PBS
Pbs: American Roots Music
If teaching a unit about the history of popular music in America, this PBS web site supporting their four-part TV broadcast of a few years ago would make a great resource. Includes lesson plans and oral histories too.
Library of Congress
Loc: Song of America
Commemorates the history of the American song featuring reowned baritone Thomas Hampson. See first editions of sheet music, information on the songs and their authors as well as sound recordings.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Smithsonian Jazz
Smithsonian Jazz is home to several online exhibits, an interactive "Duke Ellington class," recordings, publications, oral histories, and similar resources.
Other
Carnegie Hall: A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy
Trace the history of African American music from 1600-2000 and examine the styles, influences, artists and listen to samples presented by Carnegie Hall.
Library of Congress
Loc: Lyrical Legacy: 400 Years of American Song and Poetry
Explore eighteen American songs and poems each represented by an original primary source document, along with historical background information and, in many cases, sound recordings and alternate versions.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Documents Gallery: Ellington and Strayhorn
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, two of the greatest jazz composers, collaborated on hundreds of works. As you explore this exhibition, you will have an opportunity to view original music scores, listen to audio clips, and view videos...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: A Vision of Puerto Rico
A virtual look at a wide-ranging mix of art and artifacts that visually represent Puerto Rico's culture and history. With thematic overviews of everyday life on the island, music, families, and religion along with many useful educational...
Other
Museum of Making Music: The Ukulele and You
Exhibition of the origin and history of the ukulele and its significance to American popular music.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: See, Hear and Sing
Lots of history of American music with fun links and audio clips, most from the 20th century. A neat site to learn more about America's past.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: America on Stone
Features an extensive collection of lithographs that portrays everyday life in the 19th century and attitudes about race and ethnicity. These prints play a major role in helping us understand America's past. Subjects covered include...
Library of Congress
Loc: Omaha Indian Music
A fascinating site of traditional American Indian music. Listen online to the 44 wax cylinder recordings from 1895-97! Listen also to interviews of the tribe giving background information.
Library of Congress
Loc: American Variety Stage: Bijou Theater
Musical theater and vaudeville were popular in the Gilded Age. Here is a theater program from the Bijou Theater in Boston. Leaafing through the pages gives a great slice of life at the time, not only because of the playbills, but also...
Other
The History Makers
Thehistorymakers.com features the stories of African Americans who have succeeded and made achievements in the areas of art, business, education, law, politics, science, religion, and sports. There is a great timeline of African American...
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Blues Journey
Trace the history of the blues in America through the play, Blues Journey, based on the book by Walter Dean Myers. You can see video clips of the stage play, listen to blues radio shows, and learn about different types of blues music.
Indiana University
Archives of African American Music and Culture
Contains resources on black culture and music from the early 1900s to the present.
Library of Congress
Loc: American Memory: Native American History
These six extensive collections provide first-person historical accounts, audio clips of music and thousands of photographs from Native American cultures. Audio requires Windows Media Player for PCs, and QuickTime for Mac.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Earth, Wind, and Fire
Read background information and the history of the music of the popular Grammy award winning band of the 1970s, Earth, Wind, & Fire.
Other
Kingwood Library: American Cultural History: 1940 1949
Take a walk through this part of American history surrounding World War II. Each section includes cultural history of the time, with links pertaining to art and architecture, books and literature, education, fads and fashion, historic...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Jazz and the African American Literary Tradition
Article explores the influence of jazz on African American literature from the early history of jazz, noted jazz artists, the black-white tensions within jazz, to its literary influence after World War II.
Library of Congress
Loc: Music and u.s. Reform History: Stand Up and Sing
Throughout American history, popular music has reflected the mood and opinions of the times. By exploring sheet music, learners analyze issues related to industrialization and reform to answer the essential question, "How does society...
Smithsonian Institution
Lemelson Center: Invention of the Electric Guitar
Can you imagine music without the electric guitar? The Lemelson Center provides us with a comprehensive overview on the history behind its invention and design. Includes photos depicting how the design has changed over the years and...
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Besides viewing the collections and exhibits at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, you can view the "Timeline of Art History" and other useful resources at this site.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Inst.: Am. Musical Theater: Making It Work in Classroom
A great lesson plan for introducing the musical to students. Great bibliography.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: The American Identity: An Artistic Reflection
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] Given selected examples of American art, music, and literature, students will be able to identify the era of U.S. history that is reflected in the art.