This encyclopedia article from Wikipedia gives some background history to the creation of the Bill of Rights and contains a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form.

A historical look at the writing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic and many versions of historically significant sheet music.

A brief listing and description of the Acts of the British Parliament that were to be known as the Coercive Acts by Parliament and the Intolerable Acts by the Colonists.

A detailed explanation of the complex debate between John Cotton and Roger Williams about religious and civil liberty.

A detailed biography of Elbridge Gerry from a book by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, written in 1856.

This Louisa May Alcott Memorial Association site features this profile of her father, the educator and transcendentalist writer Amos Bronson Alcott.

In-depth, action filled look at an Irish soldier's life in the Civil War.

A lesson in the culinary delicacies of the Plymouth Plantation in 1627. In this integrated lesson, young scholars examine the history of foods eaten during this colonial era and prepare an actual meal based on what they have learned....

Discussion lesson plan that introduces and examines the concept of government by consent of the governed. Includes a reading for class distribution and references to primary source documents.

Shakespeare site that includes the texts of all of Shakespeare's plays. Shakespeare's other work is listed, but texts are not available. RL.11-12.10a/b Text Complexity

The hysteria in Salem which resulted in trials of innocent people accused of witchcraft has invited many theories on why the accusing girls made such claims. Read about the evidence admitted in the trials and the results of the trials....

"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" Learn about this famous quotation and the battle that ensued. Includes a picture of the Bunker Hill Monument.

Biography of African-American Lewis Temple, whose toggle iron radically improved the harpoon used by whalers in the 19th century.

This site provides lesson plans, e-notes, activities, and other resources for teaching students Herman Melville's novels and fiction, including Moby-Dick, Bartleby, the Scrivener, Billy Budd, and so on.

[Free Registration/Login Required] The article will provide schema for students who are reading Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, or who are reading Celia Rees' Witch Child.

A line drawing of an Italianate house is labeled with features that set this style apart. The text elaborates on the details of the style.

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.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage contains biographical information about the famous African American abolitionist and former slave, Frederick Douglass. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces...

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the colonists' journey on the Mayflower and their first year in Plymouth. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about research showing how the brain can create very realistic false memories. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

Frederick Douglass had the ear of Abraham Lincoln. Read about how he used his influence to allow African Americans to join the Union Army,

Learn about the life and career of John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), the son of a president, who also served in that office as the 6th President of the United States (1825-1829).

Details explaining what the Intolerable Acts were, as well as providing the full text of each act passed by the British Parliament in 1774.

Exactly what is the difference between Pilgrims and Puritans? Find out here in this short article.