Homework Links: U.S. History

SALEM HISTORY: Searchable database offering the complete content of Salem Press's Decades in America (1950s - 1990s) reference series. You can search the database by keyword or browse by category. If you're using SALEM HISTORY on your home computer, you'll have to enter your library card barcode to begin.

Facts on File databases FACTS ON FILE REFERENCE DATABASES: Login to FACTS ON FILE from our Database Login page (if you're using FACTS ON FILE on your home computer, you'll have to enter your library card barcode) to access a great collection of history reference databases including:

General U.S. History

American Culture E-Texts - Dozens of online electronic texts for the study of American history and culture, including influential essays, novels, poetry, biography, slave narratives, and more; some include related background materials. (University of Virginia)

American Experience - A wealth of information on American history, including Presidents, biographies, war & politics, technology, popular culture, and the American landscape. Includes primary sources, timelines, bibliographies, text, video, interactives, maps, images, teacher's guides, and more. Search by topic and/or media type or browse by time period. (PBS; commercial site)

American History Biographies - Biographies of historical and literary figures from John Adams to Robert Yates. (University of Groningen, Netherlands)

American Memory - Photographs, newspapers, oral histories, maps, and other primary sources on many aspects of American history such as African-Americans, Native Americans, women, Presidents, sports, advertising, war, religion, arts, and more. Browse by subject, time period, region, or type of material. (Library of Congress)

American 19th Century Cultural History - Arranged by decades. Includes facts, links, and recommended books. There is also a companion site on American 20th Century Cultural History (Kingwood College)

American Presidents - Pick a president from the drop down menu at the top to see background info and related materials, including biographical facts, key events, presidential places, portraits, and video from the American Presidents: Life Portraits series (C-Span). See also POTUS: Presidents of the United States (Internet Public Library), American Presidency: A Glorious Burden (Smithsonian), and Biographies of the First Ladies (National First Ladies Library). College or advanced high school students will find more information on the Presidents at American President: An Online Reference Resource — scroll down the page for the links for each president, arranged by time period (University of Virginia); American Presidency Project , which offers a complete searchable database of Presidential messages, papers, and other documents, with audio or video of some speeches, beginning with Herbert Hoover (University of California); and the Presidential Libraries, Herbert Hoover through George W. Bush (National Archives).

American Rhetoric - Text, audio, and/or video of thousands of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, and interviews; also includes famous speeches from the movies. (Commercial site; by Michael E. Eidenmuller, Associate Professor of Speech Communication, University of Texas)

Americans At War - This interactive exhibit 'examines how wars have shaped the nations history and transformed American society,' from the War of Independence to the present (Smithsonian). See also Veterans' Stories, below.

America's Story - Entertaining tales of America's past told through letters, diaries, records and tapes, films, sheet music, maps, prints, photographs and digital materials. 'Here, you can discover what Abraham Lincoln had in his pockets on the night he was assassinated... Or you can read about other 'Amazing Americans' such as Buffalo Bill Cody and his 'Wild West' show; the heroism of Harriet Tubman, who helped many slaves escape bondage; the music of jazz great Duke Ellington; or the inventions of Thomas Edison (You will even be able to see his first motion picture!)'. Includes a useful Jump Back in Time timeline. (Library of Congress)

Charters of Freedom - Describes the founding and growth of the United States from the first stirrings of rebellion against British rule through the Revolution, Constitutional Convention, Civil War, and expansion of rights & liberties to women & minorities, with a focus on the creation and impact of the 'Charters of Freedom': the Declaration of Indepence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Includes key documents, photos, articles, and more. (National Archives & Records Administration)

Digital History - A mega-site covering the entire span of American history from pre-European culture through 2001. Includes an online textbook, primary documents, ethnic histories, biographies, maps, speeches, images, multimedia content, interactive timeline, and just about anything else you can think of. All ages. (University of Houston)

Documents for the Study of American History - Letters, journals, speeches, proclamations, and many other primary documents from the 9th century to the 21st. Arranged by time period. (WWW Virtual Library / University of Kansas)

First Measured Century Timeline - An interactive timeline of US history from 1870-2000, with links to analyses of statistical data and trends on dozens of subjects. High school and up. (PBS)

Freedom: A History of US - An exploration of Americans' quest for freedom, from the struggle for independence through the beginnings of the 21st century. (PBS; commercial site)

History Matters - A gateway to web resources and other useful materials on U.S. history, including 1000 primary documents, images, & audio interviews, and hundreds of reviewed & annotated websites, as well as materials specifically for teachers. High school and up. (CUNY, George Mason University)

Indian Tribes & Native Peoples Links - Selected links to information about Native Americans and other native peoples. (South Plainfield Public Library)

Interactive Map of U.S. History - 'Discover how the continent was irrevocably changed by European colonization, the events that caused the wholesale displacement and decimation of the land's original inhabitants, and how the 50 states came to be formed.' High school and up. (Annenberg Media)

Making of America Library - A collection of articles on American social history, reproduced from nineteenth century books and periodicals; particularly strong in education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science & technology. The book collection currently contains approximately 8,500 books with 19th century imprints. Search by keyword or browse by subject. For college or advanced high school students. (University of Michigan)

National Museum of American History new - More than 50 online exhibits covering a wide range of American history topics, including presidents, civil rights movements, music, war, science, technology, and inventions, and others. (Smithsonian)

Our Documents - Historical background and text for 100 key documents voted by Americans of all ages to be the most influential documents in American history (National Archives and Records Administration). See also Primary Documents in American History (Library of Congress).

Talking History - An interesting collection of radio programs and shorter audio clips on a wide assortment of topics in history, mostly American history. There is no subject index, but you can search the collection by keyword. (State University of New York, Albany)

Teaching with Historic Places - Maps, images, and background readings exploring more than 25 topics in (mostly American) history, covering various events and the sites associated with them. Includes African American history, Women's history, Hispanic heritage, Asian Pacific heritage, American Indian history, Civil War, World War II, and more. You will find additional information on historic people, places, and events on the NPS History & Culture pages. (National Park Service)

Turns of the Centuries new - Explore the periods of 1680-1720, 1780-1820, and 1880-1920 in New England history. For each era, you can learn about Family Life, Native Americans, African Americans, Newcomers, and the Land. (Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield, Massachusetts)

USA: Outline of American History - Good, well-organized essays on topics of each period from pre-Colonial America through the 1990s; few links. Also offers speeches, bios, and other documents of the Presidents (University of Groningen, Netherlands).

Veterans' Stories - This site offers videos of interviews with U.S. veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. You can also access stories by themes such as courage, buddies, patriotism, POWs, and more. Women at War offers video and audio interviews with American women veterans (Library of Congress). See also From the Home Front and the Front Lines for letters, photos, diaries, and related documents from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the 1991 Persian Gulf War (Library of Congress), War Letters from the Revolution through the 1991 Persian Gulf War (PBS; commercial site), Battle Lines: Letters from America's Wars (Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History), and Voices of War (Library of Congress).

Web Rangers: History Activities new - A collection of interactive games and activities to help you learn about history. Covers many different historic topics. Each activity has a rating of Easy, Medium, or Hard; for elementary through high school. To get started, click on 'Just Visit' then click on 'Visit'. Under 'Find Activities', click on 'History'. (National Park Service)

Within These Walls - Tells the stories of five families who lived in a single house over two centuries (1757-1945), and made history in their kitchens and parlors through everyday choices and personal acts of courage and sacrifice. (Smithsonian)

Pre-Colonial through Early 19th Century America

American Colonist's Library - Enormous collection of links to 'the literature and documents which were most relevant to the colonists' lives in America.' Covers important classical and medieval texts, and hundreds of documents from the 15th through 18th centuries, including numerous writings by the founding fathers, and other works too numerous to mention. (By Rick Gardiner, a history teacher/author)

American Revolution - 'Have you ever wondered: How fewer than three million colonists defeated the greatest military and naval power of the late 18th century? How good a general George Washington was? What women were doing during the Revolution? What effects the Revolution had on Indian tribes? What the best books on the period are? Here's the place to start getting some answers. Available here are a timeline, revolutionary stories, biographies, and suggestions for further reading.' (National Park Service)

Arms & Armor: American Revolution - Learn about the swords, rifles, and gunpowder used by American soldiers during the Revolutionary War (Metropolitan Museum).

Benjamin Franklin: In His Own Words - A review of Franklin's public, professional, and scientific achievements - as a printer & writer, an inventor & scientist, and a politician & statesman. Includes important documents, letters, books, broadsides, and cartoons (primary sources). (Library of Congress). See also Benjamin Franklin (PBS; commercial site)

Coming of the American Revolution - Essays on 15 topics, such as the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Bunker Hill, examine events leading up to the American Revolution; supplemented by letters, diary entries, maps, portraits, news accounts and other primary sources. High school and up. (Massachusetts Historical Society)

Discovery, Exploration, Colonies, & Revolution - An enormous collection of history links from the Age of Exploration through the American Revolution and the Early Republic; arranged by broad subjects such as Native Americans, Early Colonists, Salem Witch Trials, and Religion in Early America. Also includes timelines, maps, and primary documents. Last updated July 2005, so expect some broken links. (By high school teacher Tracey Osborn)

Early Americas Digital Archive - A collection of online texts originally written in or about North, South, or Central America from the late fifteenth through early nineteenth centuries (primary documents) You can search by author or title from the front page; click on 'Archive' to browse by author or title or do a full-text search; or click on 'Gateway' to browse links to other online texts. (University of Maryland)

Jefferson Encyclopedia - 'Trustworthy information on Thomas Jefferson and his world by Monticello researchers and respected Jefferson scholars.' Arrranged by topic; high school and up. (Thomas Jefferson Foundation)

John Smith's Voyage - In 1608, Captain John Smith and fourteen other English colonists set out from Jamestown by boat to explore and map the Chesapeake Bay, observing the Chesapeake's vibrant ecosystem and a multitude of American Indian cultures thriving along its shores. This website offers an in-depth account of their historic voyage, Smith's map and journals, and videos from a 2007 expedition to re-trace Smith's trip. High school and up. (NOAA et al.)

Life in 18th Century America - A look at many different aspects of life in Colonial times, such as clothing, family, food, manners, politics, religion, tools, trades, and the African-American experience. Includes multimedia presentations (Colonial Williamsburg).

Raid on Deerfield, 1704 new - 'In the pre-dawn hours of February 29, 1704, a force of about 300 French and Native allies launched a daring raid on the English settlement of Deerfield, Massachusetts... Was this dramatic pre-dawn assault in contested lands an unprovoked, brutal attack on an innocent village of English settlers? Was it a justified military action against a stockaded settlement in a Native homeland? Or was it something else? Explore this website and hear all sides of the story — then you decide.' Includes images, biographies, artifacts & documents, maps, timeline, and period music. Middle and high school students. (Memorial Hall Museum, Deerfield, MA)

Shays' Rebellion new - 'Only three years after the American Revolution ended, thousands of Massachusetts citizens took up arms against their new state government. This site tells the story of Shays' Rebellion, and a crucial period in our nation's founding when the survival of the republican experiment in government was neither destined nor assured.' Includes images, biographies, artifacts & documents, maps, timeline, and period music. High school and up. (Springfield Technical Community College and Memorial Hall Museum)

USHistory.org - Feature articles on historic places, people, and events of early U.S. history, including Betsy Ross, the Declaration of Independence, Liberty Bell, Thomas Paine, Valley Forge, and more. Focus is on Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. (Independence Hall Association; commercial site)

Witchcraft in Salem Village - Original documents, maps, and other information (primary sources) about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. (University of Virginia)

You Be the Historian new - 'Historians study the everyday lives of people who lived in the past by looking at clues: the objects and documents that people left behind and that have somehow survived.' View the objects and documents on the website and 'see if you can figure out what life was like 200 years ago for Thomas and Elizabeth Springer's family in New Castle, Delaware.' Middle school. (Smithsonian)

Westward Expansion

Gold Rush - Explores the people and events of the mid-nineteenth century California gold rush, plus special features, map, and timeline (PBS; commercial site). See also Gold Rush Chronicles, a virtual book about the Gold Rush (by ComSpark, a web design firm; commercial site).

Photos of the American West - Over 30,000 photographs of the American West between 1860 and 1920, illustrating Colorado towns and landscape, mining, Native Americans; arranged by subject, or searchable by keyword. (Denver Public Library and Library of Congress)

Lewis and Clark - Explores the history of the Lewis & Clark expedition, with articles, maps, timelines, journals, and more (PBS). See also Discovering Lewis & Clark which includes a synopsis of the expedition from preparation through return, with selections from the journals, photographs, maps, animated graphics, and other related materials (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation). Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition offers complete text of the journals, with maps and multimedia content (University of Nebraska).

New Perspectives on the West - A fresh look at the people, places, and events that shaped the American West; includes dozens of biographies, a timeline, and links to more information (PBS). See also Western Trails [UPDATED LINK!]. (Collaborative Digitization Program; Colorado State Library et al.)

Civil War

20th Century U.S. History

America in the 1930s - A fascinating view of the Depression era through films, radio programs, literature, journalism, museums, exhibitions, architecture, art, and other forms of cultural expression (University of Virginia). The 1930s new is a collection of videos, with related material, examining different aspects of the 1930s and the Great Depression, including the 1929 crash, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Dust Bowl, and more (American Experience: PBS / WGBH). See also Bound for Glory, The Great Depression, New Deal Network, and Wall Street Crash (1929) described below.

Bound for Glory, an online exhibit of rare color photos capturing 'the effects of the Depression on America's rural and small town populations, the nation's subsequent economic recovery... and the country's great mobilization for World War II.' Still more color photos from this era may be found at America from the Great Depression to WWII (Library of Congress).

American Political Archive - Audio recordings of interviews, debates, oral histories, news conferences, and speeches with past presidents, legislators, and other important figures in 20th century American politics. (C-SPAN Radio)

American 20th Century Cultural History - Arranged by decades. Includes facts, links, and recommended books. (Kingwood College)

Atoms for Peace - Overview, primary documents, and photographs relating to President Eisenhower's initiative 'to transform the atom from a scourge into a benefit for mankind' by shifting the focus of nuclear programs from building weapons to producing energy. High school and up. (Dwight D. Eisenhower Library)

Building the Suburban Dream [UPDATED LINK!] - Text and images chronicle the construction, marketing, and lifestyle of Levittown, Pennsylvania, a housing development which represented the dream of suburban life in the 1950s. (State Museum of Pennsylvania)

Cold War - A timeline of events in the Cold War, from the 1940s through the 1990s, with a brief description of each event and links to additional information. Also includes stories and a trivia game. (Cold War Museum; commercial site)

Conversations with America - 'Man-on-the-street' interviews recorded by Studs Terkel over several decades, covering the Great Depression, World War II, race relations, and more. Choose a section, then scroll down to get to the recordings. High school and up. (Chicago Historical Society et al.)

Days of Infamy - 'Within the living memory of Americans are two deadly surprise attacks against the United States: Japan's assault on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Both times, the Library of Congress sent people out to record the voices of ordinary Americans as they reacted to a changed world.' Includes audio (primary source material), slideshow, and links (American Radio Works). See also After the Day of Infamy : 'man-on-the-street' reactions of ordinary Americans to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent declaration of war by the United States. Presents 'a wide diversity of opinion concerning the war and other social and political issues of the day, such as racial prejudice and labor disputes. The result is a portrait of everyday life in America as the United States entered World War II.' (Library of Congress).

Eisenhower Presidental Library - Offers brief overviews plus related primary documents for a number of important subjects from the 1950s and WWII, including various aspects of the Civil Rights struggle, Korean Conflict, Interstate Highway System, McCarthyism & the Red Scare, Sputnik & the Space Race, Rosenberg Trial, Salk Polio Vaccine, U-2 Spy Plane Incident, D-Day, The Invasion of Normandy, Holocaust, and Jacqueline Cochran & the Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs), and more.

The Great Depression [UPDATED LINK!] - Answers basic questions about the Great Depression, such as What was the Great Depression? How high was unemployment during the Great Depression? What was FDR's program to end the Great Depression? Did the New Deal end the Great Depression? and more. High school and up (Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum). See also The Great Depression, 1929-1939 (Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site) and The Great Depression, A Decade of Hardship (an 8th grade classroom project created in conjunction with the University Museum at Southern Illinois University).

Living Room Candidate - Extensive video archive of Presidential campaign television and web commercials from 1952 to the present. Includes commentary, historical background, and election results; organized by year, type of commercial, and issue. (American Museum of the Moving Image)

National Archives Videos - Historic video from United Newsreel, NASA, and the Department of Interior, covering World War II, the space program, national parks, and more.

National Security Archive - A collection of declassified national security documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Includes primary source materials (documents and audio) related to the 1953 coup against Iranian Premier Mohammad Mossadeq, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Pentagon Papers, Iran-Contra Affair, 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev Summit, Iraq War, and numerous other international policy subjects, covering more than 50 years up to the present. For college or advanced high school students. (George Washington University)

New Deal Network - Hundreds of letters, photos, speeches, advertisements, and other primary documents covering the Great Depression (Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute). See also Works Progress Administration (WPA) (New York Times; commercial site), and FDR's Fireside Chats ; free registration required (Museum of Broadcast Communications). You can also read the full text of Fireside Chats [UPDATED LINK!] (American Presidency Project, University of California).

Nostalgia Central - A fun look back at the history and pop culture (music, movies, television, fashion, etc.) of the 1950s, 60s, 70s & 80s. (Commercial site) [SOME PAGES WERE EMPTY OR INCOMPLETE AS OF 12/09]

Nuke Pop - Examines how the atomic bomb was reflected in popular culture of the era, with lots of images from comics, magazines, and other primary sources. High school and up (Washington State University). See also The Bomb for My Pillow, one man's reminiscence of 'growing up in the shadow of nuclear annihilation' (personal site, by Gregg Nathan Ainsworth).

1968: The Whole World Was Watching - Recollections of the year 1968. Contains interviews, which include references to the Vietnam War, the struggle for Civil Rights, the Assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy as well as many more personal memories; a living history of one of the most tumultuous years in United States history (Brown University). Campaign '68 offers an audio program looking back at the 1968 presidential contest, a watershed event shaped by a controversial war, fractious race relations, and the rising power of television. Includes timeline, links, transcipt, and more; high school and up (American Public Radio; commercial site).

Old Magazine Articles - PDF images of actual magazine articles, reviews, poems, pictures and cartoons, mostly from the first three decades of the 20th century; arranged by subject. (Commercial site)

Pop Culture - Selected links on popular American culture of the 20th century, arranged decade-by-decade or by topic (movies, music, tv, theater). (Florida Community College at Jacksonville)

Red Scare - Describes the nationwide fear of communists, socialists, anarchists, and other dissidents which seized the nation from 1919-1921 (University of Missouri Law School). For the communist scare of the 1950s, see The Second Red Scare (Collin County Community College).

Route 66 new - Route 66, stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, occupies a special place in the American imagination. It has been the subject or setting of novels, films, songs and stories. This website uses text and images to explore the history of Route 66, from its origins in ancient Native American footpaths to the iconic highway of the 20th century. High school. (Northern Arizona University)

Sixties Project - Website dedicated to the history of the 1960s, contains articles, personal narratives (primary sources), humor, poetry, and more. Click on 'Exhibits' for pictures of buttons and posters. A related site, Psychedelic Sixties, covers all aspects of the 1960s, including social protest, rock music, hippies, drug use, and 19th- and 20th-century precursors. (University of Virginia). High school and up.

Summer of Love - This online documentary interviews with a broad range of individuals who lived through the summer of 1967 in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district, where thousands of young people from across the country came to join in the hippie experience, only to discover that what they had come for was already disappearing. High school and up (PBS).

Temperance & Prohibition - Explains the causes and effects of the movement to ban alcoholic beverages in the U.S., leading to the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment which was later repealed. Text and images/cartoons. (Ohio State University)

Top 10 Political Moments - Audio and video clips of the most memorable political moments in American radio and television history, chosen by leading political scholars, politicians, commentators, and analysts. Includes the Assassination of JFK, World Trade Center Attack, Neil Armstrong Moon Walk, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' Speech, Richard Nixon's farewell speech, and more. (Museum of Broadcast Communications).

Wall Street Crash (1929) - Explains why the crash happened and how it affected people (BBC). See also The Crash of '29 (New York Times) and After the Crash [UPDATED LINK!] (Library of Congress). American Experience: The Crash of 1929 offers a one-hour documentary about the crash, plus a Wall Street timeline, 1929 headlines, eyewitness accounts, and more; high school and up (PBS).

Watergate Papers - A brief overview of events leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974, with original notes, letters, and other documents (primary sources) from Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two Washington Post reporters who broke the Watergate story. (University of Texas)

Wessels Living History Farm - Detailed exploration of farm life and farming in the 1920s through the 1960s, with photos, video, and oral histories (Nebraska Educational Telecommunications). Growing up on a farm in South Plainfield NJ during the Great Depression is an interesting first-person narrative, by Al Prehodka (personal site). For more on agricultural history, see our Food, Fashion, and Money Links.

White House Tapes - Six American presidents from FDR through Nixon secretly recorded thousands of hours of their conversations. This site offers all the presidential recordings (primary sources), along with related research materials. High school and up. (University of Virginia)

Yahoo's Twentieth Century - Lots of links by decade and by subject. (Commercial site)

African-American Experience

FACTS ON FILE: AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY ONLINE Provides expansive and in-depth information on the people, events, and topics important to the study of African-American history. Login to FACTS ON FILE from our DATABASE LOGIN PAGE to access African-American History Online. If you're using FACTS ON FILE on your home computer, you'll have to enter your library card barcode to begin.

African American History and Culture - Materials relating to civil rights, religion, biographies, and other aspects of black history and culture. (Smithsonian)

African American History Timeline - A chronological overview of African American history from before 1600 to the year 2000, with links to additional information on some topics. (Quintard Taylor, University of Washington)

African American History Web Guide - A selection of annotated links, arranged alphabetically. There is also a related guide to selected black history websites by state (University of North Carolina)

African American Life - Six websites designed to help you learn about black history, including the Black History Hotlist, selected links on a range of African-American events and issues. Also included are suggested study activities, an internet treasure hunt & quiz, a site examining the Tuskegee Tragedy, and another site focusing on nine African-American students who were the first to attend an all-white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957 (AT&T Knowledge Network).

African-American Migration Experience - Focuses on both voluntary and forced migrations of peoples of African descent, beginning with the transatlantic slave trade and, in the 1500s, the first Africans coming from Mexico and the Caribbean to the Spanish territories of the American South, followed by successive generations moving to the north, south, and west. Includes text, images, maps, and other materials. SITE CANNOT BE VIEWED WITH INTERNET EXPLORER 6. (NYPL Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture)

African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship - Explores black America's quest for equality from the early national period through the twentieth century, with text, documents, and images; arranged chronologically. (Library of Congress)

Africans in America - Explores the history of slavery in America from 1450 to 1865. Arranged chronologically. (PBS)

AFRO-Americ@'s Black History Museum - Examines a variety of topics in African-American history, including slavery, the Tuskegee Airmen, Jackie Robinson, the Black Panther party, the Scottsboro boys, and others; text and images. (Afro-American Newspaper Company of Baltimore, Inc.)

Afro-Americans in New Jersey - This online report covers the colonial period through the 1980s. You must view each section separately - scroll down for the table of contents. PDF format. REPORT CANNOT BE VIEWED WITH INTERNET EXPLORER 6. (NJ State Library)

Black Leadership - Interviews with dozens of leaders from the black community, exploring the early influences on their lives, along with 'issues of black leadership and the transformational role of the civil rights movement in America.' (University of Virginia)

Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives - Contains more than 2,300 first-person accounts (primary sources) of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves. These narratives were collected in the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) (Library of Congress). For smaller selections of narratives, see Voices from the Days of Slavery (Library of Congress) or American Slave Narratives (University of Virginia).

Brown vs. Board of Education - Summary, chronology, and other materials related to the historically significant Supreme Court case which denied the legal basis for segregation of public schools. See also With an Even Hand: Brown v. Board at 50 (Library of Congress), Looking Back: Brown v. Board (NPR), Separate is Not Equal (Smithsonian) and Anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education [UPDATED LINK!] (National Education Association).

Civil Rights Digital Library - Brief background essays with links to primary sources and other materials on a wide range of topics relating to the civil rights movement. You can browse the site by Events, Places, People, Topics, or media type, or search by keyword. High school and up. (Digital Library of Georgia)

Congressional Black Caucus - Traces the history of the participation and contribution of African Americans in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, with an in-depth look at how, when and why the CBC was formed, and an examination of its involvement in issues such as the creation of a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., and the dismantling of the apartheid system in South Africa (Congressional Black Caucus Foundation). See also Black Americans in Congress, which offers information and images of past and current black Members of Congress, and essays on historical events that have influenced African Americans in Congress (U.S. House of Representatives).

Culture & Change: Black History in America - Profiles of famous African Americans, inventors & inventions, an audio history of jazz music, and an interactive timeline. Elementary and middle school. (Scholastic Inc.)

Famous African-Americans in History - Short biographies (no images) of prominent black Americans from the 18th century to the 20th (University of Georgia). Online Encyclopedia: African American History, People offers slightly longer articles (with images) about people, places, organizations, and events which have contributed to the shaping of African American history. Use the menu on the left to access additional material, including major speeches, media, museums, primary documents, timelines, and related links; formerly Vignettes of Significant People and Places in African American History (by Quintard Taylor, history professor, University of Washington, et al.).

First Person Narratives of the South - A collection of online texts (primary sources) from the Civil War and later. Includes accounts by soldiers and slaves. For more primary sources on southern history, see Documenting the American South, covering the period before the Civil War as well as the more recent past. (University of North Carolina)

From Canterbury to Little Rock: The Struggle for Educational Equality for African Americans - Background readings, images, and educational activities explore historic events in Canterbury, Connecticut, and Little Rock, Arkansas, which tested the prevailing assumptions of the time regarding racial integration of schools. (National Park Service)

Gale Black History Month Resources - Includes activities, biographies, links, literature, quiz, and timeline. (Thomson Gale Publishing)

Harlem Renaissance - Explores the creative and intellectual voices of artists, musicians, actors, writers, and activists who flourished during the cultural flowering of Harlem between 1917 and 1935. Includes primary sources to read, listen to, and watch (Kennedy Center). See Harlem Renaissance links for more good websites on this topic (University of North Carolina).

History Makers - These video interviews, with thousands of both well-known and unsung African-Americans, offer messages of leadership, achievement and perseverance. Those interviewed are drawn from a wide variety of fields including arts, entertainment, media, politics, science, sports, business, and more. (Non-profit organization; site has ads)

Jim Crow History - Explores the history of segration from the 1870s through the 1950s. Includes a timeline, maps, personal narratives, photos, video, documents, and more (PBS / Channel Thirteen; commercial site). See also Remembering Jim Crow (American Public Media; commercial site)

Lest We Forget - Original portraits (paintings and drawings) with brief biographies of civil rights leaders. You can view the pages as a 'tour' or see a list of the individuals included. (Robert Templeton Estate)

Martin Luther King Jr. Papers - Biography, encyclopedia, and audio of Martin Luther King Jr. (under 'King Resources'). Also includes timelines. (Stanford University)

Oh Freedom - Audio program recounting events surrounding the murders of three young civil rights workers in Mississippi during the summer of 1964. Includes story text and interviews. (American Public Media; commercial site)

Say It Plain: Great African American Speeches - You can read and/or listen to an hour-long radio show to learn about the tradition of powerful black political orators in the United States, or click on the name of one of a dozen featured speakers (including Marcus Garvey, Fannie Lou Hamer, Stokely Carmichael, Shirley Chisholm, and Barack Obama) to read their biographies and read or hear one of their speeches. (American Public Media)

Slave Voyages - Lesson plans and selected links to a variety of resources on slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade, including interactive maps and narratives of enslaved Africans. For teachers and students, grades 6-12 (Emory University). Captive Passage [UPDATED LINK!] examines the Transatlantic slave trade and its legacies in the modern world. Includes maps and other images (Mariners' Museum). See also England and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (English Heritage).

Slavery and the Making of America - Documents the history of American slavery from its beginnings in the British colonies to its end, looking at slavery as an integral part of a developing nation while also focusing on the experiences of slaves. Examines the role of art, music, and education in the lives of slaves and recounts the remarkable stories of individual slaves. (PBS)

Slavery in New York - Online slide show exploring the history of slaves and slavery in New York, from the city's role the Atlantic slave trade, through the Revolutionary War, to the end of slavery in New York in 1827. Website may be slow to load. (New York Historical Society)

Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture - Explores Harriet Beecher Stowe's book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, in relation to American culture, including the slavery debate, minstrel shows, books, songs, poems, and movies. (University of Virginia)

Underground Railroad Journey - An interactive site that takes you over the route travelled by escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad. (National Geographic; commercial site)

Understanding Slavery - 'Few human practices have provoked such deep and widespread outrage as the practice of one human being enslaving another. So why has slavery survived for thousands of years? How did it become so important to civilization? Explore the ways that slavery has been woven into the fabric of societies in America and around the world.' Middle school and up. Website may be slow to load and navigate. (Discovery School; commercial site)

Immigrant Experience

Angel Island [UPDATED LINK!] - Opened in California in 1910, Angel Island is sometimes called the 'Ellis Island of the West', but was mainly built to control the flow of Chinese into the country after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This page provides an overview of Chinese immigration since 1848, as well as Japanese, Koreans, and other groups who entered the U.S. through Angel Island (Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation). For more on the Chinese immigrants of Angel Island, see also Poetic Waves (multimedia presentation; personal site by Garman Yip).

Be a Historian: Immigration - This well-designed interactive site invites you to help in developing a museum display about immigration to America. Focus is on Iowa, but much of the material presented applies to American immigration generally. Middle school and up. (Grout Museum of History & Science)

Becoming American: The Chinese Experience - A timeline from 1850 - 2000 includes links to video, eyewitness accounts, and quizzes for different periods. There is also an extensive page of resources; these have not been updated, so expect some broken links (Bill Moyers/PBS).

Coming to America Past and Present - 'A look at the difference between immigrants coming to the United States in the past and today.' Written by fourth grade students. (Thinkquest Library)

Dear Miss Breed - A collection of letters and postcards written from internment camps by young Japanese-Americans, showing what life was like for the children and teenagers being held in the camps (Japanese American National Museum). For photographs, see Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar (Library of Congress; photos by Ansel Adams).

Ellis Island: Peopling America - Click a spot on the timeline for a statistical chart and description of any period in immigration history through 2000. (Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation; commercial site)

Ethnic Voices - Examines the history of Asian Americans, Irish Americans, and Italian Americans. (University of Houston)

Immigration: The Living Mosaic of People, Culture, and Hope - Tells the story of millions of English, Germans, Italians, Irish, Africans, Japanese, Chinese, and Jewish people who immigrated to the U.S. Includes a timeline, personal stories, and a discussion of The Statue of Liberty. Middle school and up. (High school student project, Thinkquest Library)

Immigration Stories - 'Find out what it means to come to the United States as an immigrant from the early 20th century through the early 21st century,' through personal stories, a virtual tour of Ellis Island, and more. For middle school students. (Scholastic Inc.)

Immigration Timeline - Key dates and landmarks in United States immigration history, from 1789 to 1940, with links to primary documents. (Harvard University Library)

Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930 - A large searchable collection of selected historical materials, including many primary resources, concentrating heavily on the 19th century. Thousands of books and photographs, and 13,000 pages from manuscript and archival collections. 'By incorporating diaries, biographies, and other writings capturing diverse experiences, the collected material provides a window into the lives of ordinary immigrants.' For college or advanced high school students. (Harvard)

Italian American Experience - 'This timeline strives to capture the richness of the Italian American experience and to highlight the many valuable contributions this special group has made to the United States... [the timeline] also explores the adversities encountered by Italian Americans. (National Italian American Foundation)

Jewish Life in America - A description of Jewish immigration, particularly during the period 1820-1924, and 350 years of Jewish life in America, with photographs of related documents and artifacts (Library of Congress). See also The Jewish-Americans , covering Jewish American history from the first Jews to arrive in New Amsterdam in 1654, to Jewish life in modern America. Includes special topics such as anti-semitism, responses to the Holocaust, Jews in sports and the arts, and more. With video clips. (PBS)

Peopling North America - An online tutorial about migration to and within Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean, from Europe, Asia, and Africa, since prehistoric times. Examines the demographic, economic, cultural, and political nature of major movements, their growth and development, their regional and global causes, and their impact. For college or advanced high school students. (University of Calgary)

Triangle Factory Fire - Primary documents, recorded interviews, photos, and a textual history of the 1911 fire at the Triangle Waist Company in New York City, which claimed the lives of 146 young immigrant workers.

Virtual Tenement - Visit two New York City apartments as they appeared in the 1870's and 1930's. (Requires QuickTime) (PBS)