This lesson plan is designed to be used with the film, Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, which shows one family's journey to come to terms with its roots as the largest slave-trading family in the history of the United States. Classrooms can use this lesson to explore the history and legacy of U.S. slavery and whether or not reparations should be made to the descendants of slaves.

This segment from Dutch New York describes the extensive fur trade which took place in New Netherland between the Native Americans and the Dutch during the 17th century. At the height of the beaver trade in 1657, over 38,000 beaver pelts were shipped to the Netherlands, where they were used to make hats. This video also details the process by which the director of New Netherland colony, Peter Minuit, went about purchasing Manhattan Island from the Indians. It was a unique acquisition as it was a business transaction, not a violent takeover.

In 1832 the Supreme Court recognized the Cherokee as a sovereign nation, thanks to the efforts of Cherokee leaders, including John Ridge. This ruling did not please President Andrew Jackson or leaders from the state of Georgia. Video from, American Experience: "Trail of Tears."

Even after the treaty ending Cherokee presence in Georgia was signed, many Indians waited, hoping that it would not happen. However, their removal did happen. Cherokee Indians were rounded up by U.S. soldiers under the command of Gen. Winfred Scott and herded into stockades until all were assembled. Mavis Doering recounts the words she heard from her grandmother who was on the Trail of Tears.

In this interactive lesson supporting literacy skills in U.S. history, students are introduced to the Cherokees' struggle to remain on their land in the early 1800s. Students explore the assimilation strategy of the Cherokee Nation and its eventual impact on their fate. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through videos and engagement activities.

Learn about the men who enlisted in the Union and Confederate Armies, and listen to excerpts of Civil War letters written by Generals Grant, Lee, and Sherman, and rank-and-file soldiers.

Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett led complicated lives both personally and professionally. From their roots in the British Isles, they made their way to an island in the Ohio River near what is now Parkersburg, West Virginia. This documentary traces their physical, emotional, financial, and political journeys in the late 1700's and early 1800's United States. Their lives were filled with controversy and intrigue, including an accusation of treason against Harman.

The American Colonies and France signed the Treaty of Alliance with France on February 6, 1778. Click the image to view a photograph of the military treaty. Resource materials include a background essay and transcript of the treaty.

See items related to the trial and execution of the alleged conspirators in the plot to assassinate Lincoln.

This tactics manual belonged to John J. Allen, Jr. Allen was a slave who gained his freedom when he joined the Union Army. The tactics manual was one of the first things every soldier received. It had a lot of information about how to handle a weapon. There were chapters on fighting, calls, and the Articles of War. The manual also included a dictionary of military terms.

Explore the rich history and the institution of the U.S. Presidency—from George Washington to Barack Obama. Understand the duties and powers of the President of the United States and the First Lady, gather important background information with our Presidential biographies, and engage with videos and primary sources that place you back in time at some of the most pivotal turning points in American history.

View images of the USS Monitor and other ironclad gunboats. The Monitor was part of a new class of naval warship, an ironclad steamship, developed during the Civil War. The Monitor fought the Confederate Army’s CSS Virginia (Merrimack) in the first battle between two ironclad boats. The battle was considered a draw between the North and South. While impressive in its initial battles, the Monitor was not fit for open sea and the poorly designed ship sank in 1862 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with 16 men still aboard it.

Explore the history of Ulysses S. Grant and his Kentucky connections and inspirations. Learn how his Kentucky connections play a part in his rise as a general, beginning with his battles in the west to his presidency.

This is a reader’s theater performance of a scene from George Aiken’s 19th-century dramatization of the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In this scene, the escaped slave Eliza reunites with her husband George and their friend Phineas. She recounts how she crossed the Ohio River with their child while escaping from slave hunters. Phineas warns them that the hunters are still in pursuit. Their exaggerated language and performance are characteristic of melodramas, which were popular at the time.

In Boone County, Kentucky, research has uncovered the local stories of heroism and sacrifice on the Underground Railroad, the secret network of people who helped enslaved individuals escape north to freedom. The county’s ridge overlooking the Ohio River gave people a wide view as they prepared to cross over. Historians describe several local sites on the Underground Railroad, and tell the story of the Cincinnati 28, who made a daring escape and then hid in plain sight as they passed through Cincinnati.

Facsimiles of the 1787 Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison, and presented to the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787. The Virginia Plan proposed a strong central government than that provided in the Articles of Confederation, composed of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Harriet Tubman was 13 when she refused to help an overseer capture an enslaved man in a general store. The overseer was so furious that he threw a metal weight that hit Tubman in the head and fractured her skull. Tubman would endure seizures and severe headaches all her life as a result.

Harriet Tubman made the last of her approximately 13 journeys in late 1860, just as the Civil War was beginning. She tried to get her sister Rachel and her children, only to learn that Rachel had died several months prior to her arrival.

Walt Whitman was a progressive voice and innovative writer during a critical period of change in the United States. In the midst of the Civil War, his poetic and journalistic works, spanning topics from the personal to the political, marked the start of a new era for American literature. Whitman’s powerful poetry revealed his personality and depicted the United States as a place worthy of both high praise and sharp criticism. Through an examination of primary sources and watching a short video, students will learn about Whitman’s love for and criticism of the United States.

These lessons are designed to enhance the educational value of the PBS program The War of 1812 for students in elementary, middle and high school. The lessons typically use program segments and broad thematic strands. They integrate and honor the contributions of all groups involved in the War. The lessons may include specific quotes from various noted authorities on the war and historians who write from different perspectives. Quotes from the program narration may also be used. These statements and questions will correlate with the program segments and are intended to easily link you and your students back to the program and the “voices” of the experts featured. Many of the activities are multidisciplinary, incorporating areas such as English Language Arts, music and art. There was also an importance placed on creating technology-rich activities while still giving alternative options for teachers who may not have access to technology.