This article examines the differences between the North and the South. This would be a good resource for teachers, or could be read and annotated as a class.

This document includes images of the 1787 Northwest Ordinance. Officially titled An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North-West of the River Ohio, the Northwest Ordinance was passed on July 13, 1787.

This page provides resources on the Battle of Yorktown. It relies heavily on Now or Never, a 23 minute film that covers the the Franco-American alliance, the Battle of Yorktown, and the end of the American Revolution. Use these resources to view the film, learn more about the Revolutionary War, and find incredible source materials!

How did George Washington become the first president of the United States in 1789? Who got to decide--or vote--who would become president, and how did they decide the winner? Kenneth C. Davis unveils the surprising story behind America’s first presidential election. Includes multiple choice and open ended questions

In One Big Party, students learn about the role of political parties in the United States and the influence parties have in our political system, including the role of third parties. This lesson does not cover political party ideologies.

This is an image of the original design of the Great Seal of the United States, submitted just a few hours after the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. After undergoing numerous changes, the seal was officially adopted by the Continental Congress on June 20, 1782.

Explore the origins of the Orphan Train movement that took place at a time when there were no systems in place to help the poor and homeless in this video adapted from the documentary West by Orphan Train produced by Colleen Bradford Krantz and Clark Kidder. Educational resources created and published by Iowa PBS. Charles Loring Brace decided early in his life that he wanted to work with the homeless children of New York. He witnessed firsthand the poverty impacting children in New York and knew he had to take action. In 1853 he founded the Children’s Aid Society and the first Orphan Train left New York in 1854 with a goal of placing children in homes.

This inquiry kit features Library of Congress sources and examines the impact of outlaws during the Westward Expansion.

This virtual journey explores the complexities of slavery and freedom in antebellum Savannah through the lens of the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters. Students learn about the connections between the institution of slavery and the global economy and discover how one city can teach us about society and culture before the Civil War. Key concepts are presented through interactive elements like primary source letters and images, navigable maps, videos, and virtual walking tour.

Students will read the individual biographies and using their knowledge of who the Patriots, Loyalists and neutrals were decide whether an individual was a Patriot, Loyalist, or was neutral. For each biography, they must explain why they made their decision.

After assigning each individual a side in the Revolution, the students will then have to decide which of the colonists could be recruited by the British and the Sons of Liberty to be a spy. Students must write a short explanation for making their selections.

In this lesson, students will learn more about Charlie Russell and his work by watching videos and looking closely at his art. Then they will create their own piece of art, a meme, or an illustrated photo, that shows what they learned about Charlie Russell.

This collection of Articles and Short videos examine the complexity of photography during the American Civil War.

Find innovative ways to integrate works of art into your teaching with this collection of resources based on video from Picturing America on Screen. The artworks are those included in the Picturing America project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, launched in 2008 to introduce Americans to their artistic heritage and to the possibilities inherent in using art as a link to teaching and understanding America’s past.

Pirates! The very word brings shivers to those who sail the seas. Popular movies romanticize their deeds, but to Georgia colonists in the mid-18th century, their exploits were to be feared rather than admired. Georgia’s coast and coastal islands were havens where pirates could hide. Blackbeard Island off the Georgia coast from McIntosh County is named for none other than Edward Teach, the fearsome pirate who sailed the along the coast. David Gurnsey of the Ships of The Sea Maritime Museum in Savannah answers many questions about pirates.

Jim Barber, National Portrait gallery historian and curator, examined one of the museum’s oil paintings titled, “Pocahontas.” The image is of the Native American woman who married an Englishman named John Rolfe in the early 1600s.

This program is part of a series called “Face to Face” about important individuals in American history who aided in the struggle for justice

Rare books and manuscripts appraiser Martin Gammon examines a map that the owner’s great grandfather, a 49er (miner in the 1800s), used to prospect for gold in this video produced for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW. The early rendition of the Britton and Rey map depicts, more accurately than others of its time, the border region between California with what was called Utah, now Nevada. Very few of the maps survived because they were generally carried in the pockets of miners.

Take our quiz to find out which one of our nine political typology groups is your best match, compared with a nationally representative survey of more than 10,000 U.S. adults by Pew Research Center. You may find some of these questions are difficult to answer. That’s OK. In those cases, pick the answer that comes closest to your view, even if it isn’t exactly right.

As you begin this lesson, lead a class discussion about the evolution of language as it relates to race. At the time of the Civil War, the term “colored” did not carry the same negative connotations that it does today. On the other hand, it was often used to suggest racial inferiority. Review the Teacher’s Guide to Language in the support materials. The video “Focus on Black Humanity” is useful for leading a class discussion.

In this lesson, students will engage in station activities to learn about Benjamin Franklin’s experience as a master printer and wordsmith. Specifically, students will learn about Franklin’s apprenticeship at the New-England Courant, the inception and growth of the Pennsylvania Gazette, and the invention of Poor Richard’s Almanack. Students will interact with excerpts from the Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard’s Almanack, comparing and contrasting these foundational pieces to modern day newspaper and media examples.

In this interactive lesson supporting literacy skills in U.S. history, students learn about the three branches of the United States government. Students explore the powers that the Constitution assigns to each branch—legislative, executive, and judicial—and how the three branches work together. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through videos and engagement activities.