Helpful Links
**Please check back regularly for updated links!**
General Class Links
Textbook website- Create an account using the directions we discussed in class to access an online version of the textbook
Malow Junior High Web Page
Utica Community Schools
Power School Parent Portal
Real Clear Politics- Great place for a stockpile of articles and polling data
FiveThirtyEight- Amazing resource for elections and polling with projections, statistical models, historical data and essays.
270towin- Focuses solely on the electoral college and the race to get to the necessary 270 votes to win. Includes a great interactive map that can be used to change states and explore possible scenarios for each candidate.
General History Links
American Memory by the Library of Congress- the best site for American History documents
Inflation calculator- GREAT for comparing dollar amounts across time periods
Avalon Project- Great resource for hundreds of famous documents
"America's Homepage"- A collection of American History documents from Georgia Tech University
Historical maps- Lots of great historical maps for United States and World History
Electoral College Historical Record- Review the electoral college record for any presidential election
Election statistics- Breaks down election totals for topics like popular vote, etc. The "Presidency Project" is also a great resource for a wealth of documents, speeches, etc. for every American President.
Party breakdowns of U.S. House of Representatives- shows the historical breakdown of party control of the House
Electing the House of Representatives- EXCELLENT site which features district level mapping for all Congressional elections from 1840-present
Party breakdowns of U.S. Senate- shows the historical breakdown of party control of the Senate
Chapter-specific links
Check back during the school year to see updated links for what we are currently studying!
**Chapter 15
Louisiana Purchase
Library of Congress- Great collection of letters and documents about the purchase
Monticello- Resources direct from the Thomas Jefferson Foundation
National Archives- Official treaty in book form
Avalon Project- Terrific collection of document text from Yale Law School's Avalon Project
PBS- plain text of the treaty from PBS
Transcontinental Treaty (Adams-Onis Treaty)
State Department- Overview from the U.S. State department
Avalon Project- The complete text of the treaty from the Avalon Project
Oregon Territory
U.S. State Department- history of the territory including information on territorial disputes
Smithsonian- Another background piece about the territory
Oregon Trail
National Park Service- the NPS put together this website which includes photos from different spots on the trail.
History channel- A "This day in history" entry which describes May 22, 1843
PBS- This site includes links to several sections of the trail
Oregon Trail video game- The classic computer game that millions of schoolchildren (including yours truly) played to learn about the pitfalls of traveling on the trail.
Texas
Moses Austin Asks for Land- From the History Channel
Stephen Austin- Brief biography of the great Texas leader
Stephen Austin goes to jail- History Channel's account of Austin's arrest
The Alamo deconstructed- Terrific video clip showing the structure of the building
The Goliad- History Channel's account of what happened at the Goliad
The Battle of San Jacinto- In-depth account of the battle that ended the Texas War for Independence
Santa Anna's capture- Description of Santa Anna's capture and captivity
Texas Declaration of Independence- text version
Texas Declaration of Independence- pictures of the actual document and of a printed broadside
Texas Declaration of Independence Manuscript- Includes images for each page of the manuscript
Mexican-American War
History Channel Special- Full length documentary from the History Channel about the war
Roster of Soldiers- the National Archives' complete listing of veterans of this war
PBS- Outstanding resource with great background reading and an excellent interactive timeline
PBS Overview- shorter article about the war and its impact
Smithsonian- Interesting collection of images from the Smithsonian Museum
Smithsonian Magazine- article about the importance of training at West Point for the American army.
West Point- Resources related to the war including a short Power Point of the major battle strategy
Library of Congress- collection of artifacts including documents, pictures, etc
National Archives- Links to collections of the National Archives related to the war
History Channel- Includes some short video clips and some background reading
U.S. State Department- Links the Texas War of Independence to The Mexican-American War
Virginia Tech media project- Outstanding collection of documents and resources from the Virginia Tech University History Department
University of Texas-Arlington- Excellent resources for the whole war
U.S. Park Service- NPS website for Chamizal National Park,the site where the peace was established.
Impact on slavery- PBS video clip showing the War's impact on the abolitionist movement.
New York Times- Interesting article about the preservation of a historic site from the war
Time Magazine- article about an ad campaign in Mexico that caused outrage in the U.S. and reminds us how controversial this war was and still is to many
Opposition to War- Link to a review of a book written by a Penn State University professor which makes the case that this war had a strong opposition movement
Library of Congress paper on "Spot Resolutions"- the LOC examines the resolutions that gained Abraham Lincoln considerable attention
Library of Congress on Lincoln's Congressional Career- great overview on Lincoln's record as a Whig Congressman
National Archives on Spot Resolutions- the National Archives explores Lincoln's controversial position
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (History Channel)- Brief description of the treaty and how it influences conflict between the U.S. and Mexico in the 1940's
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Library of Congress #1)- Overview of the Treaty from the Library of Congress
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Library of Congress #2)- collection of meaterials about the Treaty from the Library of Congress
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (National Archives)- Includes images of the actual treaty
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (PBS)- Excellent contextual piece about the treaty
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (text of treaty)- Text of the treaty from Yale University's Avalon project
Gadsden Purchase
U.S. State Department- Official history
Gadsden Purchase (text of treaty)- Text of the treaty from Yale University's Avalon project
Gadsden Purchase image- from the National Archives
Gadsden Purchase collection- from the Library of Congress
Gadsden Purchase video clip- On the lighter side...
**Chapter 16
Overview of Life in the West- Good essay from the National Park Service that integrates mountain men, Native American life, pioneers, the difficulty of the journey west, etc.
Photos of the West- From the National Archives
Lewis and Clark
National Geographic- One of my all-time favorite sites for Lewis and Clark. This focuses on the geographic discoveries and the study of plant and animal species that are sometimes the forgotten part of this mission.
National Geographic II- Interesting article about a geographer who retraced the original route of the journey
Smithsonian- Very interesting look at the journey taken "as naturalists" by focusing on the scientific discoveries made by the team
PBS- Powerful website which includes access to a searchable database of the journals of the explorers and an interactive map of the journey
Journals of Lewis and Clark- All journals are presented in a clear, easy-to-read format. From the University of Nebraska.
National Park Service- Includes links to biographies and an interactive trail atlas
History Channel- Includes video clips
Bicentennial exhibition- a national program designed to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Corps of Discovery
Library of Congress- links to artifacts from the journey in the LoC's collection
Smithsonian Magazine- article about the importance of the journey
Lewis' Mysterious Death- The Smithsonian Magazine examines the ongoing debate surrounding Lewis' mysterious death.
Californios
Historical Overview- a very detailed history of the Californios
Brief overview- a much quicker look at the Californios and their response to American rule
Californios and the Gold Rush- PBS takes a look at how the Californios responded to the influx of settlers during the Gold Rush
Californio allegiance to the U.S.- Interesting look at how the Californios responded to American rule after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Mountain Men
Museum of the Mountain Men- This is a museum located in Wyoming that has artifacts and photos on display, including some things that you can look at online.
Mountain Men of Utah- An overview of the impact of this group on what eventually became the state of Utah
Bad Pass Trail- National Parks Service site describing a site where mountain men often crossed to get their goods to St. Louis
Missionaries
Overview of missionary efforts- Detailed look at the reasons this movement picked up momentum in the American West.
The Whitmans (PBS)- Biographical sketch of two of the most famous missionaries
Marcus Whitman biography- From the National Park Service
Narcissa Whitman settles West of the Rockies- from The History Channel
Library of Congress- Includes links to assorted events, including the Whitman massacre
The Spaldings- From the National Park Service
Women Pioneers of the West
Library of Congress- links to sources and a brief overview
Frontier House- An Essay about Life in the West based on the series "Frontier House" from PBS which we watched an episode from
Women's Suffrage- Why the West first? Link to a lesson plan with activities related to why women in the West gained rights and equality much sooner than their counterparts in the East
The Mormon Migration
Overview (PBS)- A quick description of why Mormons sought refuge in Utah. Includes links to biographical information on Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.
Mormon Trail (NPS)- the National Park Service has a brief overview of the journey here and links to two different treks that were undertaken to Utah
Mormon Migration begins- From The History Channel
Getty Images Collection- Several images and paintings related to the Mormon Migration
BYU Essay- Terrific in-depth view of the journey and its challenges from Brigham Young University's Library
The California Gold Rush
Overview (History Channel)- includes video clips
Overview (digital history)- From the University of Houston's online textbook project
Overview (Harvard)- From Harvard University's Library. Includes links to several scans of books and materials related to the Gold Rush
Oakland Museum of California- Includes links to terrific works of art
California State Parks-Excellent resource outlining places in California related to the Gold Rush. Includes overviews of diversity during the Gold Rush and a timeline of events.
American Experience- pages devoted to information about the episode of the PBS series American Experience dedicated to the Gold Rush
100th Anniversary- INCREDIBLE photos taken by Time-Life of different sites for the 100th anniversary of the Gold Rush. The photos have been vividly restored and have lush detail!
Smithsonian- Incredible artifacts from the Gold Rush
Early California Overview- Great short articles from the Library of Congress
"California As I Saw It"- Huge resource of first person narratives from the Gold Rush available online through the Library of Congress. The site is tough to navigate- click on authors, then click a name and then click "view text" to read
National Park Service- NPS overview and links to Park resources/locations
A New Gold Rush?- A few years back, gold prices hit record highs. With the increase in value came an increase in gold panning. This article from Smithsonian Magazine profiles new-age gold prospectors.
James Marshall- brief overview of the man who started the Gold Rush from PBS
Marshall's Discovery?- This is believed to be the first piece of gold discovered by James Marshall during the Gold Rush
This Day in history- the day that Marshall made his discovery
Site of Marshall's discovery- from the California State Parks Department. Includes a link to a video shown at the site
The Gold Rush- Website for a film by PBS
8 things you may not know about the California Gold Rush- From the History Channel
Levi Strauss- The story of a man who created a garment for miners that has become a cultural institution!
Levi Strauss (PBS)- A biographical sketch from PBS
Chinese Immigrants during the Gold Rush
Overview- A general overview from the PBS Gold Rush program
Overview (Library of Congress)- Brief summary from the LoC
**Chapter 18
Second Great Awakening
Second Great Awakening- Terrific exhibition from the Library of Congress. Includes links to many great documents.
Overview- Detailed look at the changing beliefs of Americans during this time period'
Impact on/Influence on African Americans- explores the role of the movement on the experience of African Americans
Temperance (not mentioned in the book)
PBS- Most Americans have heard of the Prohibition movement in the 1900s, but that movement was rooted in the temperence movement of the 1800s
Library of Congress political cartoons- excellent resource of selected political cartoons making the case that alcohol consumption was ruining American society
Temperance in the South- from the University of North Carolina's excellent "Documenting the American South" collection
Brown University- Huge searchable archive of over 1,000 documents related to temperance and prohibition
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism- Brief overview of the important literary movement. Includes a "roster" of some of the most famous authors and poets from the movement and links to several brief biographies.
Transcendentalism as a philosophy- Detailed look at the complex philosophical beliefs of transcendentalists from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Model Communities (also known as "Utopian Societies")
Yale University list of Utopian Societies- great resource from Yale's library. Includes links to several societies organized from the 1600s to the 1900s
Five Model Communities of the 1800s- History Channel's overview of the five most successful "model community" experiments
The Amana Colonies- National Park Service article about Shaker colonies in America
Library of Congress- collection of articles about these societies. Scroll down on the page and click on the links
CNN- 2002 article remembering this unique experiment in American history
Brook Farm (Britannica)- encyclopedia article about Brook Farm, one of the most well-known model communities
Prison Reform
Dorothea Dix- Brief Biography of the great social reformer
Dorothea Dix (History Channel)- another view of her life's work
Dorothea Dix (University of North Carolina)- includes links to full text versions of some of her writings.
Education Reform
Horace Mann- biography of the great educational reformer.
Abolition movement
Abolition movement overview- From the History Channel. Includes video clips
Abolition movement (Library of Congress)- links to several documents and artifacts
Abolition movement (PBS)- overview of the movement which describes the roles of the many different types of people who participated
William Lloyd Garrison- biography of the great abolitionist
William Lloyd Garrison (PBS)- PBS overview of Garrison's life.
The Liberator volume I- Opener of the first issue of Garrison's Liberator newspaper.
Liberator archive- full issues of Garrison's paper
Frederick Douglass- brief biography of the great abolitionist
Frederick Douglass (History Channel)- Includes links to video clips.
Frederick Douglass (PBS)- overview from PBS
Frederick Douglass (NPS)- link to an overview from the National Park Service website for the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
The works of Frederick Douglass- links to online versions of some of Douglass' books
Frederick Douglass fights back- The scene we discuss in class where Douglass and his master physically fight
Frederick Douglass papers- links to the Library of Congress' collection of documents and artifacts.
Grimke sisters biography- from the U.S. National Park Service
Grimke sisters biography (PBS)- PBS overview of their lives
Grimke Sisters book- Full text version of an 1885 book about the Grimke sisters
Sojourner Truth biography- brief overview of her amazing life
Sojourner Truth biography (History Channel)- includes a video clip of a reenactment of her "Ain't I a Woman?" speech
Sojourner Truth (NPS)- U.S. National Park Service story of Truth's life
The Narrative of Sojourner Truth- full text version of Truth's book
Sojourner Truth collection (LoC)- collection of materials from the Library of Congress
Sojourner Truth Bust- a bronze bust of Truth is displayed in the U.S. Captiol Building. This link has a picture as well as background information about Truth.
Women's Rights
Lucretia Mott- brief overview of her life
Lucretia Mott (History Channel)- History Channel biography
Lucretia Mott (LoC)- Library of Congress collection about the reformer
Elizabeth Cady Stanton- brief biography of the Women's rights legend
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (NPS)- U.S. National Park Service biography of her life
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (History Channel)- Overview of her life, including information about her work during the Civil War
Elizabeth Cady Stanton book- full text version of her book Eighty Years and More
Elizabeth Cady Stanton obituary- the 1902 obituary from the New York Times
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony- website for the Ken Burns film "Not for Ourselves Alone" about the historic relationship of these two reformers
Stanton and Anthony (NEH)- National Endowment for the Humanities magazine article about the teamwork of the two reformers
Stanton and Anthony documents- from Rutgers University's project
Mott, Stanton, and Anthony- picture of a monument to the great women's rights advocates on display at the U.S. Capitol Building
Susan B. Anthony- brief overview of her life
Susan B. Anthony (History Channel)- Includes links to videos about Anthony
Susan B. Anthony (NPS)- U.S. National Park Service overview of her life
The Anthony Trial- Susan B. Anthony was put on trial for "illegal voting" in 1873. This site features a collection of documents related to her case
Seneca Falls Convention- History Channel's account of the Convention's opening
Declaration of Sentiments- full text version
***Chapter 19
Eli Whitney biography- brief overview of his life
Eli Whitney (History Channel)- information about Whitney's Cotton Gin as well as his idea for interchangeable parts
Eli Whitney patent- Collection of documents for the original patent application for the cotton gin
Industrial Revolution (History Channel)- Overview of the topic, including video clips
Industrial Revolution (LoC)- collection of materials from the Library of Congress
1800s Inventions Timeline- great overview of the different types of inventions that helped America industrialize
Lowell Mills- Description of the mills and the boarding houses its workers lived in
Erie Canal- Brief overview of the project
Immigration overview- Brief overview by the History Channel charting general immigration trends to America before 1950.
***Chapter 20
Overview of slavery (Library of Congress)- LoC overview which includes several interesting links
Legal status of African Americans- article about the historical legal status of African American slaves
Legal status of slaves (UK governmental archives)- focuses on colonial rules pertaining to slavery
Legal status of slaves (Library of Congress)- LoC article of legal status of slavery
Legal status of slaves in Missouri- In-depth look at the legal rules in this particular state, including an overview of "black codes" that were in place
"Free people of color in Louisiana"- in-depth look at the status of free African Americans in this state of the "deep south"
Slavery statistics- Includes background information and statistics in tables regarding the economic nature of slavery
Slavery fact sheet- excellent list of facts and anecdotes about slavery
Working conditions of slaves- describes the environment in which slaves worked during the antebellum
Living conditions of slaves- In-depth look at how slaves lived
Slave Life at Appomattox Plantation (NPS)- Great overview of a typical experience for different types of slaves on a typical southern plantation
Andrew Jackson's slaves- profile of several of the slaves Jackson owned on his plantation The Hermitage
Life of a slave child- Modern look at the life of slave children via The Washington Post
New Orleans slave market- As remembered by Solomon Northup, the man who wrote Twelve Years a Slave.
"A Northern Family Confronts Its Slaveholding Past"- from Smithsonian Magazine website.
"Inheriting Slavery"- Interesting article about a man who is sharing stories of his family's slaveholding past
"Two Families Named McCain"- The Wall Street Journal profiled John McCain's family's role in slavery before the 2008 presidential campaign
Slavery In Texas- From the Texas State Historical Association
Resistance to slavery
History of slave rebellions- The History Channel's examination of some of the larger rebellions against slavery
Resistance to slavery (LoC)- documents and information from the Library of Congress
"Passive Resistance" to slavery- very interesting article about behaviors that are sometimes called "passive resistance" to slavery
Resistance to slavery (NEH)- Excellent collection of resources from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Resistance to slavery (Smithsonian)- Includes artifacts from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad (PBS)- brief overview
Underground Railroad (History Channel)- includes video clip about Harriet Tubman
Denmark Vesey- 1822
Overview (PBS)- The story of the plot that unnerved slaveholders
Profile (The Atlantic)- This is an article about Vesey and his plot that original appeared in June of 1861
Abolitionist or Terrorist?- Interesting piece examining how the goal of one's violence can sometimes influence how we feel about the violence itself
Denmark Vesey and his church- This is a profile of Vesey in the context of how the church he helped found was the same church where nine people were shot and killed in June of 2015 in Charleston, SC
Vesey's church- A profile in the Washington Post about Vesey's church and its role in black history in the context of the Charleston shootings on 2015.
Denmark Vesey Video Tour- CSPAN did this short video tour of some of the sites related to Vesey's rebellion.
The Plot- a full report about the plot from the city of Charleston's perspective
Vesey Monument- A monument to Denmark Vesey was erected in 2014 in Charleston. This article explores some of the controversy surrounding that monument.
Nat Turner's Rebellion- 1831
Overview (PBS)- Brief description of Turner's inspiration and eventual capture
Overview (History Channel)- Includes a brief video clip
Overview (UNC-Chapel Hill)- Another brief overview, but with links to other resources
The Confessions of Nat Turner- from the link on the UNC overview. A full electronic version of Turner's confession, which includes a gruesome account of the attack
Nat Turner Documents- collection of documents related to Turner and John Brown's Raid (Chapter 21 of our book) from the Library of Virginia
Slave Families, Leisure Activities, Culture and Churches
Slave families- PBS overview of how slaves found ways to build family bonds, sometimes at great danger
Slave families (National Humanities Center)- great links to letters and narratives
Historical impact of slavery on families- interesting essay outlining the effects slavery may have on African American families
Impact of the auction block on slave families- a piece by National Public Radio (NPR) that explores the impact slave auctions had on slave families. Includes audio.
Impact of auctions on slave children- another piece by NPR about slave auctions and their impact upon slave families. This piece focuses on the heartbreaking effect on slave children.
Slave Education, Arts, and Culture- from PBS
The Southern Plantation- description of the society that developed within southern plantations during slavery. Includes links to song lyrics and clips
Slave religion- Overview of the unique religious developments of slave society
Slave religion (PBS)- another overview of the religious lives of slaves
Slave religion (Mount Vernon)- Chronicles the religious activities at George Washington's Mount Vernon
Slave medicine- Interesting account of the treatments used for injuries and sicknesses suffered by slaves
***Chapter 21
The Missouri Compromise (History Channel)- overview and background of the events leading up to the Compromise
The Missouri Compromise (Library of Congress)- fascinating collection of documents from the Library of Congress
The Missouri Compromise (Our Documents)- a look at the actual document that admitted Missouri to the Union. Includes a transcript of the document
"Gag Rule" in the House- the House of Representatives cut off all debate on the issue of slavery with this measure
"Gag Rule" in the Senate- A similar measure was passed in the U.S. Senate
"Gag Rule" (PBS)- a view of the actual document that was passed
"Gag Rule" (Garrison)- The great abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison sounds off on the "Gag Rule"
Wilmot Proviso- Brief overview of the Proviso and a look at the actual document
Wilmot Proviso- A better look at the actual document from the National Archives