By the beginning of 1865, the Confederacy was dying. Abraham Lincoln, with victory within his grasp, looked forward to a second presidential term and a new challenge – healing the nation he had struggled to reunite. In December 1865, the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery was formally ratified.

The Protohistoric period recorded the stories of developing tribal cultures through oral traditions, written accounts, and cultural artifacts. Pawnee ancestors led the return. Some hunted, and left, others remained and contributed to Ponca, Omaha, and Oto tribes. The Oglala and Brule subgroups of the Teton Dakota were horse nomads. This period saw the first contacts between Europeans and Native Americans. Traders from the East Coast arrived, bringing horses and tools as well as whiskey and conflict.

During the sixteenth century, the native peoples of the Plains would encounter Spanish explorers seeking gold and treasure, and later French and British explorers and traders whose technology changed everyday life forever. Desire to control trade and territory in the Central Plains grew, while the colonies that became the beginnings of America were taking hold on the east coast.

Explorers and trappers followed the rivers at first, but Nebraska's waters were not good for all boats. Paths blazed by Native Americans became the basis for overland routes, including the Oregon Trail. Settlers loaded prairie schooners and headed west over the sea of grass across the Platte Valley. Some perished due to illness or accident. Some sought free land, some sought California gold. Mormons blazed their own trail to escape persecution, wintering near Omaha.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 created a territory that stretched all the way north from the southern boundary of present-day Nebraska to include all of the remaining lands of the Louisiana Purchase. Over the years, changes were made that left the territory in roughly the same shape and with roughly the same boundaries as Nebraska has today. Its northern and southern borders were drawn along lines based on a system of longitude and latitude developed in the 18th century. Surveyor set markers to physically mark the imaginary lines on the landscape: sections, townships, and acreages were created.

In the mid-19th century, the abolitionist movement in the United States sought the immediate emancipation of all enslaved people. These passionate antislavery activists—men and women, black and white, northerners and southerners, poor and wealthy—led the struggle that forever changed the nation. The media assets in this collection feature historical reenactments and expert interviews that tell the story of some of the people and events that shaped this movement.

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 Becoming Frederick Douglass, students view a clip examining the impact of Garrison and his abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, on Frederick Douglass. Students analyze abolitionist and pro-slavery primary sources and consider discussion prompts for more dialogue and deeper reflection.

Examining why slavery was so essential to the U.S. economy in the the 19th century and how economics depended on slavery. Video from, American Experience: "Abolitionists."

Students examine elements of Abraham Lincoln's life in this lesson based on the PBS series History Detectives. Using primary source documents, students should have a better understanding of who Lincoln was as a person and leader.

Explore a gallery of images about Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary Todd, and his assassination. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, the first president from the Republican Party, and the leader of the country during the American Civil War. Lincoln’s firm anti-slavery position led to his Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that slaves living in southern, rebel states were free. His oratorical and writing skills, and firm belief in preserving the future of the Union of the United States, appealed to the best of American ideals. Lincoln served as president from 1861-1865. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC on April 14, 1865.

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources and focuses on four of Abraham Lincoln's key speeches.

Learn about the major African-American migrations and how those movements changed the course of American history in this interactive resource from The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross.

One of the ironies of the Civil War was that in a fight to end slavery, African-Americans were initially denied the right to participate. During the first two years of fighting, President Abraham Lincoln claimed the fight was to save the Union, and that African-Americans had no place in the war. However, with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the objectives of the war changed and African-American regiments were formed.

Video segments are drawn from the animated documentary Dead Reckoning: Champlain in America which follows the French explorer Samuel de Champlain from his first contact with the indigenous people who taught him how to explore, chart and survive in the wilds of North America. The film was produced by Mountain Lake PBS and Montreal-based Artifex Animation Studios.

Examine how Alexander Clark’s work influenced the lives of Black Americans before and after the Civil War in this video gallery adapted from Iowa PBS’s documentary Lost in History: Alexander Clark. From working with abolitionists to winning the first school desegregation case in the nation, Alexander Clark never stopped fighting for equality for all.

In this lesson, students will learn about the humble beginnings, prolific writing, and remarkable accomplishments of Alexander Hamilton. After watching a biographical video, they will examine a memorial portrait of Hamilton and read excerpts from his best-known work, The Federalist Papers. Using their newfound knowledge of Hamilton, they will brainstorm ideas for their own version of a Broadway show based on his life.

Founding Father Alexander Hamilton fought at General George Washington’s side in the American Revolution, aided in the passage of the Constitution, and helped save the United States from financial ruin. A great leader, writer, soldier, and lawyer, Hamilton did not let his poor birthright stop him from achieving greatness. Through a short video and an analysis of two primary sources, students will examine the life of this important military and political leader.

Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s “founding fathers,” rose from his non-traditional roots as a boy in the Caribbean to become one of the most important figures in the founding of our country. Using video segments from the PBS program Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton, this activity encourages students to explore the conditions and circumstances of Hamilton’s youth and the strengths he carried with him into his adult life. As a culmination, students are encouraged to reflect on their own lives and think about how, like Hamilton, they might translate their childhood experiences into success later in life.

Educators can use America From Scratch (and its discussion guides) to engage the most important issues of the day, and to encourage critical thinking and promote civic engagement with their students.

These lesson plans encourage students to explore the contributions to society made by prominent Americans from all walks of life. Each lesson plan includes a short video, as well as a written primary sources activity, a visual primary source activity, and a culminating activity. The videos are designed to help students understand how the character traits of these Americans contributed to their achievements. Materials are targeted at Grades 3-7.