Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: Puritan Life
Find out about the life of the Puritans. Education was important, as well as church attendance. Read about the forms of punishment, and the ways Puritans had fun.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking: A Tradition of Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was just the beginning of large-scale rebellions carried out by colonists when they felt they received no help from the colonial courts. Read about the men in colonies throughout America who protested the courts' favors...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New France
This site has a good description of the differences between the French settlements in New France and the British colonies in America. Read about the rights of the French colonists as opposed to those of the English colonists.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Growing Opposition
George Washington's cabinet had strong personalities with often opposing opinions. Read about the differences between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson in regard to Hamilton's financial policies for the new country. See why these...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Claiming Victory From Defeat
A list of the reasons for the War of 1812 is followed by an overview of the important battles of the war and the terms of the treaty that ended it.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America
An overview of the ideals of the new Democratic Party under Andrew Jackson, and later Martin Van Buren. Read about the new two-party system with the formation of the Whig Party. See how Jacksonian Democracy molded American political...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A Strong Presidency
See how Andrew Jackson handled his role as president and advocate of the common man. His using the spoils system had an altruistic beginning, but it soon became a function of corruption.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The South Carolina Nullification Controversy
The nullification controversy began as an economic dispute between north and south. See how the question about tariffs resulted in a states' rights issue in South Carolina. Read about what President Andrew Jackson was going to do about...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Prison and Asylum Reform
Two of the social movements of the 1830s and 1840s looked to improving the lot of the mentally ill and those in prison. Read about Dorothea Dix who crusaded for humane treatment and hospitals for the insane. Several others worked to make...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Binding the Nation by Rail
Read about the explosive growth of railroad track across the United States after the Civil War. Find out about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, the men who made fortunes from the railroads, and the first American regulatory...
Read Works
Read Works: A Tricky Move
[Free Registration/Login Required] This nonfiction passage explains the difficulty of moving the Liberty Bell. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and establishes...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The War Against the Bank
Read about Andrew Jackson's animosity toward the Second Bank of the United States and some reasons for his feelings. Was his veto of the Recharter Bill good for the country? Take the little survey to express your views.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Radical Reconstruction
Read about the frustration the Radical Republicans in Congress had with the Reconstruction plans of Andrew Johnson. Find out what legislation they were able to pass over Johnson's veto, and how they attempted to protect emancipated...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Bloody Antietam
Read an account of the battle of Antietam and the tactical mistakes of the tentative General George McClellan. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War brought about many changes.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Historic Valley Forge: Did George Washington Really Stand Up?
This site from ushistory.org answers the question to the famous Leutze painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware - was he standing during this famous night?
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony
Read a brief description of the Pilgrims' journey to North America. Find out how many travelers on the Mayflower were actually Pilgrims, and find out why a mistake in navigation led to the first written constitution in the New World.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Intolerable Acts
Find the response by the British Parliament to the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor. So many laws were enacted that the colonists lumped them together and called them the Intolerable Acts.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Middle Colonies
Read about the geographic position of the Middle Colonies and the diversity that made those colonies a crossroads of ideas.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Decision to Drop the Bomb
Was it necessary to drop the atomic bomb on Japan in order to save lives? Were the consequences worse than the waiting for a surrender of Japan? Read this discussion of the decision to drop the bomb, find out about the possible motives...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Intolerable Acts
Details explaining what the Intolerable Acts were, as well as providing the full text of each act passed by the British Parliament in 1774.
Read Works
Read Works: The United States Constitution
[Free Registration/Login Required] Intended for early elementary students, ReadWorks provides a brief history of The United States Constitution. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A Baby Boomer in the White House
Read about the presidential election of 1992, which included a third-party candidate, focused on the economy, and unseated an incumbent.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Putting Pople Back to Work
Read about the many programs that were part of Roosevelt's New Deal that targeted at getting the unemployed back to work.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Social Security
See how the relationship between the government and its citizens was changed with the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935.