There are many forms of government in the world. One of the most common forms is democracy. In this lesson you will see what it takes to make a democracy work and why it gives its people so many freedoms and protections.

Fanny Kemble was very troubled by slavery and wrote of her Georgia experiences in her diary. She was a renowned British Shakespearean actors performing in the United States when she caught the attention of Pierce Butler of Philadelphia. While Butler thought of slaves as tools for getting work done, Kemble thought of lost liberty. She was repulsed by the harsh conditions and treatment of slaves she witnessed, and spoke on their behalf as well as recording her thoughts in her diary, which was later published and helped rouse anti-slavery sentiment in the North.

This is an infographic that shows the differences between the Federalists and the Antifederalists are vast and at times complex. Federalists’ beliefs could be better described as nationalist. The Federalists were instrumental in 1787 in shaping the new US Constitution, which strengthened the national government at the expense, according to the Antifederalists, of the states and the people. The Antifederalists opposed the ratification of the US Constitution, but they never organized efficiently across all thirteen states, and so had to fight the ratification at every state convention. Their great success was in forcing the first Congress under the new Constitution to establish a bill of rights to ensure the liberties that the Antifederalists felt the Constitution violated.

Geographer Anne Knowles uses digital technologies to reimagine the past. In this fascinating talk, Knowles transports us to the Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point of the Civil War. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and historical maps, she traces the footsteps of Robert E. Lee as he orders Pickett’s Charge -- and makes an educated guess why he made this crucial mistake. This resource also comes with questions for the video in either multiple choice or short answer format.

Students will investigate a series of maps depicting a voyage by Sir Francis Drake which involved attacks on the Spanish settlements off the coast of Africa (Santiago), Caribbean (Santo Domingo), South America (Cartagena), and North America (St. Augustine). Students will then examine a map of the entire voyage. Students will look closely at the details of each of these depictions and draw conclusions about the individual events as well as the entire voyage.

This 2 min video examens the importance of the Dred Scott case as a lead up to the Civil War. It gives a quick overview of the events leading to the decision that brakes the Union.

Discover how the Dred Scott Supreme Court case became a tipping point, leading to the Civil War. Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his freedom. His case ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court, and became a tipping point, leading to the Civil War.

This resource consists of a facsimile of the Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court decision, in which the Supreme Court ruled that slaves were not citizens, and could therefore not expect any protection from the Federal Government or the courts. The opinion also stated that Congress had no authority to ban slavery from a Federal territory.

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 describing Harriet Tubman's childhood in Dorchester County, Maryland, analyze primary source documents and images from the Library of Congress, and consider discussion prompts for more dialogue and deeper reflection.

This collection has been carefully selected by New York City educator and curriculum consultant Vivett Dukes to showcase ideas, achievements, and contributions by American people of all backgrounds across eras. The content highlighted within each topic is intended to expand the scope of voices traditionally centered in classroom curricula by elevating stories by and about Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. These resources are intended to inspire educators to use PBS LearningMedia intentionally and creatively to teach topics across all subject areas. For additional resources, lesson plans, worksheets, and professional development content rooted in skills supporting critical media literacy, visit Expanding Narratives Using Media: A Planning Kit.

Go to National Archives and search for the electoral college, if the link does not work, this Text/HTML has a ton of information on the electoral college as well as historical results. You can also see the actual ballots sent in by each state as well as all electors chosen by each party within a state. LW

A lesson plan that discusses the thought process that Lincoln had to use to make the legality of the Emancipation Proclamation. This lesson plan also shows the progression from Antetiam to Emancipation.

A Nearpod lesson that discusses the Emancipation Proclamation, including primary source engagement, a video, VR opportunity, as well as opportunities to check for understanding. This lesson utilized information found in the Emancipation Proclamations resource by the American Battlefield Trust.

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 describing the impact of increased governmental restrictions and harsh penalties on Harriet Tubman and other freedom seekers, analyze primary source material from the Library of Congress and New York Public Library Digital Collections, and consider discussion prompts for more dialogue and deeper reflection.

In this activity, students will analyze Benjamin Franklin’s body of work to better understand his contribution in the key areas of academics, innovation, and diplomacy during the Revolutionary War Era. Students will choose and research one of Franklin’s primary areas of work alongside similar or related works by others that preceded, coincided with, or may have influenced Franklin’s achievements. Students will examine the historical, political, and social circumstances that shaped Franklin’s work and made it possible for him to flourish. Students will investigate how Franklin’s achievements have been built upon by other inventors, politicians, diplomats, and writers since Franklin’s lifetime.

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources about countries who wanted to control the island of Manhattan.

Discover the evolution of slavery in Colonial Virginia through the life of Anthony Johnson in this video from The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. An African American who lived in Jamestown, Virginia, Johnson owned a 250 acre tobacco farm until the booming tobacco industry in Virginia transformed slavery into a system based on race.

After Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, he assembled an expedition to explore this vast territory. Leading the expedition were two former army captains -- Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

During the seventeenth century, four French explorers plied North America’s great waterways to chart and traverse the center of the continent. The explorations of Samuel de Champlain, Jacques Marquette, Louis Jolliet, and Renee de LaSalle linked together the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River, opening the interior of North America to European settlement and trade. Retrace the expeditions that changed our understanding of the continent in this interactive Google Earth Voyager story.

Explore the famous Mount Vernon estate in this electronic field trip to the historic home of our nation's first president. Learn from Mount Vernon's interpreters and curators. This electronic field trip targets students in grades 4-8. It will give students the unique opportunity to visit one of America's most famous homes while enhancing their knowledge of early American history.