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...

The behind-the-scenes story of the famous 1970 meeting between President Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley, as told through original letters, memoranda, and photographs.

A collection of political cartoons by Clifford K. Berryman that illustrate the presidential campain trail. Most of these cartoons appeared on the front page of Washington newspapers from 1898 through 1948.

These gifts are unique records of each administration from Herbert Hoover through Bill Clinton. Many of them are handmade artworks. Some are from well known artists and others from supportive American citizens.

Learn about the findings of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.

As part of the artistic nationalism that took place during the Great Depression, this website from the National Archives and Records Administration focuses on many American scenes. Lots of focus on small-town life and various regions.

The turbulence of the Great Depression is reflected in these images of workers in artwork from the NARA on this site.

Learn about this landmark Supreme Court case on the issues of federal power and commerce. Provides an image of a document from the case files and a transcript of the opinion delivered in 1819 by Chief Justice John Marshall.

"New Directions in Retirement Income: Social Security, Pensions and Personal Savings, Testimony by Commissioner of Social Security," Kenneth S. Apfel before the Senate Committee on Finance, July 22, 1998.

In this activity students will analyze documents that span the course of American history to determine their connection to the different phrases found within the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

In this activity, students will closely examine two food nutrition guideline posters from the USDA to determine the government's purpose in creating such guidelines and how they have changed over time. Students will also question how...

In this activity, students will match documents to visualize ways that Americans contributed to the war effort on the homefront during World War I. Students will see a payoff image related to the armistice celebration and reflect on the...

Students will analyze specified passages from the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Libellants of Schooner Amistad to explore the concept of jurisdiction and how a case travels through the federal court system.

Students will draw upon the visual and textual data presented in photographs and documents to gain an understanding of how the federal school lunch program is a direct result of the Great Depression, how it became a permanent part of the...

This short comparative analysis activity involves comparing and contrasting two images of marches for freedom - a 1917 march of suffragists and the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom by Civil Rights leaders. Students will...

Students will analyze primary sources related to the New Deal. They will analyze specific documents to determine if overall the New Deal represents a revolution or a reform in our history.

Learners will consider the arguments made by members of the Continental Congress regarding whether or not to sign the Declaration of Independence. They will also have the opportunity to analyze each section of the Declaration to...

In this activity, learners will identify and analyze national monuments and buildings to discover how they represent American people, ideas and institutions.

In this activity, students will examine the original and final drafts of the Constitution and evaluate the significance of the selection of the words 'We the People.'

Students will analyze historical records of the House and Senate to understand the sequence of steps in the legislative process. The students will work collaboratively to study documents and identify the step in the process that each...

Students will identify symbols used in the original design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782) and assess how the symbols connect with important American ideas.

Young scholars will examine and interpret information from a Declaration of Intention document to discover the individual applying for citizenship in the United States - Albert Einstein.

In this activity, students sequence key events leading to the Declaration of Independence by placing documents in chronological order.

Students will discover the reasons behind the March on Washington and analyze the impact and consequences on the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.