Analyze the Siege of Yorktown using the report General George Washington sent to the Continental Congress with a transcription of the primary source provided by George Washington’s Mount Vernon. After a decisive week of fighting at the Siege of Yorktown, General George Washington wrote this letter to the President of the Continental Congress, Thomas McKean; his account of the preceding action shows the Colonial forces are positioned for success.

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

The Germans from Russia have a unique heritage of immigration, first from Germany to Russia, then from Russia to America. This timeline shows their migration to Russia, and their subsequent immigration to America.

This is the speech word-for-word with questions written based on literacy standards that promote understanding of the text and engagement with the text.

Choctaw traditions link their mounds with their ancestors, corn, and the sky. The story defining these connections describes a moment long ago during which two hunters came upon a mysterious woman standing on a mound. She was hungry, so they offered her a hawk, and she promised to repay the kindness as she disappeared into the sky. When the hunters returned to the mound later, corn had grown in her place. And so the Choctaw regard this unknown woman as the reason they have corn.

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.

By examining primary sources, including songs, newspapers, interviews, and photographs of migrant farm workers in California during the Great Depression, students create a scrapbook from the point of view of a migrant worker, providing evidence of the colloquial speech used by the migrants and the issues affecting their lives. Using Voices from the Dust Bowl, 1940-1941 and Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives, students select photographs and use the sound recordings of voices of the migrant workers to create captions, letters, and/or songs based on these primary sources. This lesson can be used in connection with a unit on the Great Depression, and specifically on The Grapes of Wrath.

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.

Ideas like liberty, freedom, and self-determination were hot stuff in the late 18th century, as evidenced by our recent revolutionary videos. Although freedom was breaking out all over, many of the societies that were touting these ideas relied on slave labor. Few places in the world relied so heavily on slave labor as Saint-Domingue, France's most profitable colony. Slaves made up nearly 90% of Saint-Domingue's population, and in 1789 they couldn't help but hear about the revolution underway in France. All the talk of liberty, equality, and fraternity sounded pretty good to a person in bondage, and so the slaves rebelled. This led to not one but two revolutions and ended up with France, the rebels, Britain, and Spain all fighting in the territory. Spoiler alert: the slaves won. So how did the slaves of what would become Haiti throw off the yoke of one of the world's great empires? John Green tells how they did it, and what it has meant in Haiti and in the rest of the world.

Textbooks may offer helpful summaries of historical figures' lives and contributions, but rarely do they capture a sense of their personalities. Two letters to George Washington allow students to consider the competing politics and personalities of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

Students will learn about Harriet Beecher Stowe’s activist writing, particularly her best-known work, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. After watching a video synopsis of her life, they will examine the cover page of sheet music for a play based on Uncle Tom’s Cabin and will read excerpts from the book that illustrate the power of her writing. To conclude the lesson, students will design a new book jacket for Uncle Tom’s Cabin that will highlight the importance of both the author and the novel.

Hawaii is a group of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean that together became the 50th state in 1959. The primary sources in this set document key moments in the state’s story, and provide opportunities for students to explore that rich history further. This primary source set includes documents and images. A teacher guide is included to assist educators in utilizing the primary sources in their instruction.

In this lesson, students will learn about Thoreau’s iconoclastic ideas and about the unusual steps he took to live out his beliefs. In addition to watching a short video, they will examine the original 1854 book cover for Walden and read excerpts from Thoreau’s most famous works. To conclude the lesson, they will connect Thoreau’s unusual perspective and daring actions to their lives as young 21st-century Americans.

Spain’s explorations were driven by the desire to expand its knowledge of the world, to discover spices and riches, and to spread Christianity. In 1492, when Christopher Columbus, on a journey funded by Spain, took a westerly course across the Atlantic Ocean searching for an alternative route to the Indies, he inadvertently “discovered” a new continent. This set of primary resources from the Library of Congress provides a window into this time period, as well as a Teacher's Guide with historical context and teaching suggestions.

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.

In this resource, students will engage with video clips that introduce students to the Gettysburg Address, highlight students of The Greenwood School analyzing the speech, and discuss the road to the Battle of Gettysburg and its impact on the war. Students will interact with these videos to learn about the Battle of Gettysburg and the significance of the Gettysburg Address. After viewing the curated clips, students will craft their own presentations analyzing the historical significance of a specific section of the Gettysburg Address with the goal of explaining to their peers what this section meant and why it is important.

Many notable American historical figures are considered role models -- but why? George Washington was devilishly smart, and Abraham Lincoln was a brave leader, but have you heard of Sybil Ludington or Beriah Green? Amy Bissetta expounds on the lessons of character we can learn from these historical giants, whether you’ve heard of them or not. Questions are avaliable for teachers