C-SPAN
On This Day: Bush v. Gore is Decided by the Supreme Court
Most Americans expect to wake up the morning after a presidential election knowing who won. That didn't happen during the 2000 election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore. The Supreme Court had to weigh in on a messy...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Prohibition
Before Prohibition, America was literally awash in alcohol, according to one historian of the topic. When the Eighteenth Amendment was enacted, loopholes allowed Americans workarounds, such as the ability to make up to 250 gallons of...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Cuban Revolution
What was life like after the Cuban Revolution under the government of Fidel Castro? Historians consider the question by examining the firsthand accounts of people living there and old newsreels of the Batista regime ouster. A video from...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Ellis Island Opens
Immigration is a hot topic in the news, but it has been a part of the American story for centuries. Learners explore Ellis Island and its connection to the American immigration story with a video tour of Ellis Island, Congressional...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Chicago Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903
When sparks ignited a fire at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago in 1903, it was one of the greatest public safety tragedies of the twentieth century. Even though the theater did not take basic safety precautions, no one was held...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Apollo 8
Apollo 8—the mission to orbit the moon—changed the trajectory of human history and space travel. A series of videos, including historians, the mission commander, and footage of the mission, allows pupils to watch the mission as it...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Sandy Hook Shooting
What causes someone to commit mass acts of violence? After their daughter was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, the parents of Avielle Richman created a foundation to study the dark corners of neurology to answer that question....
C-SPAN
On This Day: Capture of Saddam Hussein
The capture of Saddam Hussein brought to an end a war in the country—but ended only the first chapter in American involvement in the nation. Using clips from his capture, as well as eye witness recollections, pupils explore what happened...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Boston Tea Party
Just how did loyal British citizens decide they would vandalize a shipment of tea coming into Boston Harbor in 1773? Using video clips that show the re-enactment of a debate about the Boston Tea Party and experts analyzing its historical...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Ratification of The Bill of Rights
The cherished rights included in the first ten amendments to the Constitution almost didn't happen! Pupils tour via video a National Archives exhibit on the Bill of Rights, as well as listen to how a modern judge applies them. Once...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address was a short speech—only about two minutes in length—but its reach has been long. Video segments from a panel of scholars, an historian talking about the printing of the speech, a re-enactment of the speech, and a...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Mayflower Compact
Learners consider how the Mayflower Compact created a sense of order for the new residents of North America. Video clips include a scholar and a re-enactor playing Plymouth Gov. William Bradford, and others include Native American...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Kristallnacht
Krristallnacht—the night of broken glass—shattered lives in a watershed moment in Holocaust history. Learners listen to the testimony of survivors of the violent night that marked a pivotal moment of the early Holocaust. The three video...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Barack Obama Becomes the First African American to Win a Presidential Election
The election of Barack Obama in 2008 was a watershed moment in African American and American history. Using clips from the acceptance and concession speeches, as well as the words of outgoing president, George H. W. Bush, budding...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Attack on Pearl Harbor
Curious historians relive the "day which will live in infamy" using video clips from C-SPAN on the Pearl Harbor attack. The curated collection includes veteran testimonies and vintage newsreels. Additional footage includes scholars'...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Ratification of the 21st Amendment
What led to the end of Prohibition? In a word: money. To use the words of one historian: the government was desperate for tax revenue in the midst of the Depression. With a series of curated videos, scholars examine the causes of and the...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Environmental Protection Agency often doesn't register as a critical government function, but the EPA works to protect communities. Using video segments from Scott Pruitt's confirmation hearing, a Barack Obama speech on the agency's...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is one of the longest-lasting presidential policies, and it still impacts foreign policy today. Using three clips from historians and archivists, scholars explore the world of James Monroe and his watershed statement....
C-SPAN
On This Day: Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks is considered a symbol of the American Civil Rights movement—but what about her story? A series of video clips examines her role in the movement, as well as her legacy. Scholars listen to historian Jeanne Theoharis discuss her...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Sand Creek Massacre
The Sand Creek Massacre refers to the killing of hundreds of native peoples at the hands of federal troops. Today, the site is marked as a sacred spot by the National Parks Service. Young people consider the impact of the atrocity and...
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Assassination of Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk, a key figure in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, was gunned down for his activism. Video clips, highlighting a museum exhibit and interviewing a former aide, profile Milk's career in San Francisco city politics and the movement....
C-SPAN
On This Day: The Establishment of the Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security—established about a year after the September 11 attacks—changed national security. Using video clips, individuals explore the political rationale behind the new department. A carefully curated...
C-SPAN
On This Day: Charles Darwin's "On The Origin of Species" is Published
Charles Darwin's work, On The Origin of Species, fundamentally changed the study of science. Using clips from an author talk, young historians connect the scientific ideas behind evolution to American history. Afterward, they consider:...
C-SPAN
On This Day: President John F. Kennedy - Life, Death, Legacy
John F. Kennedy and the American Camelot dazzled the United States. His legacy is more complicated, however, and it includes the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. Pupils view history as it unfolded with news reels on the Bay of Pigs, Cuban...