A scholarly investigation into the question of why the Romans did not repair the Forum in Pompeii after the earthquake of 62 C.E (17 years before the eruption of Mt Vesuvius).

The abolition movement sought to end the practice of slavery in the United States.

On this site you can view an original copy of the document and and also an easy to read version of the complete text. There is also a brief summary of the history behind the bill.

In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Dred Scott decision that African-Americans were not citizens of the United States. Yet within 18 years, Black Americans would not only have citizenship, but would be guaranteed the right to...

Reconstruction

[Free Registration/Login Required] An article that discusses the 13-15th amendments and their impact on social history.

This lesson is designed as a project-based unit plan that will take students through the narrative process from deconstruction to construction. After initial discussion, students will use the Interactive Story Map feature at Read Write...

A comprehensive 36-page history of the Civil War in Texas. Includes numerous images, maps, primary documents, profiles of leading figures, a timeline, and information about battles. Specific topics are addressed, such as the cotton...

See an animation of the archaeological dig at a burial site in Wetwang, England. After you see how the site was excavated, you can watch a detailed animation of the construction of a chariot similar to what was found at the site. Archived.

Booker T. Washington made a consequential speech in Atlanta in 1895, known now as the Atlanta Compromise. Read about the speech, the consessions Washington felt African-Americans needed to make, and the context in which the speech was...

Provides a good basic introduction to the Constitution. Explains the founding principles, checks and balances, the rationale for it, the accomplishments of the Constitutional Convention, the debate and ratification, the structure of the...

The Smithsonian presents a collection of sixty pieces of art from the Gilded Age period in America. Works are included by such artists as Sargent, Thayer, Bannister, Beaux, and others.

Using primary documents, oral histories, and other historical resources, discover how the arts of Africa, Europe, and pre-Civil War America influenced the culture of enslaved African Americans.

Article examines the technology the Romans brought with them when they invaded Britain in AD 43. From their missile-throwing machines to surveying materials and signaling flags, it's easy to see how the Romans quickly overtook the native...

This personal site provides a wealth of ideas regarding the Civil War Era. Look for instructional activity ideas about the events leading up to the war, the Civil War, the Underground Railroad, and the Reconstruction Era.

In this video segment from The Supreme Court, learn about the 1883 Supreme Court decision that marked the end of federal protections for individuals in states and the beginning of Jim Crow segregation.

The papers of educator, lecturer, suffragist, and civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell consist of approximately 13,000 documents. Spanning the years 1851 to 1962, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1886-1954,...

The papers of lecturer, reformer, actress, and author Anna Elizabeth Dickinson span the period 1859-1951 but are chiefly concentrated in the years from 1859 to 1911. The collection consists of approximately 10,000 items. Included are...

The Great Depression was not the fault of Herbert Hoover, but see how he was unable or unwilling to take the steps to address it. Find out how the election of 1932 was the result of his misunderstanding of the economics of the time.

Discusses the cotton economy in the Lower and Upper South of Texas in the 1800s, and the role transportation played in its growth, or lack thereof in some regions. Wheat was more widely grown in the Upper South where the yeomen farmed.

A thorough account of the party's rise and fall. Includes information on election results covering the period from 1935-1958.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, a freeborn black who was a Union officer in the American Civil War and a leader in Louisiana politics during Reconstruction (1865-77).

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Roland Burris, an American Democratic politician who was the first African-American elected to statewide office in Illinois. His appointment as U.S. senator (2009-10) to fill the seat...

A timeline that lists major events in culture, military, industry, and politics across three-quarters of a century.