National Mall and Memorial Parks
provides information about the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, Ford's Theatre, the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and more.
Maritime History of Massachusetts
This is is a travel itinerary highlighting 89 historic places that tell the story of Massachusetts' relationship with the sea. Read essays about lighthouses and lifesaving stations, ships and shipbuilding, the U.S. Navy, and maritime commerce.
Gran Quivira: A Blending of Cultures in a Pueblo Indian Village
can help students understand daily life and how it changed for the Pueblo Indians of Gran Quivira, the largest of the three Salinas pueblos located in central New Mexico.
Fort Morgan and the Battle of Mobile Bay
presents firsthand accounts, maps, and more pertaining to this Civil War conflict (August 5, 1864) in which Union Admiral David Farragut led about 20 ships and vessels into the torpedo-filled Mobile Bay.
Early History of the California Coast
is a travel itinerary that highlights 45 historic places that help tell the story of Spanish colonization of California. Learn about forts, churches, adobe houses, historic districts, and other places. Find out about the Presidio, which was established in 1769 as the base for Spain's colonization efforts and was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast.
Boston's Arnold Arboretum: A Place for Study and Recreation
provides readings, maps, and lesson ideas about the first arboretum in the U.S., which opened to the public in the 1880s. This site, though focused on a place devoted to the study of trees, can help students learn how 19th-century urban conditions influenced the development of parks and how to research the history of parks in their own communities.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: A Moravian Settlement in Colonial America
looks at this area (along the Lehigh River) that became the center of industry and community for Moravians, a Protestant group that migrated to colonial America seeking opportunity and the chance to spread their religious beliefs.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Documenting the Uncharted Northwest
recounts the expedition's crossing of the Lemhi Pass and Lolo Trail, and the time spent at Fort Clatsop near the Pacific Ocean. Although the Corps of Discovery did not realize its dream of finding a water route to the Pacific Ocean, the expedition overcame many obstacles and dangers to open the Northwest to the influence of the U.S., established relations with American Indian tribes, and gathered useful scientific documentation.
The Great Chief Justice at Home
offers photos of John Marshall's residence in Richmond, Virginia. This website also describes how Marshall, who wrote 519 opinions in his 34 years as chief justice (1801-1835), transformed the Supreme Court from obscurity into a prominent, powerful institution.
The Battle of Horseshoe Bend: Collisions of Cultures
looks at the decisive battle of the Creek War (1813-1814), where Andrew Jackson fought 1,000 American Indian warriors who were trying to regain autonomy. It examines the history of the battle and provides maps, images, and readings.
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site: Home of a Gilded Age Icon
Looks at this place in western New Hampshire where the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens established a summer home and studio (1885), conceived a host of projects, became the leader of an art colony, battled cancer, and was buried. It is a window on one aspect of the Gilded Age: the role of the artist.
Paterson, New Jersey: America's Silk City
examines conditions that led to the famous 1913 strike in a city that produced nearly half the U.S.'s manufactured silk. Conflicts between labor and management increased in the U.S. during the early 20th century. In Paterson, on January 27, 1913, when Henry Doherty tried to extend a new four-loom system throughout his plant, 800 silk weavers walked out. More than 20,000 Paterson silk workers took part in the strike, which lasted over five months.
Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor
is a travel itinerary of 50 houses, farms, churches, historic districts, and other sites. Learn about the first organized American settlement in the Northwest Territory (1772) and the history and impact of canals and railroads. Read essays on transportation, ethnicity, industry, and preservation.
Iron Hill School: An African-American One-Room School
is a curriculum-oriented guide focusing on a school constructed in 1923 in a rural area of northern Delaware, one of more than 80 schools for African-American children built between 1919 and 1928 as part of philanthropist Pierre Samuel du Pont's Delaware experiment. The site shows photos, maps, and diagrams about the school itself and suggests student activities ranging from philanthropy to school architecture.
Chattanooga, Tennessee: Train Town
helps students see how geography and promotion combined to encourage the growth of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and how railroads shaped the organization and architecture of this and other cities from the mid-1800s to mid-1990s.
Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery
tells the story of Camp Chase, one of the largest prisoner-of-war camps for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Located on the western outskirts of Columbus, Ohio, the camp -- now a cemetery for Confederate soldiers -- played a key role in the evolution of federal policy on marking Confederate graves.
The Frankish Building: A Reflection of the Success of Ontario, California
helps students gauge the impact of the Chaffey brothers and Charles Frankish on Ontario, California, and compare their efforts with those of similarly important figures in their own community's history.
The Robinson House: A Portrait of African American Heritage
Pieces together the story of the James Robinson family from artifacts found in archaeological excavations around the house where they lived for nearly a century. An African American born free in 1799, Robinson worked in a Virginia tavern earning nearly $500 to purchase 170 acres of land near Bull Run. There he built a log cabin, and his family turned the land into a prosperous farm, making him one of the wealthiest African Americans in the Manassas area in the mid-19th century.
Spanish Treasure Fleets of 1715 and 1733: Disasters Strike at Sea
discusses Spain's search for gold and silver in the New World (1500s-1700s) and its treasure fleet system, which was intended to protect its treasure-laden ships from being seized by England, France, and the Netherlands. In 1715 and 1733, hurricanes devastated Spain's treasure fleets off the coast of Florida. Today, two of the sunken ships' remains are protected as Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves.
The Influences of Art on Yellowstone
This site features paintings, photos, and drawings, many of which contributed to the creation of the nation's first national park. The waterfalls, geysers, rock formations, and vistas in these works helped spread an appreciation of the wonders of Yellowstone. When President Grant signed into law the bill establishing Yellowstone as our first national park in 1872, he set in motion the tradition of preserving other tracts of great beauty for future generations.
