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.
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.
Abraham Lincoln and the Jews
Students learn about the sixteenth president’s relationship with Jewish Americans and his policy of religious tolerance.
Statistics in Schools
Analyze data from the U.S. Census Bureau in the social studies classroom.
Transportation: Past, Present and Future
What pushes and pulls people into new ways of life? In this lesson, students use artifacts, documents, and photographs to help them answer this question.
The History of America(ns)
Where do Americans come from? Many places! Use these resources to teach immigration history.
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.
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.
Researching Adolescent Immigrant History
Discover resources that will enable you to examine this unique area of American History.
African American History Month: Civil Rights Worldwide
These African American civil rights activists affected more than the U.S.
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!
America's Shifting Western Frontier
Go Where, Young Man?
iCivics
Games can be more than mindless fluff. When content-rich, they can engage your students in learning during play.
HERB: Social History for Every Classroom
Find a wide variety of classroom resources focused on social history, from classroom activities to primary sources.
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.
The Garden of Infants
Kindergarten came to America in the 19th century on a wave of German Romantic Idealism.
The Ways West
How emigrants traveled from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1830.
Trade Routes and Emerging Colonial Economies
The direct and indirect impacts of various trade routes during the 16th through 19th centuries.
Theatre of the People
Through performing art, U.S. minorities assert their identities. Answer these questions on multicultural music and theatre.
Celebrate More Than St. Patrick
The Irish contributed more to the U.S. than shamrocks and folktales.
Column A and Column B
In the 19th century, no one expected Chinese food to take off in the United States.
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.
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.
Bracero History Archive
The Bracero History Archive—a collaborative project of George Mason University, the Smithsonian, Brown University, and the University of Texas, El Paso—is an online collection of resources that documents the Bracero program, a guest worker initiative where millions of Mexicans came to work in American agriculture during the mid-20th century.
Divided Loyalties?
How citizenship determines eligibility for the U.S. presidency.
Chicano/a Movement in Washington State History Project
Washington State educators, bring diversity and reform activism into your classroom with resources on this civil rights movement.
Wisconsin State Historical Society Online Collections
Wisconsin educators, search the online collections of the oldest American historical society for primary sources.
Refugees from the American Revolutionary War
Neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, father against son.
The Mountain Meadows Massacre in Public Discourse
Examine this 1877 massacre from a total of 40 different perspectives.
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.
The Social Museum Collection at Harvard University
More than 6,000 images related to U.S. social conditions and institutions.
Protestant Immigration to Louisiana
On the trail of French Calvinists—apocryphal stories and actual immigrant populations.
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series
View 22 census data samples and 65 million records from 13 federal censuses.
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.
Jewish American History on the Web
An impressive website for the study of Jews and Judaism in the United States.
Through Our Parent's Eyes: Tucson's Diverse Community
Learn about the ethnically diverse history of Tucson, AZ.
Promise of Gold Mountain: Tucson's Chinese Heritage
A collection of primary sources detailing early Asian-Americans in Tucson, Arizona.
Florida Folklife from the WPA Collections, 1937-1942
Explore the history of Florida folklife and culture.
Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition
What was said, written, and drawn about slavery? Gain a more complete image of the institution, its evil effects, and how it felt to be a slave.
Life Interrupted: The Japanese American Experience in WW II Arkansas
What was life like during Japanese American internment?
Jacob Lawrence: Exploring Stories
Frame your lessons on the Great Migration with the life and works of Jacob Lawrence.
Streetscape and Townscape of Metropolitan New York City, 1860-1942
See uncommon photograph subjects for the turn-of-the-century, such as street peddlers.
Selected Historical Decennial Census Population and Housing Counts
What questions have past censuses posed? What were the results?
Working in Paterson: Occupational Heritage in an Urban Setting
How does an industrial past shape current work and play? How does it affect what professions still exist in cities?
Oral History Research Center
What do Vegas showgirls have to say about their time in the city?
Meeting of Frontiers
How does the settling of the Siberian frontier compare to that of the U.S. West?
Student Voices from World War II and the McCarthy Era
Imagine traveling from a university to work on a farm.
Living Voices, Voces Vivas
How do Native Americans preserve their heritage in the world of today?
Lesson Plans Library
Hundreds of lesson plans, right at your fingertips. Incorporate them in the classroom.
The Luso-Hispanic World in Maps
Peruse maps of Spanish and Portuguese colonization, exploration, and military ventures.
Voices of the Colorado Plateau
There’s more to the West than cowboys.
Characteristics of Census Tracts in Nine U.S. Cities, 1940-1960
How many hospital beds did New Orleans have in 1960? Was it able to accommodate the poor and sick?
Slave Movement During the 18th and 19th Centuries
Analyze data to understand the impact of slavery on the colonies and nation.
A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion, 1820-1890
We all know the role of the wagon in westward expansion, but what of ships?
One Hundred Years of Photography from the National Archives
Relive the 20th century through iconic imagery—more than 70 photographs represent major U.S. events.
Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History
Right this way for Seattle and Washington state history resources.
Civics Online
Gain inspiration for new ways to approach political history.
Korean American Digital Archive
Meet singer Florence Ahn, minister Soon Hyun, and others.
Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Rare Books c. 1820-1910
Explore Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin life through rare books.
The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906
View early films of New York City life.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle Online (1841-1902)
Explore the history of Brooklyn, 1841 through 1902, with historical newspaper issues.
Little Cowpuncher: Rural School Newspaper of Southern Arizona
If you were a pioneer, what would you have to say about your schooling? Students take up their pens and invoke their democratic freedom of the press.
Picturing Modern America Project
Create your own thematic exhibits using Library of Congress images.
Access to Archival Databases
Delve into more than 85 million records related to U.S. history.
National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
More than 50 virtual exhibits ranging from Julia Child to West Point.
Conservation and Environmental Maps
Looking for maps with an environmental focus? Try here.
Belgian-American Research Collection
What would your life have been like as a Belgian immigrant in Wisconsin?
Crime and Justice Data Online
What crimes are most common? What is the demographic composition of the police force?
FamilySearch
Begin genealogical projects on the right foot with these databases and tools.
American Roots Music
Discover blues, country, bluegrass, gospel, Cajun, Zydeco, Tejano, and Native American music.
A More Perfect Union
Was Japanese American internment constitutional? Explore the Japanese American experience.
Goldband Records: "Every One a Musical Treat"
What on earth is “swamp pop”?
Samuel F. B. Morse Papers, 1793-1919
Explore the thoughts of Samuel F. Morse, artist and father of the electromagnetic telegraph.
Washington History
Make this your first stop for topics related to Washington state history!
Women Working, 1800-1930
What did women think of their work at home, in the arts, and in business?
American Memory Learning Page
Try lesson plans based on the Library of Congress’ American Memory collections.
WRA Photographs of Japanese-American Evacuation and Resettlement
These curious photos created by the War Relocation Authority put a positive spin on Japanese American internment.
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.
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.
Bethlehem Digital History Project
Imagine life as a Moravian in Bethlehem, PA.
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.
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.
Augustana College Library, Digital Projects
Midwest teacher looking for local history primary sources? Try these nine digital collections.
Seneca Village
One of the few resources dedicated to Seneca Village and the creation of Central Park.
The Five Points Site
Navigate a virtual exhibit of a 1991 archaeological undertaking.
WestWeb: Western Studies and Research Resources
This gateway site provides a wealth of resources pertaining to the American West.
Voices from the Gaps: Women Writers and Artists of Color
Learn about all of America’s most famous female writers of color with this comprehensive website.
Digital Librarian: A Librarian's Choice of the Best of the [History] Web
History grab bag! This gateway site has an eclectic mix of over 1,000 historical sites.
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.
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.
California Heritage Collection
View the early history of California through this collection of over 30,000 photographs.
Views of the Famine
Explore the Irish Famine of 1846 through the eyes of Irish and English newspapers.
Japanese-American Internment
Use this site as a gateway to primary sources and online resources detailing Japanese Internment
The Japanese American Exhibit and Access Project
Go back in time and witness the harsh conditions at Japanese Internment Camps during World War II.
Children in Urban America: A Digital Archive
Imagine what it might have been like growing up over 100 years ago.
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.
Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive
Which ethnic groups have made their homes in the Columbia River Basin?
A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life
Explore Jewish heritage outside of the Mid-Atlantic or the Holocaust.
The History Box
Have a question about New York City or state history? More than 750 articles available.
Folkstreams
View streaming videos on American folk culture from fox hunting to Zydeco.
Jewish Women and the Feminist Revolution
What roles have Jewish women played in the Second Wave of feminism?
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.
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.
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Did you know that Micronesia was once a U.N. trusteeship administered by the United States?
Silicon Valley History Online
Silicone Valley is known as a high-tech industry center, but has it always been?
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.
Harlem History
Explore the politics, neighborhoods, culture, and arts of Harlem.
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?
Jacob Lawrence: Over the Line
Experience selected artworks by African American artist Jacob Lawrence while learning about his life.
McKinley Assassination Ink: A Documentary History
Explore the assassination of President McKinley and the social context thereof.
Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse
Review litigation studies ranging from mental health facilities and jail conditions to equal employment.
StoryCorps
Connect 20th-century events and daily life with real human experiences through oral history audio files.
Madison: Celebrating 150 Years
Learn about Madison, WI, from early settlement through its time as the “queen of bootleggers.”
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?
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 Case of Sacco and Vanzetti
Criminal history, the Jazz Age, and the Red Scare all in one legal case. Understand the early 20th century through the Case of Sacco and Vanzetti.
The Adoption History Project
Did you know that adoption was only recognized as a legal U.S. operation in 1851?
American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning
Looking for a new way to teach history? Peruse new media and educational resources.
California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties
Sit back and enjoy folk and popular music recordings from 1930s California natives and immigrants.
Immigration
Very few of us have ancestors who were not immigrants. Bring the topic of immigration to life.
What Does It Mean to Be an American?
An 8th-grade teacher asks: Was early 20th-century America a “melting pot” or a “salad bowl”?
Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)
Looking for ways to use fiction in your elementary history curriculum? Read on for suggestions!
Discovering Angel Island: The Story Behind the Poems
Learn about the experiences of immigrants detained at Angel Island and how this impacted their opinion of the US.
Jewish Immigration During the Revolutionary War
Just before the Revolution, between 2,000 and 3,000 Jews lived in the colonies.
What Happened to the Fenians After 1866?
Ireland’s revolutionary struggle against Britain played out in North America as well as in Europe.
Eugenics Archive
Traces the history of the eugenics movement in the United States.
Oral History Digital Collection
In full-text narratives, more than 2,000 people from northeast Ohio discuss issues significant to the state and the nation.
Child Labor in America, 1908-1912: Photographs of Lewis W. Hine
Sixty-four photographs taken by Lewis W. Hine between 1908 and 1912 document child labor conditions.
Osher Map Library
History can be revealed through the study of maps, as these exhibits containing more than 600 maps and related documents explain.
Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project
Primary and secondary sources document the minority struggle for civil rights in Seattle’s history.
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.
Marchand Archive
Memorializes Roland Marchand with more than 6,100 images, including more than 2,000 advertisements, and 48 lesson plans drawn from his collection.
Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project
Explore this archive of over 110 video interviews on Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
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.
American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election
Access 59 sound recordings of 1918-1920 speeches by American leaders.
American Family Immigration History Center
Records of more than 25 million passengers and crew who passed through Ellis Island 1892-1924.
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.
Online Archive of California
Explore California from Japanese American internment or the Free Speech Movement to oral histories.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Peruse 11 exhibits, from the Gold Rush of 1849 to Japanese American internment during WWII.