Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Kennedy's New Frontier
Read about John Kennedy's vision for America upon his becoming president. Find out about the space race with the Soviet Union, and expanded social programs for the poor and elderly in America.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Sit in Movement
Just like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the first sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter was the beginning of a nonviolent movement to challenge "white only" laws. Read about how the sit-in movement spread across the South. See how...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Separate No Longer?
An explantion of how the Supreme Court decision in Brown v Board of Education of Topeka turned the concept of separate but equal on its head. See how they determined that the 14th Amendment was being violated when schools did not fund...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: America in the Second World War
A brief description of the course of World War II in both Europe and the Pacific. Read about the new technologies developed for the military by both the Allies and Axis powers, and find out about the millions who died as a result of the...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Red Scare
A dark side to the Jazz Age was the increase in the fear of Communism. Read about the federal government's actions to stem anything that was thought to threaten American security.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Over Here
World War I was not fought by Americans just in Europe. Read about the many ways people at home helped the war effort. See how badly German-Americans were treated as anti-German passions were fueled.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: African Americans, Women, and the Gi Bill
Although the GI Bill was intended to provide benefits to all WWII veterans, African Americans and women who had served had difficulties taking advantage of them due to discriminatory practices at the state and local levels.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: John F. Kennedy as President
The Kennedy administration faced triumphs and failures only to end in a horrific manner. Read about the election, presidency, and assassination of Kennedy in this summary. Also included are references for further reading, questions for...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Japanese American Internment
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, fear of Japanese-Americans irrationally increased, resulting in Roosevelt's executive order that created internment camps for American citizens. Read about the camps, the life in the camps, and...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Christopher Paul Curtis and His Books
This interdisciplinary lesson on two books by C.P. Curtis features students in one classroom (or group) reading one of the books while the other class (or group) reads the other novel. Each class then divides into groups and researches...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Monkey Trial
A very good look at the Scopes Monkey Trial that pit prosecuting attorney, William Jennings Bryan against defense attorney, Clarence Darrow. Read about the issues, the media circus at the trial, and eventual outcome. Find the basis of...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: What Happened to Trial by Jury?
In the United States today, juries decide less than 4% of criminal cases and less than 1% of civil cases filed in court. At the same time, jury systems in other countries are growing. So what happened in the US? And could the...
Other
World Justice Project: What Is the Rule of Law?
Derived from internationally accepted standards, the World Justice Project's definition of the rule of law is a system in which the following four universal principles are upheld by four universal principles. These four universal...
Country Studies US
Country Studies: The Native American Movement
This web-article discusses how Native American activism was inspired not only by the civil rights movements in the US but also by nationalistic movements in Third World countries.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Picturing Nonviolence or Nonexistence [Pdf]
This lesson plan teaches students about Dr. King's philosophy of nonviolence. This is a PDF document.
The History Cat
The History Cat: Life of Rosa Parks: Rosa Parks Sits for Justice
The story of Rosa Parks, whose simple action of refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person galvanized black people into standing up against racial discrimination. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: African Americans
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of African Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Thomson Reuters
Find Law: u.s. Supreme Court: New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)
Provides a brief summary and the text of Chief Justice Brennan's opinion of the Supreme Court in this case involving libel.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: African American Honorees in Alabama History
Students will create a PowerPoint slide show presentation and brochure on a famous African American icon from the Alabama Calendar. Students may select famous African Americans from Alabama such as Rosa Parks, Vonetta Flowers, Dr. Mae...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Shaping a New America
A brief overview of the protest movements in the 1960s and 1970s.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Politics From Camelot to Watergate
A brief overview of the state of the United States between the election of 1960 and 1968. See how a nation full of enthusiasm and confidence could become so divided in eight short years.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: America in the First World War
A brief overview of the United States in the World War I era. Read about initial American neutrality, American entrance into the war, and the American homefront.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Brown v. Board of Education
The National Park Service provides backgroud on the historic U.S. Supreme Court racial segregation case, Brown vs. Board of Education. Includes a link to a PDF on related historical places (requires Adobe Reader).
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Reconstruction
A very good overview of Reconstruction in the South after the Civil War. Find the questions that needed to be answered about how to reincorporate the Confederate states, what rights freed blacks would have, and how terms of...