The Our Documents group provides a look at the original, signed Declaration of Independence as well as a print version distributed soon after the original was signed. View and learn about the document and its history. RI.9-10.9 US Documents

An actual interactive copy of the original Tennessee Valley Authority Act that created cheap power in the Tennessee Valley. Links to larger images, a typed transcript, and a downloadable .PDF file are included on this site. Make sure to...

On December 6, 1830, President Jackson spoke to Congress about his position on relocating Indians in order to make way for settlers in the west. This paved the way for government policy in dealing with native peoples even after his...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students use primary source documents to investigate central historical questions. In this investigation, students must determine whether John Brown was a "misguided fanatic," by examining a speech by...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students use primary source documents to investigate central historical questions. In this investigation, students read six different sources that provide insight into what happened at Haymarket Square...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read primary source documents to solve a problem surrounding a historical question. This document-based inquiry lesson allows students to read anti-war literature from World War I critics to...

A collection of primary source materials presented on a timeline that showcase events in the history of the United States from 1625 on. Click on an image to go to a page with descriptive information about each item. Each description has...

This site provides a short article on the history of the first submarine to engage and sink a warship. Many links to information about its history, preservation and excavation. Includes original US and Confederate Navy documents.

These primary source documents are about ordinary Americans throughout US history. There is a full search feature. All the historical documents, whether they are text, image, or audio, have been vetted by a historian. They are initially...

Historical documents trace how the abolitionists virulently decried slavery and denounced those who supported it.

The Freedom Train was a seven-car train that traveled across the United States from September 1947 until January 1949. This photographic essay describes the train, how it was created, the documents and exhibits that were on it, and the...

William Penn's Charter of Privileges, which formed the framework for the government of Pennsylvania, is still a living document today. Read about its history and its influence on the Liberty Bell.

An exhibition documenting the discovery of two mammoths and a mastodon, found in Wisconsin and Iowa. The Hebior mammoth was particularly significant as the excavation showed evidence that the mammoth had been killed by humans. Background...

The Library of Congress provides several hundred documents relating to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. Content includes drafts of the Constitution, journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee...

This activity can be used as an introduction or for a closer study of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Students will learn that the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803 and President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and...

This site offers some historical background information about the passing of the GI Bill. Also lists the current benefits provided by the bill, along with the main provisions of the GI Bills associated with World War II, the Korean...

Visit this virtual museum exhibit to learn about New York City's divided opinions about slavery before and during the Civil War. There are three themes covered: Pro-Southern City, Fighting Slavery, and Civil War. Students use a...

Students learn about archives and primary sources as they research original historical documents. While preparing an imaginative first-person account as if witnessing an historical event, they learn to appreciate the value of the...

A great resource that features a noteworthy collection of images relating to important events in Florida history.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Upon review of primary resources provided in this lesson, students will determine what made Marcus Garvey, leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, such a controversial public figure.

Critical analysis of both the historical documents and the literary texts connected with the Salem trials is key to this lesson, which includes a number of activities and some wonderful resources.

In this activity, students will review and analyze the founding documents of the United States and understand Benjamin Frankin's contributions and connections to these founding documents. Franklin was the only man to help shape all of...

This activity asks young scholars to match documents to individuals based on the reasons these people came to and were living in the United States. The photographs and documents are attached to government forms in some of the millions of...

In this activity, students will compare and contrast two documents from the Revolutionary period written by 1) a combined group of Native American tribes and 2) an American territorial governor, Arthur St. Clair. Students will analyze...