In this video segment from the PBS series Finding Your Roots, an overview of the little-discussed existence of slavery in the North is provided. Kevin Bacon learns that his ancestor, Samuel Atkinson, owned slaves. Bacon is surprised to learn Atkinson owned slaves because of his residence in the North, but he is especially surprised because of Atkinson’s religion—he was a Quaker.

This video from Dutch New York traces the history of enslaved Africans brought to the New Netherland colony by the Dutch West India Company, a major slave trading corporation. Although slaves were dispersed throughout the colony, most lived in New Amsterdam and did a variety of jobs associated with the commercial activity of the seaport. Described as a bi-racial society by some historians, narratives of New Amsterdam do not generally recognize the crucial contributions of Africans in the development of the colony.

Identify George Washington’s priority for vaccination against smallpox during the American Revolution through analysis of this primary source and transcription. This letter is one example of many inoculation directives sent to different recruitment offices; it shows the priority he gave to the medical health of his soldiers which, in turn, strengthened his forces during the American Revolution. Analyze the transcription (See Support Materials -> For Students) to better understand the recruitment process and medical challenges during the 18th Century. Explore the full collection of George Washington and the American Revolution resources.

In this lesson, students will learn about Sojourner Truth’s egalitarian spirit in the face of institutional discrimination. After viewing a video about her life, students will examine an 1864 photograph of Truth and read excerpts of her most famous speech. The lesson concludes with students choosing a new name for a current-day exemplar of perseverance.

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources about Spanish exploration in the New World.

Decipher and create historically-accurate spy communications like those used by George Washington and the Culper Spy ring in the American Revolutionary War using this primary source and transcript (see Support Materials -> For Students). Leaders were dependent on reliable communication channels for military success; Washington’s secret intelligence served as a critical advantage over the oft-superior British forces. Put yourself in the shoes of the colonial spies and deepen your understanding of the challenges and purpose of spy communications.

Learn about the slave revolt in St. Domingue (now Haiti) that led to the world’s first black republic in this video from The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross.

Learn about the idiom “straight from the horse’s mouth” and how it means getting the most accurate information from someone who knows it best, or firsthand, in this video from Say What?! Students will explore its origin and importance through animated stories about the past and its use today.

This resource includes teaching tips, discussion questions, and a critical thinking activity where students must identify which source of information would be considered the most accurate or “straight from the horse’s mouth.”

In this lesson produced by NOVA Education, students build “strategy maps,” visual representations of the materials, resources, and people necessary to develop an innovative product and deliver it to end users. The strategy map is designed as a tool to help students to carefully think through the various elements that are integral to the innovation process in the real world.

This collection of video clips, lesson plans, and primary sources details key figures, events, and regional movements of the decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States. Students will encounter activists including Sojourner Truth, Carrie Chapman Catt, and Grace Abbott, and examine key regional efforts within the movement. Primary source documents offer evidence for a study of the chronology of campaign for women’s suffrage, from the movement's beginnings through the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Students prepare for interviews by reviewing what they know about the sources, conducting pre-interviews, creating a list of questions for the recorded interviews, and making a shot list. They will also identify locations for the interviews and decide which members of the group will conduct the interviews.

It took a two day battle with a casualty list of over 23,000 to give America a reality check on the shocking cost of its Civil War. This bloody clash in the small Shiloh church altered the war—and lives. Stories told in this documentary are just a few of the thousands that were part of a brutal battle for prized Confederate railroad crossings.

From pride and patriotism to death and defeat, Civil War Songs and Stories describes how music was as much a part of Army life as a musket. The narrative explains how both sides were accompanied by professional regimental brass bands mustered to preserve morale. The music inspired soldiers and consoled them. It brought memories from home and gave hope to what would soon seem to be hopeless circumstances.

The Civil War turned the home front into the frontline for many women in the Confederacy. As husbands departed, wives and daughters had to shoulder the full burden of daily life. Hardship and hunger forced changes in long held cultural and societal beliefs, breaking boundaries confining most women, while breaking chains for others.

Students examine how history detectives conclude investigations and research in this lesson based on the PBS series History Detectives. By the end of this lesson students should have a better understanding of The Civil War, particularly the case of the Sultana steamboat, and how historians use relevant clues to draw conclusions.

Students will learn about the powerful writing and strong convictions of Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, one of the most influential books in American history. After watching a short video about Paine, students will examine both the cover and some of the contents of his most famous work. To conclude the lesson, students will write eulogies for Paine that summarize his greatest accomplishments as a writer and advocate for American independence.

In January 1776, Thomas Paine published a document that sparked the American fight for independence from England. His political pamphlet, called Common Sense, showed the colonists that they could be free from the tyranny of a king by creating an independent nation where they could justly and fairly govern themselves. By watching a biographical video and engaging in two primary source activities, students will encounter the ideas, writings, and impact of Thomas Paine.

Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, the third, fourth, and fifth presidents of the United States, collectively led the country for 24 consecutive years. They also lived within 30 miles of each other in Virginia and were best friends. Interviews, as well as archival material, document the lives, homes, politics, and friendships of three presidents.

In this media-rich lesson, students learn about transitional fossils and explore the similarities and differences between the structures of different animals. They focus particularly on Tiktaalik, a transitional fossil between aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates.

Learn about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. After watching the excerpts from Underground Railroad: The William Still Story, debate scenarios involving school rules and discuss the role of individual rights in society. Then, consider whether immoral rules or laws should still be followed.