grade teacher leads her students through analysis of child labor photographs.
The Social Museum Collection at Harvard University
More than 6,000 images related to U.S. social conditions and institutions.
Land of (Unequal) Opportunity
460 documents and images on civil rights in Arkansas, from before, during, and after the civil rights movement.
U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994
More than 355,000 items produced by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, from 1817-1994.
Toolbox Library: Primary Resources in U.S. History and Literature
Eight “toolboxes” enable secondary teachers to enhance existing U.S. History units.
National Museum of the American Indian: Beauty Surrounds Us
Online exhibit of more than 65 objects from Native cultures in North and South America.
Library of Southern Literature
Full texts of more than 130 works of literature by more than 75 Southern authors.
Tall Tales: The West as Legend
Wrestling bears, surly cowboys, vultures circling lone travelers. . . Find resources on American myth.
The Dramas of Haymarket
Written in the form of a drama, this website takes visitors through the Haymarket Affair.
Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
Search over 200 prominent African American scientists.
Savannah Images Project
A useful local history project which focuses on the history of Savannah and the Georgia coastline.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of South Carolina
A collection of maps detailing over 80 South Carolina towns and cities.
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series
View 22 census data samples and 65 million records from 13 federal censuses.
Baseball Cards, 1887-1914
A collection of over 2,100 early baseball cards.
Band Music from the Civil War Era
Listen to an overview of popular brass band music from the Civil War era.
African American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
View 1,300 pieces of sheet music composed by and about African Americans.
Virginia Historical Society
View the Virginia Historical Society’s extensive collection of materials documenting Virginia history.
Bartleby, Great Books Online
A collection of American and European literary classics, made available free of charge.
U.S. Electoral College
Uncover the inner workings and history of the US Electoral College. Click here to explore!
National Park Service, Teaching with Historic Places
Use this website to plan and organize lessons around NPS properties and locations.
Wet With Blood: The Investigation of Mary Todd Lincoln's Cloak
Explore the archives of the Chicago Historical Society to learn about Lincoln’s assassination through objects.
History of Presidential Elections Site
Provides a wealth of information on US presidential elections, with a particular focus on the 2000 election.
U.S. Senate Historical Office
How much do you know about the history of the American Senate? Click here for background information on this component of our legislative branch.
Material History of American Religion Project
Learn about American material culture and its relation to the nation’s religious history.
Death of the Dream: Farmhouses in the Heartland
Begin your background research on prairie farmhouses with this website.
Hagley Digital Archives
Focused on business history, this gateway site connects businesses to greater cultural and social trends.
Divining America: Religion and the National Culture
A comprehensive history of religion and major religious events within the United States.
History Now: American History Online
Read this quarterly journal which focuses on a different topic in American History in each issue.
White Trash: The Construction of an American Scapegoat
An excellent site for new study into the “white trash” demographic.
Jewish American History on the Web
An impressive website for the study of Jews and Judaism in the United States.
Images of African Americans from the 19th Century
Your first resource for photographs and images depicting African Americans during the 19th century.
The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship
A comprehensive guide consisting of over 240 primary source items detailing African American history.
Map History/History of Cartography: The Gateway to the Subject
A collection of 3,000 historical maps and information about the history of cartography.
Through Our Parent's Eyes: Tucson's Diverse Community
Learn about the ethnically diverse history of Tucson, AZ.
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), 1945-1972
Peruse this collection of recently declassified foreign policy documents.
Promise of Gold Mountain: Tucson's Chinese Heritage
A collection of primary sources detailing early Asian-Americans in Tucson, Arizona.
American Landscape and Architectural Design, 1850-1920
Explore the history of American landscape and architectural design from 1850-1920.
American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920
What impressions did the average citizen or foreigner form of early America and its people?
Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers
Read about Wilbur and Orville Wright’s triumphs and setbacks as they experienced them.
Spain, The United States, and The American Frontier: Historias Paralelas
If you need primary sources on the Spanish in North America, try this site.
Photographer to the World-The Detroit Publishing Company
When travel wasn’t an easy option what views did people have of other places?
Federal Township Plats of Illinois, 1804-1891
View maps created during the early stages of surveying Illinois.
The Annexation of Hawaii: A Collection of Documents
Compare U.S. and Hawaiian opinion on Hawaiian annexation.
National Postal Museum
The mail always comes, rain or shine; but how?
Forests, Fields, and the Falls
How did the lumber, flour, sawmill, and farming industries shape Minnesota’s future?
When They Were Young: A Photographic Retrospective of Childhood
What would it be like to grow up poor? Greek? Mexican? Rich?
Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection
Discover the men, ideas, and process behind discovering that mosquitoes transfer yellow fever.
University of Missouri-Columbia: Digital Library Collections
A hodge podge of history: England, Missouri, and the greater U.S.
Freedom: A History of Us
What exactly is freedom, and who possesses it?
Ghost Town Gallery
Turn off the lights, and explore the ghost towns of the West.
Carnegie Libraries of California
Learn about the California libraries built with Carnegie funding.
Images of African Americans from the Cook Collection of Photographs
What might your life have been like as an African American in Virginia c. 1900?
Urban Planning, 1794-1918: An International Anthology
How did WWI affect urban development? How did it impact housing and business in the cities?
American Women's Dime Novel Project
What was the turn-of-the-century woman’s “beach read”?
Streetscape and Townscape of Metropolitan New York City, 1860-1942
See uncommon photograph subjects for the turn-of-the-century, such as street peddlers.
Murphy and Bolanz: Block and Addition Books, Dallas County 1880-1920
Explore the layout and businesses of turn-of-the-century Dallas.
Early Washington Maps: A Digital Collection
Washington was once part of an area contested for between the U.S. and Great Britain.
Best of History Websites
Find top notch history web resources, as well as advice on using technology for teaching.
African Americans in Massachusetts
Compare perspectives on educational desegregation. How did it affect the community?
Nineteenth-Century Texas Law Online: Gammel's The Laws of Texas
Delve into Texas law from early colonization through 1897.
Thomas Eakins: American Realist
Discover one of America’s great realists, and see the Philadelphia of his day.
Harvesting the River
Explore river life—with a particular focus on food harvesting.
Selected Historical Decennial Census Population and Housing Counts
What questions have past censuses posed? What were the results?
Worthington Memory, Online Scrapbook
Explore the history and development of a small town. The online scrapbook provides an uncanny lens into town life.
Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry
Listen to the recordings of the creator of the microphone and gramophone player.
Kiowa Drawings
Kiowa artwork from buffalo hide canvases to university art training.
Digital Archive of American Architecture
Explore U.S. architectural styles and ornamentation, or date the buildings in your town.
WPA Life Histories, Virginia Interviews
Explore Depression-era, ex-slave, and urban youth life stories.
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?
History of American Education Web Project
Explore the history of education within the U.S, through writings and images.
The Hartford Black History Project
Follow the formation of the African American community in the city of Hartford, CT
AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History
One convenient source for major historical U.S. documents.
Lift Every Voice: Music in American Life
What work can be accomplished through music?
Dismuke's Virtual Talking Machine
Swing to the beats of the early 1900s.
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.
History Through Deaf Eyes
What has the U.S. deaf population experienced?
Historic USGS Maps of New England
Explore New England’s topography with more than 1,100 topographical maps, covering all of New England and parts of New York.
Historical Map and Chart Collection
Teaching exploration? Why not introduce your students to nautical charts?
HistoryWired: A Few of Our Favorite Things
What American history items do Smithsonian curators like best?
Austin Treasures: Online Exhibits from the Austin History Center
Discover the depth of Austin, Texas’s urban history through 10 online exhibits containing images and essays.
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?
Surveyors of the West: William Henry Jackson and Robert Brewster Stanton
Follow the journey of two men through the western United States.
Heading West and Touring West
View maps of the West, while simultaneously looking into the lives of traveling performers.
Texts from Collections of the University of Wisconsin, Madison
Access a selection of rare 19th-century books online.
Keffer Collection of Sheet Music, ca. 1790-1895
What was popular music like in the 19th century?
An American Family: The Beecher Tradition
Did you know that Harriet Beecher Stowe’s family was also involved in abolitionism?
The Daguerreian Society
Have you ever thought of teaching your students the history of photography?
Pictures of the American City
See the U.S. grow before your eyes with this collection depicting two centuries of urbanization.
Women Artists of the American West
What have women artists considered worthy of depiction in the U.S. West?
Photographs of the American West, 1861-1912
Imagine life on the western frontier.
Freeze Frame: Eadweard Muybridge's Photography of Motion
Witness the birth of motion photography, as it created the foundation for the growth of the film industry and Hollywood.
A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion, 1820-1890
We all know the role of the wagon in westward expansion, but what of ships?
NBER Macrohistory Database
Looking for historical economics statistics? The NBER Macrohistory Database should be a central resource for you.
Hall of Black Achievement Gallery
Meet 30 influential African Americans who contributed across a wide variety of fields.
A Southern Mill Village: History of Old West Durham
Follow the development of a mill town from its birth to its current status.
Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History
Right this way for Seattle and Washington state history resources.
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.
19th Century Advertising, Harper's Weekly
Can I interest you in a metallic artificial leg?
Camping With the Sioux—Fieldwork Diary of Alice Cunningham Fletcher
What would it be like to live with the Dakota Sioux?
The 3Cities Project
Examine the nexus of representation, modernity, and urban life.
Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Rare Books c. 1820-1910
Explore Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin life through rare books.
Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, 1870-1885
What do the songs people sing tell us about their lives? Do they sing about tragedy? About love and happiness? How do their tunes reflect their personal stories?
Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
What do the songs people sing tell us about their lives?
America Singing: 19th-century Song Sheets
How did people learn the latest music trends without electronics?
Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film
Do films capture your students’ attention? Introduce them to Roosevelt in motion.
Before and After the Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco
See a turn-of-the-century city, San Francisco, before, during, and after the 1906 earthquake and fire (1897-1916).
Railroad Maps, 1828-1900
View maps created for a multitude of purposes related to travel by rail.
Puerto Rico at the Dawn of the Modern Age
Have you ever wondered about the international politics of Puerto Rico?
Omaha Indian Music
Listen to a century of Omaha speeches and songs. Hear the influences of Native American music on contemporary tunes.
The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906
View early films of New York City life.
The 19th Century in Print: Periodicals
What magazines do you read? What did people read in the 1800s?
The 19th Century in Print: Books
What were people reading around the time of the Civil War?
Mapping the National Parks
Track the exploration and use of Acadia, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and the Great Rocky Mountains.
Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns
Can you tell New Orleans jazz from Bebop? Can you hear the variations in style and instrumental parts?
Florida Heritage Collection
Explore Florida state, regional, and local history.
Toledo's Attic: A Virtual Museum of Toledo, Ohio
Explore Toledo, Ohio’s entertainment, technological, business, and political history.
New Perspectives on the West
Peruse lesson plans about the West on this companion site to a Ken Burns documentary.
The American Experience
Discover briefs on more than 60 iconic points in U.S. history.
Drawing the Western Frontier: The James E. Taylor Album
How did newspaper illustration shape stereotypes (and our understanding) of the “Wild West”?
Presidential Elections
How has campaigning changed over the years? Need to know details on major campaign issues?
Brooklyn Daily Eagle Online (1841-1902)
Explore the history of Brooklyn, 1841 through 1902, with historical newspaper issues.
Great Lakes Maritime History Project
Delve into Wisconsin’s maritime history. Discover the multiple ways in which water shaped the history of the state.
Across the Generations: Exploring U.S. History through Family Papers
Experience Caucasian, middle-class Northeastern life through the collections of four families.
Picturing Modern America Project
Create your own thematic exhibits using Library of Congress images.
National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
More than 50 virtual exhibits ranging from Julia Child to West Point.
The Wright Brothers in Photographs
Meet the Wright Brothers and their family through photographs of friends and exploits.
The Church in the Southern Black Community, 1780-1925
How did the Protestant Church become central to Southern African American communities?
FamilySearch
Begin genealogical projects on the right foot with these databases and tools.
The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden
Unsure how to teach presidential history in an engaging manner? Try these activities and lessons.
Samuel F. B. Morse Papers, 1793-1919
Explore the thoughts of Samuel F. Morse, artist and father of the electromagnetic telegraph.
Popular American Music
What songs were on the “Top 20” in the 1850s? Was it as much of a social concern as it is nowadays to stay musically trendy?
Pittsburgh City Photographer
See Pittsburgh, PA, the way it appeared as early as the 1890s.
Historic Topographic Maps of California
Explore a wide range of Californian geological survey maps, dating from 1895 to present.
Harrisburg's Old 8th Ward
Visit the businesses and meet the people of Harrisonburg, PA’s 8th Ward.
Boston Streets: Mapping Directory Data
Explore the history of Boston, MA, through photographs, maps, and atlas pages.
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.
Children's Books Online
For story time or personal research, peruse historical children’s books.
Washington History
Make this your first stop for topics related to Washington state history!
Woman's Legal History Biography Project
How many female lawyers can you think of in U.S. history?
Milwaukee Neighborhoods: Photos and Maps, 1885-1992
Take a visual journey through the development of Milwaukee, WI.
University of California History Digital Archives
Discover the history of the University of California through primary sources.
The Pill
How has the birth control pill altered sexuality and feminine gender expectations?
Women Working, 1800-1930
What did women think of their work at home, in the arts, and in business?
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!
Spalding Base Ball Guides, 1889-1939
Check out player and World Series statistics from the turn of the century.
Carriers' Addresses
Did you know that, traditionally, newsboys read poems to their customers on New Year’s?
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?
Utah Digital Newspapers
Browse Utah newspapers from 1879 through modern day.
Women of Valor
Meet international anarchist and women’s rights activist Emma Goldman.
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.
Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition, History
What would your life have been like as a housewife in 1850?
San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection
Imagine San Francisco as it would have been as early as 1850.
Presidents of the United States - POTUS
Compare inauguration promises or cabinet members. See the image of the United States’ government over time.
Connecticut History Online
Take a look at the “Constitution State,” with approximately 14,000 images depicting Connecticut’s history from the 19th through the 20th century.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
How can you incorporate digital technology into your teaching, study, or understanding of history?
Coal Mining in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
Visit this unique site to learn about the history of coal mining during the Gilded Age.
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.
Pluralism and Unity
Explore the clash of ideas and ideologies in early 20th century America.
NativeWeb: Resources for Indigneous Cultures Around the World
A unique website designed to foster communication regarding all of the planet’s native peoples.
The Internet African-American History Challenge
A great website for introducing African American history to young or new students.
Augustana College Library, Digital Projects
Midwest teacher looking for local history primary sources? Try these nine digital collections.
Chicago Imagebase
Witness the growth of the Chicago metro area with this interactive website.
At Home in the Heartland
Learn about family life and social history in the northern Midwest.
The Five Points Site
Navigate a virtual exhibit of a 1991 archaeological undertaking.
The Digital Classroom
An informative introduction to the practice and excitement of historical research.
American Museum of Photography
View fantastic photography throughout the ages in over 15 exhibits.
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.
By Popular Demand: "Votes for Women" Suffrage Pictures, 1850-1920
View photographs, cartoons, and campaign items from the women’s suffrage movement.
Photographs from the Fred Hulstrand and F. A. Pazandak Photograph Collections
Witness farming at the turn of the 20th century with this collection of photographs.
Jackie Robinson and Other Baseball Highlights, 1860s-1960s
Learn about race in American sports history through the life of Jackie Robinson.
Center for Working-Class Studies
Begin your study of working class and labor history with this website.
America Votes: Presidential Campaign Memorabilia
Follow presidential campaigns through the years with this collection of campaign materials.
African American Women
Read the memoirs and letters of three 19th-century African American women on this website.
An American Ballroom Companion: Dance Instruction Manuals, ca. 1490-1920
This collection of social dance manuals showcases the social history of Europe and America.
First-Person Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920
Learn about the American south in the late 19th century through 141 firsthand texts.
California Heritage Collection
View the early history of California through this collection of over 30,000 photographs.
Women's Studies Database
Your starting point for research in the field of Women’s Studies.
National Women's History Project
Start your research into Women’s history with the National Women’s History Project.
Children in Urban America: A Digital Archive
Imagine what it might have been like growing up over 100 years ago.
Alaska's Digital Archive
View images related to Alaskan statehood and Native Americans.
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.
H.H. Bennett: Photographer Extraordinaire
View commercial photography from the last half of the 19th century.
Doris Ulmann Photograph Collection
See the faces of the rural South, and acquaint yourself with their folk arts.
Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive
Which ethnic groups have made their homes in the Columbia River Basin?
Black Past
Begin your exploration of African American history with this web portal, leading out to more than 400 websites.
Slavery and the Making of America
An extensive glimpse into slave life and the history of slavery in the United States.
Brittingham Family Lantern Slide Collection
Catch a glimpse of wealthy turn-of-the-century Wisconsin life and travel in these photos.
Library of Congress: Webcasts
Access more than 500 webcasts from the Library of Congress.
Vincentian Postcards
Explore 200 years of postcards which document the Vincentian religious order of educators and nurses.
Sanborn® Fire Insurance Maps for Georgia Towns and Cities, 1884-1922
More than 540 urban maps of Georgia from between 1884 and 1922, detailing business locations.
Helen Keller Kid's Museum
Present Helen Keller’s story in more detail with photographs and historical background.
Anne Sullivan Macy: Miracle Worker
When teaching about Helen Keller, why leave out her friend and educator Anne Sullivan Macy?
A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life
Explore Jewish heritage outside of the Mid-Atlantic or the Holocaust.
Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles Collection
Search Wisconsin newspapers mainly from 1860 through 1940.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
What happened between 1880 and 1910 in the area where you live?
Seattle Power and Water Supply Collection
Take a gander at Washington state hydroelectric engineering feats of the 1890s through 1950s.
The History Box
Have a question about New York City or state history? More than 750 articles available.
Illinois Digital Archives
Primary sources on Illinois history with an emphasis on residential and commercial architecture.
Historic Pittsburgh
Acquaint yourself with Pittsburgh history through full texts, images, maps, census data, and lesson plans.
NOVA: Einstein's Big Idea
E=mc2. What does it mean? How has it changed society? What was Einstein’s life like?
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.
Las Vegas: An Unconventional History
Why is Las Vegas one of the world’s most popular destinations? How has it changed?
New Jersey Public Records and Archives
Familiarize yourself with New Jersey history using images, maps, and official documents.
Teaching Future Historians: U.S. History Lesson Plans Using Primary Documents
A diverse array of Antebellum, Civil War, and Gilded Age lesson plans for your convenience.
Illinois During the Gilded Age
Listen to, read, and sing sources from the Gilded Age canvassing women, religion, and more.
Silicon Valley History Online
Silicone Valley is known as a high-tech industry center, but has it always been?
Women of Protest: Images from the Records of the National Woman's Party
See the suffragettes who gave over 50% of U.S. citizens the right to vote.
Western History Photography Collection
How does your view of the American West compare to the visual reality?
Turning Points in Wisconsin History
Primary documents, background information, and lesson plans for Wisconsin history.
Encyclopedia of Chicago, Historical Sources
Imagine your life in 19th and 20th-century Chicago with this extensive collection of images.
Perry Visits Japan
Explore the official beginning of U.S.-Japan international relations.
Walt Whitman Archive
Get to know the life, mind, works, and criticisms of poet Walt Whitman.
Historic Missouri Newspaper Project
Peruse articles, images, and advertisements drawn from 14 Missouri newspapers, 1835 through 1988.
Wright on the Web
Follow architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s career with these summaries and images.
Thar's Gold in Them Thar Hills: Gold and Gold Mining in Georgia, 1830s-1940s
Gold mining, though often portrayed as lawless, was, in some cases, big business.
Stephen Foster's Sketchbook
Ever wondered what a composer’s drafts look like? View Foster’s sketchbook.
Minnesota Maps Online
Are you interested in cartography or the natural and social environment of early Minnesota?
Dickinson Electronic Archives
Learn about Dickinson’s family through their own writings and wider critical response to her poetry.
Unified Vision: The Architecture and Design of the Prairie School
View Prairie School works by famed architects and designers Wright, Sullivan, Elmslie, Purcell, and Maher.
Oxford African American Studies Center
Access more than 5,000 biographies, maps, and images relevant to African American history.
Lawrence Denny Lindsley Photographs
What did the Seattle area, mining, hunting, and portraiture look like c. 1900?
Home Sweet Home: Life in 19th-Century Ohio
Examine 19th-century domestic life through sheet music and audio song files.
Madison: Celebrating 150 Years
Learn about Madison, WI, from early settlement through its time as the “queen of bootleggers.”
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.
Travel, Tourism, and Urban Growth in Greater Miami: A Digital Archive
Interested in the history of tourism? This site examines the topic within Miami, FL.
The Great Seattle Fire
Delve into photographic evidence of the damage caused by the 1889 Great Seattle Fire.
Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage
Explore the history of Maryland, from Edgar Allen Poe to the War of 1812.
The Adoption History Project
Did you know that adoption was only recognized as a legal U.S. operation in 1851?
Center for Dewey Studies, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Discover the life of pragmatist and education reform advocate John Dewey (1859-1952).
The African-American Mosaic
Let the Library of Congress introduce you to African-American history from colonization to the WPA.
Panoramic Maps, 1847-1929
Did you know that between 1840 and 1929 many maps were not drawn to scale?
American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning
Looking for a new way to teach history? Peruse new media and educational resources.
Connecticut Historical Society
Explore the political and sociocultural history of Connecticut.
New York Public Library Picture Collection Online
Support visual learners with a selection of more than 30,000 historical images.
Immigration
Very few of us have ancestors who were not immigrants. Bring the topic of immigration to life.
Who Invented the Telephone?
The history of the invention of the telephone is as clear as a Bell . . . or is it?
Supreme Court Historical Society
The U.S. Supreme Court has shaped American ideals into practice since 1789, but how much do you know about this influential institution?
Landmark Supreme Court Cases
Intimidated by teaching legal history? Find resources for thinking about and teaching 17 pivotal U.S. Supreme Court cases at this site, designed for educators.
American Experience: We Shall Remain
Coming soon to your local PBS station: a new look at the Native American experience.
What Happened to the Royal Family of Hawaii After the U.S. Took Over?
In Hawaii today, a large number of people might be considered heirs or pretenders to the Hawaiian throne, were it ever to be revived.
What Happened to the Fenians After 1866?
Ireland’s revolutionary struggle against Britain played out in North America as well as in Europe.
Indian Peoples of the Northern Great Plains
Artifacts preserve the lifestyles of current and former American Indian tribes of the Northern Great Plains, 1870-1954.
Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920
Follow the rise of professional advertising with these advertising items and publications from 1850 to 1920.
Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia 1876
Primary sources from Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exhibition provide a view of the U.S.’s industrial development.
Performing Arts in America, 1875-1923
Browse primary sources reflecting the performing arts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
History of the American West, 1860-1920
More than 30,000 photographs capture life in Colorado from 1860 to 1920.
Dime Novels and Penny Dreadfuls
Cover art and full texts from dime novels preserve the popular culture of an industrializing U.S.
Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers
Alexander Graham Bell’s work and interests extended far beyond the invention of the telephone. Explore his papers here.
African-American Perspectives: Pamphlets from 1818-1907
Pamphlets and documents from 1875 to 1900 highlight African American leaders and organizations.
African American Women Writers of the 19th Century
Read the full text of 52 published works by black women writers from the late 18th to the early 20th century.
Wright American Fiction, 1851-1875
Digitizing 19th-century American fiction, this site offers close to 3,000 texts by 1,456 authors.
Race and Place
Discover connections between race and place in this archive documenting the effects of Jim Crow on a Virginia town.
Nineteenth-century California Sheet Music
Scanned images from more than 2,700 pieces of sheet music provide insight into life in 1852–1900 California.
Native American Documents Project
Four collections of data and documents address Federal Indian policy in the late 19th century.
Emma Goldman Papers
Learn more about Emma Goldman, radical and feminist activist, through this collection of primary and secondary sources.
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938
Read the accounts of former slaves in oral history interviews collected by the Federal Writers’ Project.
Alcohol, Temperance, and Prohibition
More than 1,800 primary sources provide a window into the Temperance Movement and Prohibition.
African-American Experience in Ohio: From the Ohio Historical Society
Take a look through more than 30,000 items relating to African American life in Ohio between 1850 and 1920.
Images of Native Americans
Illustrations follow European interpretations of Native Americans, through images from popular culture, literary and political observations, and artistic representations.
Votes for Women: Selections from the NAWSA, 1848-1921
10,000 pages of records on the struggle for votes for women, including papers by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
SIRIS Image Gallery
Access close to 140,000 images from the Smithsonian Institution.
Digital Archive Collections at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library
Covering topics ranging from the annexation of Hawaii to World War II, 29 collections document the history of Hawaii and Micronesia.
Chicago Anarchists on Trial: Evidence from the Haymarket Affair, 1886-1887
The court proceedings surrounding the Haymarket Affair look at the event that led to the first “Red Scare” in America.
American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870-1920
Follows the development of popular entertainment forms from the 1870s to the 1920s, through playscripts, playbills, and media clips.
Union Army Project
Presents medical and mortality statistics and records on 35,747 white males who served in the Union Army.
Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991
Displays nearly 4,000 panoramic photographs of cityscapes, landscapes, and group portraits.
Making of America
Provides more than 1.5 million pages of text in an effort to digitize more than 11,000 volumes and 100,000 19th-century journal articles.
Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920
Documents the birth of the conservation movement through published works, manuscripts, images, and motion picture footage.
David Rumsey Map Collection
More than 15,800 rare historical maps focus on North and South America.
Century of Lawmaking: Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873
Covers Congressional documents from the nation’s founding through early Reconstruction.
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.
Digital History
Multimedia resources for teaching slavery, private life, technology, and film.
Nineteenth-Century American Children and What They Read
Examines 19th-century children in America: what they read, what was written about them, and what was written for them.
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.
Tangled Roots
Primary sources point out cultural connections between the experiences of African and Irish Americans.
Map Collections: 1500-2003
16th-century to present-day maps, focusing on Americana and cartographic treasures.
Disability History Museum
Explore the experiences of those with disabilities through documents and images dating from the 18th century to the present.
Chinese in California, 1850-1925
Browse more than 8,000 objects related to Chinese immigrant life in California.
Urban Experience in Chicago: Hull-House and Its Neighborhoods, 1889-1963
Peruse this collection of over 900 items relating to Chicago’s Hull House to discover its influence on 20th century urban development.
Like a Family: The Making of a Southern Cotton Mill World
Offers oral history resources examining life in southern textile mill towns from the 1880s to the 1930s.
Thomas A. Edison Papers
A vast database of Thomas Edison’s papers, including correspondence, technical drawings, and clippings about the inventor.
Small-Town America: Images from the Robert Dennis Collection, 1850-1920
More than 12,000 stereoscopic photographs depict life in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut small towns and rural areas from 1850 to 1920.
Sanborn® Fire Insurance Maps, UT
1,275 detailed historical maps, dating from 1867 through 1969, depict 40 cities in the state of Utah.
Prairie Settlement: Nebraska Photographs and Family Letters
Nearly 3,500 images and approximately 318 letters illuminate life on the Great Plains from 1862 to 1912.
Kate and Sue McBeth, Missionary Teachers to the Nez Perce
Presents the letters and diaries of Kate and Sue McBeth, late 19th-century missionaries and teachers among the Nez Perce Indians.
American Family Immigration History Center
Records of more than 25 million passengers and crew who passed through Ellis Island 1892-1924.
Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture
Explore Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin as the American cultural phenomenon it was.
Mark Twain in His Times
Focuses on Mark Twain’s life and career, including creation of his popular image, marketing and promotion of his texts, and live performances.
Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music
Scanned images of more than 18,000 pieces of sheet music, including covers, published prior to 1923.
Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory
Commemorates the 1871 Great Chicago Fire with an array of primary sources.
California as I Saw It: First-Person Narratives of California, 1849-1900
40,000 written pages and more than 3,000 illustrations provide accounts of California history from the Gold Rush to the end of the 19th century.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Peruse 11 exhibits, from the Gold Rush of 1849 to Japanese American internment during WWII.
Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties
Digitizes Indian Affairs, a seven-volume compendium of treaties, laws, and executive orders relating to U.S.-Indian affairs from 1778 to 1970.
Reclaiming the Everglades: South Florida's Natural History, 1884-1934
Contains 10,000 pages and images on Everglades reclamation efforts and the history of south Florida.
HarpWeek: Explore History
With illustrations, articles, editorials, and overviews, 22 exhibits cover a variety of subjects dealing with 19th-century American history.
Around the World in the 1890s: Photographs, 1894-1896
Explore this archive of over 900 images by American photographer, William Henry Jackson.
American Indians of the Pacific Northwest
Documents the lives of Native Americans in the Northwest Coast and Plateau regions of the Pacific Northwest in text and photographs.
Accessible Archives
Presents articles from 18th- and 19th-century newspapers, magazines, and books, with a focus on the Mid-Atlantic region.
Making Sense of American Popular Songs
Don’t overlook song as a way of understanding the past.