Sage American History: California and the Gold Rush

Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...

This comprehensive site from American Experience examines many facets of the Gold Rush in California. Read a transcript of the film, find out about the many individuals and groups of people who arrived in California to try to strike it...

Article illustrating the connection between America and the British Empire. The author points out that much of early American history is part of British history. Outlines British history since 1066.

Students compare contemporary cultural differences with historical differences based on population percentage. For this cross-curriculum Gold Rush/math lesson, students analyze aspects of California's Gold Rush population and diversity...

Article outlines the issues and events concerning American foreign affairs during the Age of Napoleon, 1803-1812.

Article on the era of westward expansion and the resulting Mexican American War. The author demonstrates how Manifest Destiny and frontier settlement led to the annexation of Texas and ultimately war with Mexico over the territory.

Explore connections within and between informational texts with this lesson plan about encyclopedia articles. Middle schoolers write encyclopedia articles focusing on topics in American history. They discuss how to determine credibility...

Explore original images depicting scenes of ethnic diversity in California during the Gold Rush years.

This site from the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution, is a great site for citizens and those learning to become citizens alike. Review the fifteen themes that deal with U.S. history and civics,...

This exhibition explores the Gold Rush, a group of related gold rushes to Western territories in the second half of the nineteenth century, and its impact on American history and culture.