This presents an overview of African Americans moving and settling in the West.

Examines the development of American foreign policy in the latter part of the 1800s, and what Frederick Jackson Turner and Alfred Thayer Mahan did to further American imperialistic interests.

Charles Goodnight (1836-1929) was one of the most prosperous cattleman of the American West. Read a thorough biography about him here at this site.

This PBS website provides a brief biographical sketch of Frederick Jackson Turner, and an overview of his theory regarding the significance of the American western frontier as the defining experience in the development of the American...

This website is the reproduction of Ray Allen Billington's essay, "How the Frontier Shaped the American Character," (published in "American Heritage, The Magazine of History" in 1958). Billington analyzes the Turner frontier thesis in...

This site, compiled in hypertext format by student teams at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, from U.S. Information Agency publications, takes a brief look at Kennedy's administration, the "New Frontier."

Scattered across Texas are the remnants of a fierce defense system - forts. This site talks about the fort system as a whole. There are detailed links to information about specific forts in the state. An interactive student activity...

This site highlights the westward expansion of settlers in North America and the effects this expansion had on Native Americans between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

Full text of the speech given by President Johnson after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In his speech, he pledges to pursue Kennedy's legislative goals.

Featured are excerpts from the speech by Senator John F. Kennedy, Valley Forge Country Club, Valley Forge, PA given on October 29, 1960 during his campaign for the Presidency.

Comparing and contrasting are skills that are utilized in this lesson plan. Teacher resources and detailed activities will help the students learn about the schools in early America.

Examines the history of the buffalo soldiers in Texas after the Civil War, the obstacles they faced due to racism, and how other African Americans perceived them.

The reign of the buffalo across the plains ended in great slaughter by the end of the 19th century. This companion essay to the PBS series, Frontier House, recounts how the decimation of the buffalo occurred, hastened by both white and...

Scientists believe that the climate in the Arctic is an indicator of global climatic conditions. Learn what makes the Arctic so unique and how scientists use this information to predict global changes. Informative photos accompanied by...

Did you know there was a global 'Little Ice Age' around the time Columbus sailed across the Atlantic? Climatologists have documented changes in temperature and how countries and people around the world were affected. What caused the LIA?...

The fun part of history is finding the clues that unlock the secrets of the past. This is the companion site to the TV show with Alan Alda that features archeological discoveries. Students will find interesting lessons from the past on...

This website looks at military explorers from Lewis and Clark (1804) to George Custer (1874).

Meet Josepina, a character in the American Girl series, and learn about Spanish culture and the settlement of America's Southwestern frontier through this collection of stories, games, and activities. Also, includes teacher's guide and...

A short report on America by 1900: "..the American nation had established itself as a world power. The West was Won. The frontier -- the great fact of 300 years of American history -- was no more."

A companion to a PBS program, this Jeopardy-style game test students as they identify the characteristics of mollusks.

At this site from the Library of Congress, you can listen to an 82-year-old Virginia fiddler, Henry Reed, playing tunes recorded in the 1960's. Many of the tunes have been transcribed and the notation can be viewed on line as well. The...

A collaborative effort between the Library of Congress, the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, the Russian State Library, and others. Compare and contrast the frontier stories and practices of the United States and Russia. There are...

In this lesson, 11th graders examine the events and political philosophy that laid the foundations of the American government, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They also look at what role religion played in shaping American...

Find the acceptance speech of John F. Kennedy as he accepted the nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate in 1960. In it he gives his vision of a New Frontier.