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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Tyranny of the Majority

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
In American democracy, majority rules but what prevents the voices of the few from being crushed? Using excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's writings, young historians explore cases where minority rights were trampled upon. Extension...
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Omnipotence of the Majority

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the American system is based on the idea of almost-universal suffrage for adults, great thinkers have had concerns about this system of governance. Using classic writings from Alexis de Tocqueville and videos highlighting thinkers...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Frederick Douglass’s Narrative: Myth of the Happy Slave

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The firsthand accounts of what it was like to be an enslaved person in the mid-1800s riveted a nation and the issue ultimately led to civil war. Using excerpts from Frederick Douglass's autobiography, budding historians examine what it...
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Power of the Majority over Thought

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While Alexis de Tocqueville mourned a lack of "freedom of discussion" in America in the early republic, today's pupils are concerned about peer pressure. Using excerpts of de Tocqueville's writing and discussion questions, scholars...
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Analyzing “Intercepted Intelligence”

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A good diplomat needs to know how world events can affect their country. First, class members examine the Papal Bull that excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I from the Roman Catholic Church. Then, learners playing the role of diplomat from...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

The Matter of the Philippines

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The United States won the Spanish-American War, so now what? Young scholars act as advisors to President McKinley and use primary sources to recommend what America should do with its territories. Using a variety of perspectives—including...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Comparing American and French Revolutionary Documents

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This document or that? Historians compare crucial documents from both the American and French Revolution to gain a better understanding of the purpose and impact the documents had on each nation. Academics read excerpts from both...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Evaluating a Needlework Sampler as Historical Evidence

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Needlework isn't just for home decor; it can also help record family history. Academics analyze a needlework sampler to understand how they were used to record marriages and births. The activity includes a series of written questions,...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Mexican Revolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The legacies of the Mexican Revolution are visible today—even if some history classes don't cover them. Using primary sources from leaders in Mexico at the time of the popular uprising and other evidence, such as railroad maps, young...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Hopi Poetry

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
The Hopi refer to corn as their children, demonstrating its importance to the Native American group. Class members consider the role of literal and figurative language by examining poetry from this indigenous group. The resource includes...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Evaluating the New Departure Strategy in the Fight for Women's Suffrage

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
When women demanded their right to vote, did the Constitution already protect it? The New Departure Strategy in the women's suffrage movement made this claim through court hearings. Using documents, such as transcripts from Susan B....
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Interactive
DocsTeach

How Effective were the Efforts of the Freedmen’s Bureau?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The legacy of Reconstruction and the Freedman's Bureau is complicated. Using an interactive web resource, learners literally weigh the evidence using an online program in primary sources such as labor contracts and marriage records to...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Juneteenth General Order

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
While Juneteenth was more than 150 years ago, today Americans debate whether it should be a national holiday. Using a military declaration proclaiming the last of the enslaved people in Texas free, individuals look at the significance of...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Letter to President Abraham Lincoln from Annie Davis

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
What freed enslaved people? The answer, it turns out, is complicated. Using a set of online documents and writing prompts, young historians examine a series of primary sources, including a letter from a woman asking if she was freed and...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Empire and Identity in the American Colonies

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The American Revolution was born out of a European conflict that spilled over into North America—and the documents prove it! Using primary sources from the era of the French and Indian War, including British plans to try to unite its...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Creation of the Bill of Rights: “Retouching the Canvas”

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the Constitutional Convention lay the foundation of the new government for the United States, the protections given under the Bill of Rights were controversial. Using documents, such as James Madison's and Thomas Jefferson's...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Escalation of the Vietnam War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution propelled America's involvement into a bloody conflict—and it was based on a fallacy. Using the resolution and other documents from the Vietnam War, including declassified documents, young historians...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Hopi Place Names

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
What's in a name? Historians consider the question as they examine places important to the Hopi people and the meanings of their place names. Included worksheets include maps and charts to help class members examine the geography of Hopi...
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Hopi Traditional Dance and Song

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
Very few outsiders get to see the Hopi "Butterfly Dance." However, using approved footage from the tribe, class members consider the importance of symbols in Hopi culture by watching the dance and analyzing lyrics from its songs....
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Analyzing a Photograph of Clara Barton

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Just who was Clara Barton? Using an archive photo from the National Archives, class members consider the legacy of the founder of the American Red Cross. The activity includes the photograph, along with prompts to help young scholars...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Black Soldiers in the Civil War

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Get hands on virtually with recruitment posters for African American soldiers during the Civil War with an interactive online resource. By highlighting key phrases in the posters using an Internet tool, learners discover how African...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Comparing Civil War Recruitment Posters

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
African Americans fought in the Civil War, and they were recruited by both the Union and the Confederacy! By comparing the wording of posters—one directed at freedmen and another to the owners of enslaved people—young historians discover...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Analyzing a Map of the Louisiana Purchase

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
With the stroke of a pen, Thomas Jefferson roughly doubled the size of the United States. The Louisiana Purchase not only grew the new country, but also it gave rise to the legends surrounding westward expansion and accelerated the...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Comparing the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights with the U.S. Bill of Rights

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Just how alike are some historical documents? Discover the similarities between the Magna Carta and the United States Bill of Rights in a fast-paced activity. Historians learn the importance of both documents and the lasting impact they...

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