Educators, check out these resources and strategies to help you as you guide students through the development of their National History Day (NHD) projects. Overview 2024 Contest Theme: Turning Points in History Contest Categories Teaching Help Lesson Plans
The U.S. History Primary Source Timeline spans nearly 400 years, covering 9 time periods. Each time period includes an overview and several subsections and each of these, in turn, provide background information and a selection of curated primary sources. Colonial Settlement, 1600s – 1763 The American Revolution, 1763 – 1783 The New Nation, 1783 –…
Explore the ways the free press has covered major events in history dating back to the American Revolution with PBS NewsHour EXTRA’s interactive Journalism in Action: Civic Engagement and Primary Sources Through Key Moments in History, a website supported by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Fun, engaging civic…
Take a close look at this image to notice small details as well as the bigger picture. Then fill out an Event Happenings worksheet. Next, review the complete work and the source record. What more did you learn? Now look closely at two more images of the same event; the first is a modified image…
Primary source sets with teaching resources American Revolution and U.S. Constitution Emerging America American Revolutionary War and Its Impact on the West State Historical Society of Iowa Coming of the American Revolution TPS-MTSU Revolutionary America (1755-1787) Inquiry in the Upper Midwest Collection Connections American Memory Timeline: American Revolution select primary sources & primary source analysis prompts…
Primary sources U.S. History Primary Source Timeline: American Revolution American Revolution primary source set The American Revolution and Its Era: Maps and Charts collection Mapping the American Revolution and Its Era Battle maps and charts of the American Revolution (1881) Printed Ephemera 1763-1783 A broadside titled “No Stamped Paper to be had” reports a variety of colonial…
Today in History–September 22–the Library of Congress features Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, who was hanged for spying on British troops on this date in 1776. This teacher turned soldier is famous for the words he allegedly spoke before his execution, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Find out more about patriot Nathan…
Today in History–April 15–the Library of Congress features the Continental Congress ratification of the preliminary articles of peace with Great Britain on this date in 1783. Negotiations to conclude the Revolutionary War had begun a year earlier. “International intrigue and intense negotiation preceded the formulation of these preliminary articles.” The final, formal treaty was signed on September 3, 1783…
Today in History–November 27–the Library of Congress features statesman Robert R. Livingston, born on this day in 1746. Born into a prominent New York family, Livingston was a politically active lawyer. He was on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, helped draft New York’s first constitution, and served as minister to France at the…
The Library of Congress has custody of the largest and most comprehensive cartographic collection in the world and there are so many places you can visit with the Library of Congress’ fabulous digitized map collections. Take a look at the wide variety of maps you can explore in incredible detail and discover engaging primary source…
Today in History–October 2–the Library of Congress features Revolutionary War officers Major John André and Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. On this day in 1780 André, a British intelligence officer, was hanged as a spy after being caught with papers concerning Arnold’s treasonous dealings. Only a short time before, the Continental army general had agreed to surrender West Point to the British in exchange…
Today in History–September 26–the Library of Congress features Valley Forge. On this day in 1777, the Continental Congress was forced to flee when British troops marched into the city of Philadelphia. The Continental Army under General George Washington spent the winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania while British troops held Philadelphia. Find out more about this difficult season…