Read about federal politics during the Gilded Age and why not much was accomplished during this time.

This resource covers the changing of America due to the Industrial Revolution which brought in not only new technology but also opened the door to reform movements. From the series by Joy Hakim, "A History of Us." Includes a teacher's...

The 19th century brought an Americanization of literature, art, thought, and social reform. Read about how the Second Great Awakening brought a revival in religion and sparked reform movements in suffrage, slavery, and treatment of...

A brief overview of the changes brought about because of the United States becoming more urban. Read about the attention to social reforms, the introduction of professional sports, and the ability to take part in leisure activities.

President Obama signed into law a historic health care bill; making the most dramatic changes to the American health care system in four decades. Follow the details of the bill, its history, and the controversy behind this historic bill,...

Political patronage was a big problem in the late 19th century and led to corruption within the government. This made it difficult to reform the civil service. Tariffs were another big issue and affected economic groups in different...

Players navigate New York's Lower East Side as Lena, a young Jewish immigrant from Russia who is trying to save money to bring her parents to America. She works long hours in a factory for little money and gets caught up in the growing...

By reading this section of a chapter on "Jacksonian Democracy," students will be able to explain and illustrate the new style of American politics in the 1820s, describe the policies of John Quincy Adams's presidency and explain the...

This section of a chapter on "Antebellum Idealism and Reform Impulses" explains the connection between Evangelical Protestantism and the Second Great Awakening and describes the message of the transcendentalists.

Read about some of the grassroots movements at the heart of Progressivism, and the changes they were pushing for and what they accomplished. Discusses labor issues, including the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Also discusses...

The roles available to women increased during the urbanization of America. Find out how the women's sphere of the home expanded into the community. See what new jobs were availabe to single, middle-class women, and read about how...

This NPS website contains a biography on Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the driving force behind the 1848 Convention and a leader in the women's rights movement.

Immigration has always played a critical part in American history. Legalities, history, and reform of immigration are offered. Find lessons for teachers and data for students conducting research on immigration. [Free registration...

In question and answer format, NPR takes a look at Medicare's new drug program and its effect on senior citizens. Links to numerous other NPR reports on this subject. 1/27/2006

Learn about the role of the US Congress, how it works, its history, and the principles behind its creation and operation. Wonderful set of resources including FAQs, short articles and video clips, "interactive learning modules" (i.e., a...

This article focuses on the history of the relationship between the US and Mexico regarding immigration. In the 1930s, the U.S. government forced hundreds of thousands of ethnic Mexicans, including some U.S. citizens, back across the...

This is a small-group project utilizing web research, cooperation, creativity and hands-on production in order to fully understand the impact of social reformers of the 19th century. Students will be responsible for building a monument...

Many social movements in the early 19th century had a religious foundation. Read about the Benevolent Empire, a loose coalition of Protestant denominations that addressed social issues of the time.

Western farmers organized in an attempt to have their issues heard politically. Read about the various farmers' organizations which developed into the idea of populism and the formation of the Populist Party.

Read about some outspoken women in the 1830s and 1840s, who began speaking out for reforms of many kinds, particularly on the issue of slavery and the rights of women to vote. The Seneca Falls Declaration pushed this idea of equality.

In 2008, American voters, tired of war and dispirited by the economic downturn, elected a relative newcomer to the political scene who inspired them and made them believe that the United States could rise above political partisanship....

Actions taken by Franklin D. Roosevelt upon becoming president in 1933. Read about how he took immediate steps to restore confidence in the banking segment of the American economy.

William Howard Taft was a disappointment to the progressive-minded Theodore Roosevelt. Read about how he tried to be the Republican Party candidate in 1912, and when that failed, he started a third party, the platform of which was filled...

A result of one of the social reforms that attacked child labor was the increase in public education. See how education for all was addressed in the late 19th century, and read about the increased availability of higher education for...