The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act empowered the Federal Government to get involved in the business of recapturing slaves who ran away to Northern states. It represented a last-ditch effort for wealthy and well-connected slave owners to hold onto the bondage of slavery. This clip explores the impact of demands made by Southern slave-holding states on Federal legislation and the freedom of African Americans in the North.

Explore this documentary film clip and engage students in historical thinking using the Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tool. In this inquiry-based resource for Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom, students view a video clip examining how Harriet Tubman used her knowledge of Maryland as a border state to influence decisions that impacted the Civil War, analyze primary source photographs and maps from the era, and consider discussion prompts for more dialogue and deeper reflection.

GeoCivics seeks to engage teachers, students, and citizens in redistricting processes and outcomes. The program ask users to inquire across different places and scales using state-specific case studies and web-based interactives.

George Washington Carver was a complex man who had many gifts — a Renaissance man. He was a scientist, teacher, humanitarian, environmentalist and an artist. He was a spiritual man, and a man of quiet perseverance. Born enslaved, Carver defied the odds.

Dive into media-rich resources from George Washington’s Mount Vernon that highlight his role as a leader during the American Revolution. See the progress of the war through the actions and decisions of General George Washington, such as direct confrontation, military strategy, disease prevention, and spy techniques

During the Gold Rush, people seeking gold mined in unpleasant and dangerous conditions. Towns cropped up at the edges of mining areas, and men often drank and gambled when they weren't mining. Few women in the field were paid for their work.

In this video, students learn about "Gospel Train". “Gospel Train” is a code-word song used in the Underground Railroad by slaves, often sung just before an escape in an attempt to let all who wished to go know that the time was near. In this segment, folk singers Rhonda and Sparky Rucker perform the piece on harmonica and guitar.

Lying directly south of New Orleans on Louisiana’s coast, Grand Isle often bears the brunt of strong waves and storm surge in the Gulf of Mexico. To protect this town and inland parishes from flooding, engineers constructed a first line of defense.

Faced with the potential of a large expense related to water quality, the Portland (Maine) Water District performed a thorough analysis of their options. Their choice came down to making an investment in conservation or concrete.

This video from The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross explores the culture and ideas that passed throughout the Black Atlantic and how it continues to inflect our traditions.

When smoke from wildfires swirls around health care facilities, prepared hospitals in California and Colorado use air quality tools to keep the indoor environment safe for patients and staff.

In this video segment, Dr. Stephen McBride discusses how the analysis of food remains and personal items provide insight into the lives of the soldiers and the families of the black enlistees who trained during the Civil War at Camp Nelson in Jessamine County, Kentucky. The site was an important Union supply depot, training center for U.S. Colored Troops, and refugee camp for families of African-American enlistees. Today the site is a Civil War Heritage Park. Archaeological research has uncovered artifacts left by the soldiers and their families.

Discover the history of the Petersen House from 1849 to today. Known as the house where Lincoln died, the Petersen House changed from a family home into a museum and is now a historic site.

On July 14, 1861, Sullivan Ballou, a major in the Second Rhode Island Volunteers, wrote a poignant letter home to his wife in Smithfield. He wrote of his deep love for her, his desire to see their sons "grow up to honorable manhood," and the possibility that he might not return; saying, "If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name." One week later, Major Ballou was killed in the first Battle of Bull Run.

The combined heat and power system at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut kept the lights on through Hurricane Sandy, and the system continues to support community resilience.

A regional conservation partnership in Massachusetts needed to update their approach to evaluating land acquisitions. Adding the complexity of climate change to their map helped resolve their vision.

Learn how the issue of slavery divided the nation in this excerpt from The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns. By mid-century, the country was deeply divided. Southerners feared the North might forbid slavery. Northerners feared slavery might move west. As each new state was added to the union, it threatened to upset the delicate equilibrium of power.

In this Cult of Pedagogy podcast, Jennifer Gonzalez guides teachers to consider how to better define and align assessment criteria with their identified learning goals so that assessment is used to measure student learning progress in writing.

This media literacy centered lesson focuses on Benjamin Franklin as a master media manipulator while also exploring how Franklin’s iconic Join, or Die imagery has been remixed, reused, and reappropriated over time. Students will consider the historical context of America’s first major political cartoon and weigh media literacy concepts such as how media influences beliefs and opinion, how different people view media differently, and how context can change a media message.

War is expensive; in addition to munitions and equipment, soldiers need to be paid for their services–and it was no different during the Civil War. Storyteller Peter Bonner recounts tales of Civil War paydays. Because wages were so low, no weapons were allowed out of fear someone would kill the paymaster. Confederate soldiers were paid an average of $12 a month, or about $.39 a day.