Incorporating 20th Century US Environmental History in the 6-12 Classroom
This guide consists of curated primary and secondary sources to help students connect environmental history to broader themes in twentieth century US history.
Immigration from Asia Post-1970: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Help students understand recent immigration history by exploring photographs of Asian immigrant communities in the U.S.
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.
1916 Children's Code of Morality: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Primary sources from the Library of Congress help students explore a fascinating episode from U.S. history: the campaign to teach children to be more moral.
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.
Children's Lives at Colonial London Town
Invite young students into colonial history with the stories of children from three very different families.
Families on the Farm
What was life like for women and girls on late 19th- and early 20th-century farms?
Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month
How do you teach Hispanic Heritage Month? With resources from Teachinghistory.org and across the web, you have plenty of approaches to explore!
Tenement Life
Students examine primary sources related to the life of an immigrant girl and her family to discover what life might have been like at the turn of the century.
Guampedia
Guam is often left out of discussions of U.S. history. Remedy the situation!
The Jewish Americans
This site, produced by PBS, uses multiple resources to examine the history and influence of Jewish culture in the U.S.
e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia
There’s far more to West Virginia than stereotypes suggest. Why not take some time to explore the state?
Puerto Rico Encyclopedia/Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico
Connect with your ELL students with this bilingual Puerto Rico Encyclopedia!
Bland County History Archives
Looking for proof that students can handle extensive local history projects? You’ve found it.
William Steinway Diary, 1861-1896
Daily life in 19th-century New York City, music history, and Civil War commentary all in one place.
Divided Allegiance
Being born in the United States was not always a guaranteed path to citizenship.
Children and Youth in History
Bring history home to young students with sources they can relate to—and prompt older students to think about the construction of concepts like “child” and “teenager.”
Laura Jernegan: Girl on a Whaleship
Make whaling, a rich part of New England history, relevant to young students with the diary of a six-year-old at sea.
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.
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!
Martha Ballard
Learning about the life of a midwife in 18th-century Maine through her diary and other sources.
New England Puritans
Trying to build a New Jerusalem on the coast of Massachusetts.
As American as Mom…
You know Mother’s Day is all about mom, but do you know the history of the holiday?
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.
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.
Death of the Dream: Farmhouses in the Heartland
Begin your background research on prairie farmhouses with this website.
Oregon Trail
A companion site to a PBS documentary, this website hosts a wealth of information on the Oregon Trail.
Promise of Gold Mountain: Tucson's Chinese Heritage
A collection of primary sources detailing early Asian-Americans in Tucson, Arizona.
Civil Rights Oral History Interviews: Spokane, Washington
From racism to civil rights movement music, listen to the memories of these eight individuals.
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?
Communism in Washington State--History and Memory Project
Communist Russia. Communist China. Communist Washington?
Streetscape and Townscape of Metropolitan New York City, 1860-1942
See uncommon photograph subjects for the turn-of-the-century, such as street peddlers.
Dox Thrash: An African American Master Printmaker Rediscovered
View depictions of African American life by artist Dox Thrash.
Worthington Memory, Online Scrapbook
Explore the history and development of a small town. The online scrapbook provides an uncanny lens into town life.
Student Voices from World War II and the McCarthy Era
Imagine traveling from a university to work on a farm.
Voices of the Colorado Plateau
There’s more to the West than cowboys.
Brooklyn's Eighteenth-Century Lott House
Conduct your own “virtual dig” of a Dutch farmhouse.
Democratic Vistas: The William Clyde DeVane Lecture Series
Look to the past to consider the prospects of democracy in the U.S.
Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film
Do films capture your students’ attention? Introduce them to Roosevelt in motion.
Across the Generations: Exploring U.S. History through Family Papers
Experience Caucasian, middle-class Northeastern life through the collections of four families.
SDA: Survey Documentation and Analysis
Observe statistical trends in U.S. beliefs and demographics from free speech to zodiac signs.
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.
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.
Colonial House
Companion to a PBS television program, this site provides insight into everyday colonial life.
TUPPERWARE!
Have you ever heard of a Tupperware party? Find out more about the household brand.
Voices from the Days of Slavery: Former Slaves Tell Their Stories
Hear the recollections of ex-slaves and freedmen in their own voices.
Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition, History
What would your life have been like as a housewife in 1850?
At Home in the Heartland
Learn about family life and social history in the northern Midwest.
Emma Spaulding Bryant Letters
Explore husband-wife relationships through this late 19th century series of letters.
Views of the Famine
Explore the Irish Famine of 1846 through the eyes of Irish and English newspapers.
The Lindbergh Case: The Trial of the Century
Relive media coverage of the famous Lindbergh Trial through this Hunterdon County Democrat database.
Civil War Letters of Galutia York
Read about the Civil War from private Galutia York’s perspective.
Children in Urban America: A Digital Archive
Imagine what it might have been like growing up over 100 years ago.
Lest We Forget: The Triumph Over Slavery
Explore slavery in America from nine thematic perspectives.
Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive
Which ethnic groups have made their homes in the Columbia River Basin?
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.
Brittingham Family Lantern Slide Collection
Catch a glimpse of wealthy turn-of-the-century Wisconsin life and travel in these photos.
Dolley Madison Project
Read the letters of Dolley Madison while learning about her life—from childhood to widowhood.
The Malcolm X Project
Read FBI files on and watch interviews about Malcolm X, human and African American rights activist.
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?
U.S. Census Bureau
The U.S. Census counts everyone! It creates a current image of the nation with its diversity and class variations.
World War I Sheet Music
What can the music of World War I tell us about its era?
Dickinson Electronic Archives
Learn about Dickinson’s family through their own writings and wider critical response to her poetry.
Coming of Age in the Twentieth Century, Stories from Minnesota and Beyond
What can oral histories tell us about girlhood, adolescence, and more in the United States?
Dolley Madison Digital Edition
Read Dolley Madison’s personal correspondence from her youth through her widowhood.
Home Sweet Home: Life in 19th-Century Ohio
Examine 19th-century domestic life through sheet music and audio song files.
Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse
Review litigation studies ranging from mental health facilities and jail conditions to equal employment.
Probing the Past
What might you have owned in Maryland or Virginia in 1740-1810? (Lesson plans included!)
StoryCorps
Connect 20th-century events and daily life with real human experiences through oral history audio files.
Life After the Holocaust: Stories of Holocaust Survivors After The War
Can you imagine starting your life over in the U.S. following the Holocaust?
The Adoption History Project
Did you know that adoption was only recognized as a legal U.S. operation in 1851?
The Franklin County Publication Archives Index
Explore 19th-century life through newspaper articles from the 1870s.
Monticello: The Home of Thomas Jefferson
Have you ever wondered how Thomas Jefferson spent his days?
Children’s Voices from the Civil War
Help students identify with the past via children who lived through the Civil War.
Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)
Looking for ways to use fiction in your elementary history curriculum? Read on for suggestions!
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.
Teach Women's History Project
Provides teaching and reference materials on the women’s rights movement of the past 50 years.
Florida State Archives Photographic Collection
Presents more than 137,000 photographs of Florida on specific localities from the mid-19th century to the present.
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.
Sunday School Books: Shaping the Values of Youth in 19th-Century America
Provides full-text transcriptions and page images of 1815–1865 Sunday school books addressing religious instruction for youth.
The Great Depression to World War II: Photos from the FSA-OWI
Explore this database of over 150,000 photographs that capture the true nature of this crisis and its solutions.
Do History: Martha Ballard's Diary Online
Explore the diary of midwife Martha Ballard and the creation of two modern historical studies based on the diary.
Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World
More than 400 speeches by women—politicians, scientists, and celebrities.
Typical in the 1930s
A panel of judges enlisted by the New York World’s Fair Corporation looked to Texas to find this family.