A brief biography of the life of Vice President John C. Calhoun, along with photos of his monument and tomb. The Library of Congress also includes a sample of Calhoun's forty-two page speech against the Compromise of 1850.

A map of the United States at the time of the passing of the Compromise of 1850 (September, 1850). This compromise was a series of bills attempting to resolve territorial and slavery issues raised by the Missouri Compromise (1820) and...

A map of the United States during the period of 1850 to 1850 showing the effects of slavery, the slave trade, and the abolition movement on territorial development. The map uses colored patterns to indicate the areas and phases of...

A map of the United States during the period of 1850 to 1850 showing the effects of slavery, the slave trade, and the abolition movement on territorial development. The map uses colored patterns to indicate the areas and phases of...

A map of the United States and territories at the time of the slavery prohibition issue in 1850, after the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The map is color-coded to show the areas where slavery was prohibited by State Law, slavery was...

Outlines the political events prior to the Civil War as the United States expanded its territories to include new states and conflicts arose over the issue of slavery.

American history from 1820-1861 is interwoven with the history of the Capitol as it was expanded to accommodate a growing government body. A timeline of significant events in the debates over slavery, the addition of free and slave...

Our Documents is home to one hundred milestone documents that influenced that course of American history and American democracy. Includes full-page scans of each document, transcriptions, background information on their significance, and...

A good look at the views of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania just prior to and during the Civil War. Read about Democratic president from Pennsylvania, James Buchanan, and his views about the importance of slavery in the national...

This site details events surrounding the era known as "Bleeding Kansas" due to the conflict surrounding slavery in what is now Kansas.

The Dirksen Congressional Center provides abundant lesson plans on all aspects of the US Congress and the US Constitution. All lessons contain time frames, objectives, and links to material, and are built around Bloom's taxonomy.

Read the U.S. Congressional resolution approving the annexation of the Republic of Texas to the United States. Links are provided to additional sites.

Find everything you want to know about Millard Fillmore's presidency in this excellent site from the Miller Center.

As Franklin Pierce became president, the question of slavery in the territories occupied his handling of his domestic policies. Read about the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the resulting turmoil in Kansas as abolitionists and...

Using primary source documents as evidence, students will create an annotated illustration depicting the situation among textile merchants in New York City while deciding in what ways do personal values influence business decisions.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Read about the growth of the United States in population, economy, territory during the Age of Jackson. Named after the dynamic president, Andrew Jackson, the age encompassed much more than Jackson's...

Article reviews several conditions of American society that sowed the seeds of civil war, particularly slavery and sectional conflict.

This extensive learning module examines how the United States became more connected with the world as it pursued an expansionist foreign policy, became the destination for many new immigrants, and encouraged migration to the Pacific...

This U.S. Supreme Court case dealt with the issues of slavery, citizenship, and property rights. It is detailed with an abstract providing a concise summary and a record of the justices that sat on the Court at that time.

An in-depth biography on American statesman and orator Henry Clay which lists his numerous life accomplishments as well as a discussion of his political life. Content includes information on his "American System," his views on slavery,...

A list with descriptions of the major events that led up to the outbreak of the Civil War.

From the basics about slavery to the attitudes that defended it and the efforts of those who wanted to see it abolished, in this lesson students learn about this dark part of America's past.

An essay by the South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun, outlining his belief in a "concurrent majority" and the power of individual majority groups to determine whether to follow a particular law that had been passed.

he A lengthy biography of Stephen Douglas. Discusses his involvement in politics, in particular, his involvement with the slavery issue, his runs for presidency, his famous debates, and much more.