Internet Collections of Historical Documents, Images
and Related Lesson Plans
June 13, 2005
Recommended Sites for All Teachers
Sites on US History before 1877
Sites on US History After 1865
Recommended sites for all teachers:
American Memory (Library of Congress)
One of the very best sites on the web for history students of all levels. Contains an astonishing range of digitized documents, images and maps. Some of the selected components of the American Memory site are described below, but history teachers should also surf through the site on their own. One helpful component is The Learning Page, which contains a library of teacher-developed lesson plans on a range of history topics
Connecticut Bibliography Search
"The Connecticut Bibliography contains the full contents of Connecticut: A Bibliography of Its History (Hanover: University Press of New England, 1986)... The Connecticut Bibliography contains approximately 10,000 citations to books and journal articles that discuss Connecticut history and identity. These citations reference material published from the early 18th century until the early 1980s. They offer access to material relevant to the study of the sciences and social sciences as well as to research in history, women's studies, Native American studies, African-American studies, fine arts, literature, religious history, local history, urban studies, and geography." Note: books and articles published after 1985 do not appear in this bibliography.
Connecticut History Online (Connecticut Historical Society/Mystic Seaport/Dodd Center)
A large collection of images and maps of Connecticut
Digital Classroom (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)
Features lesson plans and suggestions for the use of primary sources in the classroom.
Digital History (University of Houston, et al.)
"This Web site was designed and developed to support the teaching of American History in K-12 schools and colleges and is supported by the Department of History and the College of Education at the University of Houston." Includes hundreds primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. Also includes a section titled For Teachers, which provides class handouts, resource guides, lesson plans, etc.
History Matters (City University of New York/ George Mason University)
"Designed for high school and college teachers of U.S. History survey courses, this site serves as a gateway to Web resources and offers unique teaching materials, first-person primary documents and threaded discussions on teaching U.S. history."
The History Project (University of California at Davis)
"The History and Cultures Project is a community of educators, elementary to university, who are dedicated to supporting and challenging one another in the pursuit of excellence in history and social science education." The site includes numerous images as well as lesson plans for middle-school and high-school classes
How Do I Know What's Good on the Web? (Univ. of California at Santa Barbara)
A helpful site with lots of resources and hyperlinks.
Internet Modern History Sourcebook (Fordham University)
A collection of primary sources from various parts of the world throughout history.
MarcoPolo: Internet Content for the Classroom
"MarcoPolo: Internet Content for the Classroom is a nonprofit consortium of premier national and international education organizations and the MCI Foundation dedicated to providing the highest quality Internet content and professional development to teachers and students throughout the United States" The site includes a large number of lesson plans.
One Hundred Milestone Documents (ourdocuments.gov)
Famous documents in U.S. History
Using Historical Sources (North Park University)
This page provides a good short list of questions for use in studying primary sources.
World-Wide Web Virtual Library: History: United States (University of Kansas/ European University Institute)
Extensive collection of primary sources from all eras of US History. Arranged both topically and chronologically.
US History to 1877:
Abolitionism, 1830-1850 (Univ. of Virginia)
A large collection of high-quality images and documents.
Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress
A huge archive. It contains also two much smaller "presentations", on the Emancipation Proclamation and the assassination.
The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship (Library of Congress)
Covers African-American History from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement. Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
Alcohol, Temperance and Prohibition (Brown University)
American Memory (Library of Congress)
One of the very best sites on the web for history students of all levels. Contains an astonishing range of digitized documents, images and maps. Some of the selected components of the American Memory site are described below, but history teachers should also surf through the site on their own.
American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920 (Library of Congress)
A collection of 253 first-person accounts of traveling through the United States. The best place to find descriptions of any part of the United States during this time period. Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
America's Reconstruction: People and Politics After the Civil War (Digital History/Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)
Based on the book by Eric Foner and Olivia Mahoney
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
"California as I Saw It:" First-Person Narratives of California's Early Years, 1849-1900 (Library of Congress)
First-person accounts of the Gold Rush and other early events in California history. Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
The Chinese in California, 1850-1960 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
The Church in the Southern Black Community, 1780-1925 (Library of Congress/University of North Carolina)
Classroom Resources (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Lesson plans in US History that use primary sources. This is part of the Documenting the American South site, but is not exclusively on Southern history.
Connecticut History Online (Connecticut Historical Society/Mystic Seaport/Dodd Center)
A large collection of images and maps of Connecticut
The Curaie Project: US Supreme Court Records and Briefs (Yale University)
Better than using Oyez
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
A collection of over 11,000 high-resolution maps, especially from the Americas in the 1700s and 1800s.
Diaries of George Washington (Library of Congress)
Introductory essay and full texts.
Digital History (University of Houston, et al.)
"This Web site was designed and developed to support the teaching of American History in K-12 schools and colleges and is supported by the Department of History and the College of Education at the University of Houston." Includes hundreds primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection.
Digital Images Database (Yale University)
A huge archive of digital images. The image quality is uneven.
Documenting the American South (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
A large collection of primary sources on Southern history, including on the history of slavery.
Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789(Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
Ethnic America (Digital History)
Documents and images on the history of immigration
First-Person Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920 (Library of Congress/University of North Carolina)
Diaries, travel accounts, slave narratives, etc.
The Frederick Douglass Papers (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
From Slavery to Freedom: The African-American Pamphlet Collection, 1822-1909 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
HarpWeek: Free Features
Useful collections of digitized articles and images from Harper's Weekly, arranged topically. Many of the free features deal with slavery, reconstruction and race.
Historical Census Browser (University of Virginia)
History Matters (City University of New York/ George Mason University)
"Designed for high school and college teachers of U.S. History survey courses, this site serves as a gateway to Web resources and offers unique teaching materials, first-person primary documents and threaded discussions on teaching U.S. history."
A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln (Digital History)
Mostly images, some texts. Based on a Chicago Historical Society Exhibition. Explanatory essays by Eric Foner and Olivia Mahoney.
Images of African Americans from the 19th Century (Digital Schomburg: New York Public Library)
Images of American Political History (The College of New Jersey)
A few hundred photographs, electoral maps, etc.
In Motion: The African American Experience (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library)
Images, texts, maps and teaching resources on black history from the slave trade to the present.
The Learning Page: Lesson Plans (Library of Congress)
A library of teacher-developed lesson plans on a range of history topics
Links to Key Documents in American History (Digital History)
A large hotlist of links to major documents from the Magna Carta to the Starr Report.
Making of America (Cornell University)
An enormous collection of digitized magazines and books published from 1850 to 1877. The collection is split between Cornell and Michigan.
Making of America (University of Michigan)
An enormous collection of digitized magazines and books published from 1850 to 1877. The collection is split between Cornell and Michigan.
Native American-European Contact in the Colonial Period (Historical Society of Pennsylvania)
A lesson plan for Middle School and High School teachers, with documents
New York Public Library Digital Gallery
A huge image database
Oyez: US Supreme Court Multimedia
Not the most user-friendly site, but it does have an archive of US Supreme court decisions
Prairie Settlement, 1862-1912 (Library of Congress/ Nebraska State Historical Society)
Letters and photographs about the lives of western pioneers.
Primary Source Documents (Digital History)
Hundreds of primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman collection, edited with students in mind.
Raid on Deerfield: The Many Stories of 1704 (Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association)
This attractive site presents various perspectives on the history of an Indian raid at Deerfield, Massachusetts.
Salem Witch Trials (Univ. of Virginia)
An extensive collection of primary sources including written texts, maps and images.
Slave Narratives (Univ. of Virginia)
Contains narratives by Frederick Douglass, Lewis Clarke, Josiah Henson and Henry Bibb
Slaves in the Courts, 1740-1860 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
Trails to Utah and the Pacific: Letters and Diaries, 1846-1869 (Library of Congress/ Brigham Young University)
Diaries of pioneers, with some maps and images.
Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture (Univ. of Virginia)
Connected to UVA's Abolitionism site, this site includes a wide range of material related to the prehistory, reception and cultural adaptations of Uncle Tom's Cabin. It covers the period from 1830 to 1930.
U.S. Primary Sources (DePaul University)
A collection of short primary sources from 1800 to 2000, edited for use by undergraduate students.
The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War (Virginia Center for Digital History/ University of Virginia)
An excellent site on the social history of the Civil War, developed by Edward Ayers. It includes suggestions on ways to use the site in the classroom.
Voices from the Days of Slavery (Library of Congress)
Audio recordings of former slaves telling their stories. Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
Votes for Women: Selections from the North American Woman Suffrage Association, 1848-1921 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
US History from 1865 to the Present
The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship (Library of Congress)
Covers African-American History from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement. Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
Alcohol, Temperance and Prohibition (Brown University)
America at Work, School and Leisure (Library of Congress)
Very short motion pictures from the turn of the century, with explanatory essays.
America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI (1935-1945) (Library of Congress)
A huge collection of documentary photos from the Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information. An excellent source of images on the Depression, Dust Bowl, and World War II.
American Memory (Library of Congress)
One of the very best sites on the Web for history students of all levels. Contains an astonishing range of digitized documents, images and maps. Some of the selected components of the American Memory site are described below, but history teachers should also surf through the site on their own.
American Notes: Travels in America, 1750-1920 (Library of Congress)
A collection of 253 first-person accounts of traveling through the United States. The best place to find descriptions of any part of the United States during this time period. Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
America's Reconstruction: People and Politics After the Civil War (Digital History/Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)
Based on the book by Eric Foner and Olivia Mahoney
By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943 (Library of Congress)
Public-service posters from the Great Depression and World War II. Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
The Chinese in California, 1850-1960 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
The Church in the Southern Black Community, 1780-1925 (Library of Congress/University of North Carolina)
Classroom Resources (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Lesson plans in US History that use primary sources. This is part of the Documenting the American South site, but is not exclusively on Southern history.
The Curaie Project: US Supreme Court Records and Briefs (Yale University)
Better than using Oyez
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
A collection of over 11,000 high-resolution maps, especially from the Americas in the 1700s and 1800s.
Digital History (University of Houston, et al.)
"This Web site was designed and developed to support the teaching of American History in K-12 schools and colleges and is supported by the Department of History and the College of Education at the University of Houston." Includes hundreds of primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Collection.
Documenting the American South (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
A large collection of primary sources on Southern history.
The Dramas of Haymarket (Chicago Historical Society/Northwestern University)
An outstanding site with extensive collections of images and documents about the Haymarket affair in its historical context.
Early Comic Strips, 1898-1916 (Duke University)
The Emergence of Advertising in America, 1850-1920 (Duke University)
Also available through through the Library of Congress's American Memory site. [Click here]
Ethnic America (Digital History)
Documents and images on the history of immigration
First-Person Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920 (Library of Congress/University of North Carolina)
Diaries, travel accounts, slave narratives, etc.
The Frederick Douglass Papers (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
From Slavery to Freedom: The African-American Pamphlet Collection, 1822-1909 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
Gilder Lehrman Institute: Selected Online Archive
The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory. (Chicago Historical Society/ Northwestern University)
A classic website, if there is such a thing. Produced in 1996, this well-designed collection of primary documents, images and explanatory essays is still very useful for history teachers and students. The site highlights the importance of class and ethnicity in shaping various people's perceptions of the fire.
Harlem, 1900-1940: An African American Community (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library)
HarpWeek: Free Features
Useful collections of digitized articles and images from Harper's Weekly, arranged topically. Many of the free features deal with slavery, reconstruction and race.
The Haymarket Affair Digital Collection (Chicago Historical Society)
An extensive library of primary sources to complement the The Dramas of Haymarket site. Also available through the American Memory site [Click here].
Historical Census Browser (University of Virginia)
Historic Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh, et al.)
A large digital archive of primary sources on the history of Western Pennsylvania, particularly useful for studying the history of industrialization. The site includes books, maps and images. Among other things, it features highly detailed original real estate maps of working-class neighborhoods.
History Matters (City University of New York/ George Mason University)
"Designed for high school and college teachers of U.S. History survey courses, this site serves as a gateway to Web resources and offers unique teaching materials, first-person primary documents and threaded discussions on teaching U.S. history."
Images of African Americans from the 19th Century (Digital Schomburg: New York Public Library)
Images of American Political History (The College of New Jersey)
A few hundred photographs, electoral maps, etc.
Immigrant Coal Miners (Historical Society of Pennsylvania)
A lesson plan for Middle School and High School teachers, with documents
In Motion: The African American Experience (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library)
Images, texts, maps and teaching resources on black history from the slave trade to the present.
Inside an American Factory: Films of the Westinghouse Works, 1904 (Library of Congress)
Jacob Riis Collection (Bartleby)
Books and photographs documenting life in the slums of the late 19th century.
James Karales Photographs, 1956-1969 (Duke University)
High-quality photographs of the Civil Rights Movement
The Learning Page: Lesson Plans (Library of Congress)
A library of teacher-developed lesson plans on a range of history topics
Links to Key Documents in American History (Digital History)
A large hotlist of links to major documents from the Magna Carta to the Starr Report.
The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952-2004 (American Museum of the Moving Image)
This interesting and provocative set of primary sources contains a vast majority of the television ads for presidential campaigns from 1952 to 2004. You can search by year, person, topic, and type of commercial. There is also a set of lessons for teachers.
Making of America (Cornell University)
An enormous collection of digitized magazines and books published from 1850 to 1877. The collection is split between Cornell and Michigan.
Making of America (University of Michigan)
An enormous collection of digitized magazines and books published from 1850 to 1877. The collection is split between Cornell and Michigan.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project (Stanford University)
In addition to primary sources, the site includes lesson plans. One of the lessons is titled "Teaching King and the Civil Rights Movement with Primary Source Documents."
Medicine and Madison Avenue (Duke University)
Collection on the history of advertising medicines. Contains many excellent images.
Nativism (Historical Society of Pennsylvania)
A lesson plan for Middle School and High School teachers, with documents
Nuestras Historias (Connecticut Historical Society)
Oral histories of Puerto Rican migrants to Connecticut
Oyez: US Supreme Court Multimedia
Not the most user-friendly site, but it does have an archive of US Supreme court decisions
Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection Historical Maps (University of Texas at Austin)
Prairie Settlement, 1862-1912 (Library of Congress/ Nebraska State Historical Society)
Letters and photographs about the lives of western pioneers.
Primary Source Documents (Digital History)
Hundreds of primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman collection, edited with students in mind.
Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
Puerto Rico at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Nineteenth-and Early-Twentieth-Century Perspectives (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
Trails to Utah and the Pacific: Letters and Diaries, 1846-1869 (Library of Congress/ Brigham Young University)
Diaries of pioneers, with some maps and images.
Triangle Factory Fire (Cornell University)
Web exhibit on the infamous 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist fire in New York, in historical context. The site provides many primary documents and images..
The Urban Experience in Chicago: Hull House and its Neighborhoods (University of Illinois at Chicago)
Focuses on Jane Addams' Hull House and the immigrant neighborhood it served in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Includes Primary sources, images, and suggestions for teachers.
U.S. Primary Sources (DePaul University)
A collection of short primary sources from 1800 to 2000, edited for use by undergraduate students.
Votes for Women: Selections from the North American Woman Suffrage Association, 1848-1921 (Library of Congress)
Part of the Library of Congress's excellent American Memory website.
"Votes for Women" Suffrage Pictures, 1850-1920 (Library of Congress)
A small selection.
Women Working: 1870-1930 (Harvard University)
Collection of primary sources and images related to women's labor history. Includes additional comments on using the collection in the schools.
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Page developed by Peter Baldwin, University of Connecticut, 2005
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