Women's Rights: Sarah Bagley Letters
What do these letters from a women’s rights activist reveal about social causes in the 1840s?
1775 Colonial Newspaper Article
Smithsonian Barbara Clark Smith looks at what a colonial newspaper article says—and doesn’t say—about a Patriot protest.
What Really Happened? Comparing Stories of the First Thanksgiving
Take a variety of perspectives into account before moving past the first Thanksgiving.
William Steinway Diary, 1861-1896
Daily life in 19th-century New York City, music history, and Civil War commentary all in one place.
The Salem Witch Trials
Absolving the guilty and punishing the innocent. Historian Elizabeth Reis looks at primary sources recording testimony in witchcraft trials.
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.
Keep Your Top Eye Open
Boston abolitionists on the lookout for slave-catchers in 1851.
Taxation to Revolution
It was reasoned that no colonists could fear an act that made them drink cheaper tea.
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.
From War to Revolution
Can you answer these questions on figures who took part in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution?
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.
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.
New England Puritans
Trying to build a New Jerusalem on the coast of Massachusetts.
California or Bust
Who went west when? Answer questions about migration from 1935 to 2000.
Robert Gould Shaw
Where does the glory of Robert Shaw and the men of the 54th Massachusetts reside?
Freedom Trail Foundation
Studying the American Revolution? How about walking Boston’s Freedom Trail? You don’t have to live near Boston to take this virtual tour.
Alternative Outcomes of World War II
Can historians answer questions about alternate history? No, but they can assess a particular moment in the past.
The Era of Reform
Was the antebellum period the height of reform movements in U.S. history?
Mass Moments
MA educators—explore a historical moment (and accompanying primary source) for every day of the year.
Refugees from the American Revolutionary War
Neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, father against son.
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere: Fact, Fiction, and Artistic License
Did Revere’s ride really look like that? Use historical documents to analyze flights of artistic fancy.
Mundane Lives and Extreme Adventures
What were the primary concerns of English colonists in early 17th-century America?
17th-Century Colonial New England
Explore the history of 17th century New England and, more specifically, the Salem Witchcraft Trials.
The Pilgrims in American Culture: Thanksgiving
Were the Pilgrims really shorter than us? Discover the answer to all your Thanksgiving queries here!
African Americans in Massachusetts
Compare perspectives on educational desegregation. How did it affect the community?
Encyclopedia Britannica: The 1911 Edition
Find out what people thought of everything from ablation to vinegar in 1911.
The Hartford Black History Project
Follow the formation of the African American community in the city of Hartford, CT
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.
We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement
Which locations, open for visitation, are most relevant to the civil rights movement?
The Daguerreian Society
Have you ever thought of teaching your students the history of photography?
Across the Generations: Exploring U.S. History through Family Papers
Experience Caucasian, middle-class Northeastern life through the collections of four families.
Access to Archival Databases
Delve into more than 85 million records related to U.S. history.
Boston Streets: Mapping Directory Data
Explore the history of Boston, MA, through photographs, maps, and atlas pages.
Education by Design: Using Visual Aids
Seek inspiration from classroom visual aids of the past.
Maine Memory Network
Explore the history of Maine, and create your own digital album.
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.
Chickasaw Historical Research Page
Learn about the Chickasaw Indians, originally from the American South, with this website.
Archiving Early America
Explore the early history of America with reproductions of important documents and newspapers.
Vincentian Postcards
Explore 200 years of postcards which document the Vincentian religious order of educators and nurses.
Folkstreams
View streaming videos on American folk culture from fox hunting to Zydeco.
Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project
Tie civics into units involving Native American history using relevant full-text legal documents.
Early Recognized Treaties with American Indian Nations
Inspect nine early land dispute treaties between the Native Americans and the British or U.S.
Panoramic Maps, 1847-1929
Did you know that between 1840 and 1929 many maps were not drawn to scale?
Connecticut Historical Society
Explore the political and sociocultural history of Connecticut.
The Franklin County Publication Archives Index
Explore 19th-century life through newspaper articles from the 1870s.
The Boston Massacre: Fact, Fiction, or Bad Memory
Help students think about where evidence for history comes from.
Are There Instances of Raids Similar to the Boston Tea Party?
From South Carolina to Maine, colonists protested the Tea Act of 1773.
Why Was the Boston Tea Party Not Stopped by British Troops?
To some extent, the Boston Tea Party was the result of unintended consequences.
Contradictions in John Fremont's Political Chart of the US (1856)
The 1850s were a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization in the Northeastern states.
Menu for the First Thanksgiving
Only two eyewitness accounts of that first Thanksgiving remain.
National Register of Historic Places Travel Itineraries
Explore the historic sites in more than 50 cities and towns across the U.S.
Osher Map Library
History can be revealed through the study of maps, as these exhibits containing more than 600 maps and related documents explain.
Colonial Connecticut Records, 1636-1776
Explore the 15-volume Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, from April 1636 to October 1776.
An Introduction to Historical Thinking and Reading
Watch this flash movie for a peek at how historians read and question sources.
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.
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.
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.
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.